"Remembering the Alamo" - Did the History Channel do justice?

The History Channel ^ | December 16, 2003 | Greystone Communications, Inc - Craig Haffner

[sonofatpatcher2]

March 6, 1836: A massacre of Americans at the Mexican Army's hands made "Remember the Alamo" an immortal Texan battle cry. But is this history viewed through an American lens? With distance from the heat of battle, a Mexican version of the controversy emerges. What caused Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett to run from their pasts to become heroes in death? How did a struggle for independence become a race war? In this 2-hour investigation, we expose new evidence in this grand victory with a dark secret. TV PG

[Phsstpok]

But, this TV ad makes me wonder if she loves him so much, why does she wait until he gives her the ring before saying it?

I'm surprised at myself, but I find I'm LESS cynical than you are in this situation. I read this as she is shy, unwilling to voice the love she feels anyway (as most people are reluctant to do). The shouting by him embarasses her (think about your significant other if you shouted out such a sentiment in a public place) until she is surprised by his gift. She is moved to (publicly) express her emotions... something we are all taught to hide.

I surrender. I'm a sloppy sentimentalist at heart. My tough cynical veneer is shown as the sham that it is 8^>

[TEXOKIE]

Yes, the family of my in-law has all the authentication which is needful. I just thought it was a gee-whiz feel good kind of factoid others here might get a kick out of. You may either take my word on it or not.

[TEXOKIE]

Bumping post 40. Very critical point.

[Skywalk]

Didn't see the show, but I HATE that commercial.

Granted, it's the diamond people paying for it, but I despise being made to feel like I have to buy a friggin bauble for a woman for her to know how much I love her, appreciate it AND RETURN THE sentiment.

It doesn't really take any creativity to buy a diamond, only money. But once again, it's an ad.

Anyone wondered if the new synthetic diamonds that are much cheaper will replace the natural ones controlled by the DeBeers cartel? They are REAL diamonds but with fewer flaws(and once again, cheaper!)

is the appeal of diamonds the cost or the beauty?

[Lancey Howard]

Wow. That is one very interesting bio.
So Santa Anna lived in New York City and imported chicle in a business venture to replace rubber in carriage tires. That is quite a vision.
I suppose that Cub Fan is about three degrees from Santa Anna.

[breakem]

This guy is somewhat of a scourge in the US for obvious reasons, but damn, what a life! I didn't count how many times the Mexicans exiled him, but he lived all over the hemisphere. Interesting, to be sure.

[js1138]

What the commercial says is women are prostitutes and men are the customers, and diamonds are the currency.

[breakem]

This is the diary I referred to earlier. Some question as to its age and it has been cited as written years after the Lt. died.

One of the most persistant and warrentless trends is the suggestion that the King of the Wild Frontier, Davy Crockett, was a simpering, naturalist skwerlvert.

Crockett's critics point out that he supposedly wore a coonskin cap (rather than one made of skwerl); that he rassled a bear (an omnivorus animal that eats bushytails and/or their food sources); and that he was elected to Congress (well, ok, on that one). Moreover, a "diary" surfaced in 1955 that challenges the well established fact that Davy went down swinging at the Alamo in 1836.

The diary, penned by Lt. Colonel Jose Enrique de la Pena (a Mexican officer present at the battle), says that Patriot Davy was captured and brought before victorious General Santa Ana . A Mexican soldier introduced Davy as a "naturalist" who just happened to be passing by when the battle began. Singularly unimpressed, General Santa Ana ordered Crockett and a handful of other survivors executed on the spot. Although Col. de la Pena and other officers argued for mercy, the general's orders were carried out. The survivors were hacked to death.

[Prime Choice]

What the commercial says is women are prostitutes and men are the customers, and diamonds are the currency.

Kinda harsh interpretation, don'tcha think?

Anyway, that reminds me of another commercial that's on these days. It shows a guy sitting on a sofa and suddenly his sweetie runs in and jumps on top of him because of the diamond jewelry he got her.

Every time I see it, I think to myself, "Gee...what sort of Christmas present do I hafta get that'll get me jumped??"

; )

[breakem]

POSTSCRIPTS:

About 45 days after the fall of the Alamo, Lt. Col. Jose Enrique de la Pena, the officer who pleaded with Generalismo Santa Ana to spare the survivors lives, was killed during the Battle of San Jacinto by a lot of angry Texans howling "Remember the Alamo!"

The Battle of San Jacinto pitted 800 Texans against Santa Ana's army of 1300. The Texans took Santa Ana by surprise and wiped out the Mexican force in a matter of minutes. Santa Ana disguised himself as a common soldier to avoid detection. However, when led into the prisoner's compound, his troops greeted him with "Viva El Presidente!" Later, he was released and returned to Mexico to resume his role as president.

Davy Crockett had as many enemies in life as friends, maybe more. His Congressional service was uneventful, although he did advocate for the rights of the poor to land ownership. In the end, Crockett obtained a stature in death he never had in life. Just as it should be...

On November 18, 1998, Col. de la Pena's diary was sold at auction in Hollywood, California for $350,000. The buyers were two "sons of Texas."

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

I wonder if someday we will pay the same price?

Bet on it. History is rhyming all around us, but it's not politically correct to point out the obvious.

[drhogan]

it's now the future, and everything is equivalent. nothing can be judged, because judgement itself is evil. Mexico=US=Iraq. peace = war. up = down. FREEDOM = OPPRESSION.
Do you have it now?

[drhogan]

the ad i saw for the Alamo show in our local paper had a picture of 4 heroes of the Alamo, and it appeared that they had labeled the picture of Travis as "Jim Bowie". also, they called David Crockett "Davy" Crockett. (he never used "Davy", only "David"). they showed him with a coon skin cap, which i believe that he did not wear.
the ad said that the show would correct a lot of the myths about the Alamo.

[shhrubbery!]

I think the young lady who finds that the snowman's nose is the key is the same raven haired beauty from the Venice commercial.

The most memorable thing about that commercial to me is totally fake-y 'snowman.' It's obviously styrofoam.

I find this so cheesy and distracting that I don't even notice the make of the car they're advertising.

[pulaskibush]

If you remember a commercial and the company, then its done its job. Kay jewelers has done an excellent job of getting the attention of their customers and making them remember their name and product. Most people remember their slogan.

When you mentioned the commercial, I thought it was a Kay Jewelers commercial like the one with Santa Claus taxicab driver. I can't remember the company after just watching the commercial, I only remember diamonds are forever.

I think the Alamo was better than most documentaries. It's true that the Alamo defenders were not perfect, but they don't bash them too badly. They should have bluntly said that they didn't know how the heros died and that in the end, it doesn't matter because they are heroes anyway. They instead assume possibilities.

I'm glad they mentioned the Tejanos fighting against the lazy and corrupt Mexican Government in out of the Alamo. I wish they they had gone more into the corruption of the Mexican government regarding the Alamo, then and now. Many hispanics are sick of Mexico's illegal immigration agenda. 1/3 of them voted for Swarzenagger over Bustamonte in CA. I think about 1/4 supported CA Prop 187. Like the Alamo, they are a minority, but they destroy the myth of all Mexicans support the illegal immigrant agenda.

[Doctor Stochastic]

I've had several Mexican friends tell me roughly: "You guys had him [Santa Ana], why didn't you just kill him then? You would have saved Mexico lots of grief."

[cowgirlcutie]

I said the same thing to my husband the first time I saw that diamond commercial. It's obvious that they're on a trip somewhere, but she waits to hug him and say, "I love this man, I love this man", until AFTER she gets a diamond ring? Not a good commercial...makes her look like a money hungry woman.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Lest we forget Emily West.

[breakem]

Thanx. I just saw the Discover feature. Seemed well done overall.

[breakem]

I guess it was the Hostory Channel.