"Demon of Unrest"
An attempted escape into the past
I am about halfway through Erik Larson’s latest book. I needed something to take me away from the hand wringing about Biden’s candidacy and the lunacy of Trump’s popularity. Going back into the mid 19th Century seemed like a safe place.
Yes and No.
Yes, because I have always been fascinated with our brief history. Reading about the Civil War era is an escapism. It holds lessons for us. And in the grand scheme of humanity, it really wasn’t that long ago. We are just a puppy of a nation compared to the rest of the world.
No, not a “safe place” because as I experience the times in this book, I meet characters that sound an awful lot like today’s political pontificators. This book offers a portrait of the “Planters” in the South. Their view of life was quite similar to the nobles of Europe they descended from. A few lucky souls inherit their positions from which they control everything and everyone else. Sound familiar?
Larson has a strong reputation as an author. My wife relished his “Devil in the White City”. I got a recap of her reading every morning over coffee. And after this latest effort I will be diving into others he has written in the future.
But back to the “Demons”. History had repeated itself and Larson offered this in his Notes to the Reader introduction:
”I was well into my research on the saga of Fort Sumter and the advent of the American Civil War when the events of January 6, 2021, took place. As I watched the Capitol assault unfold on camera, I had the eerie feeling that present and past had merged. It is unsettling that in 1861 two of the greatest moments of national dread centered on the certification of the Electoral College vote and the presidential inauguration.
I was appalled by the attack, but also riveted. I realized that the anxiety, anger, and astonishment that I felt would certainly have been experienced in 1860–1861 by vast numbers of Americans. With this in mind, I set out to try to capture the real suspense of those long-ago months when the country lurched toward catastrophe…”
Is the past prologue? Are the descendants of the “Planters” attempting to reassert their dominance again? Are the children of the KKK lynchers sliding into power using Donald Trump as their Trojan Horse? If you read about Project 2025, you could be forgiven if you think so.
There is an area of scientific/medical research called epigenetics. Is it possible that teaching generation after generation to hate people of color, consider women as second class humans and to condemn those who defend them as equals - that this bigotry could become part of one’s DNA?
“Epigenetics” is an emerging area of scientific research that shows how environmental influences—children's experiences—actually affect the expression of their genes. This means the old idea that genes are “set in stone” has been disproven.
Regardless of how or why the Heritage Foundation and the Extreme Right Radicals have been born or cultivated, they now serve as the greatest threat to our nation, our democracy and the Earth itself - since 1861.
I just ordered two bumper stickers:
My other technique for staying sane in this whacky and volatile political environment is, of course, growing food. Here is today’s harvest of garlic. It’s a “porcelain” variety called Georgian Crystal. I like it for it’s relative mild flavor and its large size. Each bulb holds only four to six huge cloves.
For those new to the subject, garlic is harvested in July when the leaves start turning brown. After curing in a cool dark place, we take the very largest cloves for planting in October. Eat the rest. It’s fun to say we are “garlic independent”. For more info and planting guides, visit Johnny’s Seeds - an employee owned company I have used for 40+ years. Even if you are not a farmer type, you might enjoy the catalog. Terrific photography - especially if you like staring at beautiful food.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195608683-the-demon-of-unrest
https://billalstrom.substack.com/p/the-coup-is-underway-a-summation?r=3s3j1
https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/what-is-epigenetics-and-how-does-it-relate-to-child-development/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CEpigenetics%E2%80%9D%20is%20an%20emerging%20area,in%20stone%E2%80%9D%20has%20been%20disproven.
https://www.johnnyseeds.com/
I finished the book switching back and forth between the Kindle and Audible versions. Everything changes, everything stays the same. I know a bit about epigenetics. There is no excuse for the willful ignorance people have to engage in to stay in the cult that is today’s Republican Party. People overcome genetic deficits all the time. I hope pointing it out does not offend, but the author’s last name is Larson, not Larsen. I am jealous of your green thumb.
Love the garlic! I’ve expanded my garden this year, will check your source for next year’s plantings!
I’m one of those southerners. Landowners who became land poor after the war. Interesting discussion. My mother, born 1928 and college educated, resembled the mother in “The Help”. The upbringing was the sense of ‘noblesse oblige’. Until a beloved housekeeper sided with my dad during the divorce and was subsequently let go for ‘stealing the silver’. I credit education and travel, plus a rebellious nature for my 180° rejection of those attitudes. The proliferation of confederate flags outside the south makes me wonder if those who left the south after the war took their genes, and their prejudices, with them, along with consigning their offspring to lives of poverty and hate. Very interesting read. Thanks.