Ellington

Welcome to another reader's guide to Ken Stiggers. My last reader's guide (published April 22, 2009) explained the term "Ghetto Science Team." This week I want to share why I poked fun of the former Vice President Dick Cheney's wife with this reoccurring theme: "Lynne Cheney writes poignant standard English introductions for books written by members of the Ghetto Science Team."

I thought of this motif after watching a C-Span moderator interview Lynne Cheney, former head of the National Endowment for the Humanities. I concluded from the interview that Mrs. Cheney wanted to revise American history by eliminating "obscure" figures (like Harriet Tubman) or embarrassing moments in American history (like the KKK or McCarthyism). An article about her revisionist inclination can be found on the History News Network Web site at http://www.hnn.us/articles/8418.html. The article, which Gary B. Nash wrote, is titled "Lynne Cheney's Attack on the History Standards, 10 Years Later."

So, with a satirical mind, I decided to make Lynne Cheney's passion for correcting history into a humorous motif implying that she is a micro manager—just like that person on the plantation who kept the slaves in check. Oh, my! This is why the statement "Lynne Cheney writes poignant standard English introductions for books written by members of the Ghetto Science Team" became a reoccurring theme in my past columns. I liked using this statement because it was an incendiary, thought-provoking and humorous way to illustrate her affection for more "proper" history.

That's it. Just keep laughing, and thinking, too.

Previous Comments

ID

150674

Comment

I didn't know about that. I'll read the article you linked to. Insane!

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2009-08-07T07:35:14-06:00