Tunkin67’s blog

David McCullough was one of the "critics" who critiqued the most recent book, A Letter to America, by David Lyle Boren.  I went to his book-signing event in DC one week ago and purchased the book.  We thankfully had a little time to chat, along with his better half, Molly Shi Boren.  I saw several others I knew as well.  I read it the next evening.  It is something that must be read, and read, and read, and passed along.  As David McCullough stated, "Wise, timely, and constructive views from one of the leading public servants and educators of our time.  This book should be read, re-read, and passed along to all who care about our country and its future."

It also had positive reviews from Jim Lehrer, Ruth Simmons, Howard R. Lamar, and Sam Nunn.  I will let you research those names you do not recognize on your own time.  In short, they are highly noted individuals.  Please refer to the website:

Link to A Letter to America

I can talk about this book for hours, days, weeks, months.  I want to leave one quote from the book with you.  "Unless we understand how we became great, we will not remain great."  It is and has become to me, abundantly clear, over the last few election cycles, not the least of which is this cycle, that we, as a nation, have no clue what made us great and how we can possibly maintain that greatness.  We have sufficiently surrounded our collective selves with intellectual elves.  I say that in the truest sense of bi-partisanship.  Many of you know I was in his administration prior to the Nigh administration.  Please dispense with any of your preconceptions, etc., pick up the book and read it--NOW!  Then pass it along, as I will my local member of the Virginia General Assembly.  It is a must read and our future may be contingent upon it.

There is a 7-part special coming up this Sunday at 8:00 and 9:00 pm EDT that I would like for you to schedule.  Check your local listings.  Here is a link to some information on the special:

Link to John Adams HBO Special

This is about one of our founding fathers, John Adams, of Massachusetts.  It is adapted from a book by David McCullough which received a Pulitzer Prize.  Tom Hanks is an Executive Producer and put much of his very being into this piece of work.  Co-stars, are, for instance, Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, David Morse, Tom Wilkinson, et al.

The book and this presentation delve into the components of the founding of these United States.  If you are a parent, grand-parent, student, citizen, citizen-hopeful, or otherwise, you should watch it from start to finish.  I for one am one of those curmudgeons who truly believe citizenship should be renewable, upon meeting minimal requirements, in American English.