CPC POETRY CHALLENGE PREVIEW: The Friday Fling Celebrates Freedom On Pulaski and Columbus Days!
This is a special preview for the CPC Friday Fling poetry challenge. Poems should be posted there after the challenge opens Thursday evening at 9 PM.
Friday Fling #201 October 12th 2012
Today is Columbus Day, at least the official original one before legislatures began fiddling with it for convenience sake.
As you may know, Columbus Day has taken something of a hit in recent decades due to allegations by some Hispanic immigrants from Central and South America that Columbus opened the way for total exploitation and destruction of the Americas by Europeans.
We’ve always maintained that because the USA would never have been here if it was not for Columbus & Co., among many many others who came later, Columbus Day remains an important positive milestone. We’ve celebrated it here in the past with challenges, most recently a year ago.
But we recently became more aware of another historical figure, another immigrant if you will, who is credited with significant contributions to the founding of the US of A. He came from Poland in the late 1700s, and his name was Casimir Pulaski. Here’s part of his Wikipedia entry:
Casimir Pulaski, or Kazimierz Pulaski … full name Kazimierz Michal Waclaw Wiktor Pulaski; March 6, 1745 – October 11, 1779) was a Polish nobleman, soldier and military commander who has been called “the father of American cavalry”. Despite his fame, until recently, there have been uncertainties and controversies surrounding both his place of birth and burial.
Pulaski was one of the leading military commanders for the Bar Confederation and fought against Russian domination of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. When this uprising failed, he emigrated to North America as a soldier of fortune, following the endorsement of Benjamin Franklin. During the American Revolutionary War, he saved the life of George Washington and became a general in the Continental Army. He created the Pulaski Cavalry Legion and reformed the American cavalry. He died of wounds suffered in the Battle of Savannah.
He has been remembered as a hero fighting for independence and freedom both in Poland and in the United States. Numerous places and events are named in his honor, and he is commemorated by many works of art. Pulaski is one of only seven people to be awarded honorary United States citizenship.
Pulaski Day, as decreed by Congress in 1929, is October 11th. As do others, my town is having a Pulaski Day parade for him. Perhaps they consider it more “politically correct” than having a traditional Columbus Day parade. And in my area Polish-Americans far outnumber Italian-Americans
So this year we thought we’d do something a bit different. While not intending to reduce the importance of Columbus one iota, we thought we’d celebrate Pulaski Day on this week’s Fling. Pulaski came to this country to find the freedom his own country lacked at the time. So our theme will be to celebrate Pulaski Day be writing about freedom.
And what better format to celebrate freedom with than – freestyle.
This week the Friday Fling celebrates freedom freestyle!
Be sure to save time to read and comment freely on your fellow Pals’ perorations. Then you are free to go enjoy the unofficial Columbus Day-Pulaski Day weekend!
Fickle Finger of Fate Award for October 5th 2012
Congratulations Bettie!
1931 US stamp issue commemorating Pulaski’s death
Death of Pulaski at Savannah October 11th 1779 (at 31)
