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Hi Julie – I was somewhat bemused to read Doreen Trontell's,
"B.A. History, Ithaca College," by her sharp criticism of my Alamo
article (March 2023). I made some mistakes, but so did she. First
and foremost, she did not take her audience into consideration. The
CTNL is not the place to provide a didactic historical dissertation. In
contrast, my article was provided as entertainment and, perchance,
enlightenment.
Secondly, I pointed out that "I had no intention of defending one version over another
of the events leading to..the battle", but she has done so with obvious distain of the Texas
territory (and by extension the US Government) because of slave ownership, a dark stain on
our country, which, indeed, was a contributing factor, along with states' rights, that lead to
the US Civil War. Consequently, I present another POV: "By the 1830s, American settlers in
Mexico's Texas territory outnumbered native Mexicans. Americans felt oppressed by Mexican
rule and, under the leadership of Stephen Austin and Sam Houston, declared independence
in 1835." (AmericanHistory.is.edu)
The CTNL audience does not want to read about the causes leading to the Civil War; they
want to be entertained. Also, I found her insinuation that I championed the "freedom for all"
concept, something an 8th grader might write, insulting. I did not use this phrase anywhere
in my article, nor was it implied. Lastly, I take exception to her counter claim that the issue
of the Alamo battle was "states' rights." The facts are that the Battle of the Alamo was to
claim independence from the Mexican Government, from whom the land was seized. This
was the start of the Texas Revolution, which used the battle cry of "Remember the Alamo" as
a rallying force. As previously quoted supra, independence from Mexico was won under the
leadership of Sam Houston after the battle of San Jacinto. I point out that at this time that
the Republic of Texas did not become a state in the US Union until 29 December 1845, so the
issue was definitely not "states' rights", but independence from the Mexican Government.
– Diane Romano, BA English, Montclair State University, US Intel Analyst (ret).
Dear Diane – I appreciate your rebuttal. This topic is out of my area of expertise,
but I appreciate yours – thank you for your response. – Julie
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R E G I S T E R
N O W F O R N H L I O N S
B A S K E T B A L L C A M P !
North Hunterdon Lions Basketball Club, a feeder
program for North Hunterdon High School, is pleased
to announce its 2023 Boys Basketball Summer Camp! This
fun and instructive basketball program is run by the North
Hunterdon High School head coaches and their coaching staff
along with the assistance of the varsity players. These camps are
open to all players in the North Hunterdon High School sending
districts: Bethlehem, Clinton Township, Town of Clinton, Franklin
Township, Lebanon, and Union. Register online at https://forms.
gle/sYBE3MB3s3BFNFMj8 or email: nhlionsbc@gmail.com The
camp runs from July 10 through July 13, from 8:00 am to 12:00
pm, for grades 5 through 9 (as of Fall 2023). LOCATION: North
Hunterdon High School, Main Gym. PRICE: $150/person
(includes camp T-shirt and prizes!) Questions? Contact
Kyle Rehrig at: 908.917.7584 or email: nhlionsbc@
gmail.com. This camp is endorsed and
supported by the NHHS Basketball
S t a f f a n d H e a d C o a c h ,
Kyle Rehrig.
"A champion is defined not by their wins but
by how they can recover when they fall."
~ Serena Williams
"Teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you
have five acting as one" ~ Mike Krzyzewski
