DrFaust Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 So, er, spoilers ahoy if you haven't read Alien Wars, I guess. I waited until after finishing the book to post this question, just in case the answer came up buried in the GM's Vault. It didn't, so... Senator O'Reilly's death by cane beating seems like it comes totally out of left field. Plus, that out of ninety-odd people, no one moved to stop Prince seems more than mildly implausible. I thought for sure the GM's Vault would have something about the Senator being mind-controlled, or replaced by an alien replicant, but no, apparently she was just a typical venal human. Anyone have any insight to as to what prompted that particular decision on the author's part? Have you done anything with the incident in your game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? Anyone have any insight to as to what prompted that particular decision on the author's part? I can't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure Allen based the incident on a very similar incident that happened in the US House or Senate around the time of the Civil War. Yep, that's right, very similar, and historically documented -- I just don't happen to remember any of the details, I'm sad to say. The truth is that there's often very little fiction writers can think up that doesn't have an as-strange, if not stranger, counterpart in actual history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlHazred Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? He was probably thinking of the caning of Senator Charles Sumner on May 22, 1856. For some reason, it's not really emphasized much in American History classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? That's the one. I knew someone would come along with the details -- thanx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrFaust Posted April 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? Crikey. Yeah, they skipped over that particular day in American History class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? In my American History class they skipped over just about everything that happened outside of The Declaration of Independence, Pearl Harbor, and Woodstock ("the defining moment of the 20th Century!"). Yes, the greatest moment in all American history was 5,000 stoned hippes getting **** in the mud. Never mind the Moon shot or any of that junk. Getting back to the actual topic, as Mister Long said, real-world history has so much weird stuff in it that it's hard to actually make something up for your campaign background that didn't already happen in history. Though I'm still waiting for a chance to use Pennsylvania's Buckshot War in an adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manic Typist Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? However, the Senator from U.S. history wasn't beaten to death. He became a hero to the North though, while the guy with the cane became a hero to the South. Because he side felt vindicated in that incident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlHazred Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? I'm still waiting for a chance to use Pennsylvania's Buckshot War in an adventure.Yeah' date=' that was a good incident to base an adventure on. See, the funny thing is I learn all about these minor sidelights by watching The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and googling terms I don't instantly recognize (and in many cases, those I do as well). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? Yeah' date=' that was a good incident to base an adventure on. I actually learned about that from an old series called PENNSYLVANIA PROFILES, short comics covering usually-forgotten bits of PA history and culture. Several of the labor squabbles in this state from the 19th century would also make for good adventure ideas. Though myself, I'd like to use early Russian history as the background for a planet's culture. Somewhat lawless merchant princes occupy and rule a world, it's low-tech agricultural natives accepting them because they drive savage raiders off. The merchant princes then draw some inspiration for their culture from a much larger and wealthier culture nearby, as well as a new religion. And then the space Mongols/Xenovores show up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? I can think of a number of current members of Congress I'd like to take a cane to.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teflon Billy Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? He was probably thinking of the caning of Senator Charles Sumner on May 22' date=' 1856. For some reason, it's not really emphasized much in American History classes.[/quote']I remember seeing this mentioned in my history book in HS. It really isn't that big of a historical event, what's there to emphasize on? TB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlHazred Posted April 23, 2006 Report Share Posted April 23, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? The fact was that no one, not a single person, raised his hand to stop the caning, and there were plenty of witnesses. Sure, later on both sides used the incident to their political advantage, but at the time it happened no-one stopped it. Reminds me of the Kitty Genovese murder, which never fails to disappoint and sadden me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrFaust Posted April 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? Reminds me of the Kitty Genovese murder' date=' which never fails to disappoint and sadden me.[/quote'] She sprang to my mind as well when I read the passage in AW. I just thought for sure, with something like that happening right in front of people, without a wall or curtain to hide behind, somebody would do something. Hum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted April 23, 2006 Report Share Posted April 23, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? People in real life aren't superheroes always on the alert to foil crime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? I can think of a number of current members of Congress I'd like to take a cane to.... I can think of at least one governor and some city council members who deserve a good pounding. And concerning Kitty Genovese, I'd read that part of the reason why no one did anything was because a lot of the onlookers were survivors of Nazi death camps and "The last time I called the police, they took me to Buchenwald". But yeah, that was vile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? I can think of at least one governor and some city council members who deserve a good pounding. And concerning Kitty Genovese, I'd read that part of the reason why no one did anything was because a lot of the onlookers were survivors of Nazi death camps and "The last time I called the police, they took me to Buchenwald". But yeah, that was vile. Not quite. It seems the "38 saw and did nothing" is overblown reporting on the part of the NY Times. Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlHazred Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? If anyone really wants to get a good view of some of the little-known gamable bits of history, check out Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl. Robert Wuhl (yes, the guy from Arli$$) teaches a history class to a bunch of college students every episode. He's a damn good history teacher, and very entertaining as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdamnhero Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? Not quite. It seems the "38 saw and did nothing" is overblown reporting on the part of the NY Times. Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese Yup, beat me to it. Believe it or not, we did have urban myths before the Internet. In my American History class they skipped over just about everything that happened outside of The Declaration of Independence' date=' Pearl Harbor, and Woodstock ("the defining moment of the 20th Century!").[/quote'] Part of the problem is that American history textbooks have to be approved by state & local school boards, who tend to be gunshy about anything they think could get them in trouble with parents. So anything that might conceivably offend anyone anywhere in the country gets airbrushed out by the editors - don't want to eliminate potential markets! What's left is "Blah blah, struggle, blah blah progress, blah blah inevitable victory..." with all the human drama airbrushed out. And they wonder why students think history is dull. I've heard college history professors say that they spend the first semester-and-a-half just "unlearning" all the **** their students learned in high school. And since something like 85% of Americans never take a history class after high school (because it was so boring)... Damn - sorry for the rant. What was the topic? Oh yeah, I like the incident, but have never really done anything with it. [i'll be quiet now, I promise.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlHazred Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? Not quite. It seems the "38 saw and did nothing" is overblown reporting on the part of the NY Times. Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese What irritates and saddens me is that she was able to be attacked a second time. I'm not saying that every one of the 38 were guilty; I'm saddened that none of the ones who realized it was an attack bothered to check it out in any detail, or that the one who shouted at the attacker went to check on the victim, thus allowing the attacker to come back and do it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? What irritates and saddens me is that she was able to be attacked a second time. I'm not saying that every one of the 38 were guilty; I'm saddened that none of the ones who realized it was an attack bothered to check it out in any detail' date=' or that the one who shouted at the attacker went to check on the victim, thus allowing the attacker to come back and do it again.[/quote'] OT, but I have heard of instances where someone nobly tried to help out a fellow citizen who was getting attacked -- and was killed or injured themselves, or sued by the victim (or attacker), or got arrested by the cops... Yes, someone should have called the cops and yelled as much at the attacker when he returned; or they should have gone out after he left and gotten her inside their home (and away from him; and if tried coming through the door after her, I say shoot him): but when I consider some of the samaritan horror stories I've heard, I can understand why "don't get involved" is such a popular if wrong sentiment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdamnhero Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Re: [Alien Wars] Did that really happen? Yes, the second attack is in many ways the saddest part. OTOH, I can't necessarily blame people for not wanting to go out in a dark alley at 3am when they know there's a knife-wielding psychopath down there. I'd like to think I would've gone out there... but I wouldn't want my Mom doing so. And FenrisUlf raises another sad point. Most of us non-cops don't carry liability insurance. (I know two cops who were sued for shooting someone in self-defense...after the bad guy shot first...with a shotgun...on videotape...after having left a suicide note saying he was going to force the cops to kill him because he didn't have the guts to do himself in...and they still spent 2 years in court over the incident. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CourtFool Posted April 27, 2006 Report Share Posted April 27, 2006 Bush made me do it Isn’t this the point where someone says the senators must have been democrats/green party/independents/republicans/bunnies? Oh wait, this is not the NGD. Sorry. As you were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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