For those who belong to the Brooklyn list, if you haven't, you might check out the expansive homepage at www.bklyn-genealogy-info.com. No other list that I've belonged to has anything to compare to Nancy Lusk's "baby." As of this moment it's had 705, 384 individual searches on it. The opening page is like an index to inside topics, alphabetically organized: BIRTH , CEMETERY* , CENSUS , CIVIL*.. Occupations* & Taxes* & Auto Cases , COURT* , DEATH *, DIRECTORIES , DISASTERS* , EDUCATION / GRADUATES , ENUMERATIONS..WARDS , FIREMEN*, IMMIGRATION..Naturalization , MAPS *, MARRIAGES & Indices , MILITARY* , NEWSPAPERS *, ORPHAN*..adopt , PROFESSIONALS *, OUR MEN IN BLUE *, SOCIETIES...Clubs.etc , VITALS* , VOTE* , WOMEN*, WORSHIP * Essentially, the focus of the first page is Brooklyn, NY, USA complete with its official seal, that adorns its flag. Clicking on any of these topics brings you to the rich enimgas that compose the history of all the boroughs of NYC, NY, USA. When you search this homepage, remember the selfless volunteers for their generosity, and Nancy Lusk for her leadership, and love of NYC history that became a contagious spirit to all she's touched. I was not an enthusiastic student of history. Thirty years of genealogical research brought me to history, to see the wider vision, to understand how one event impacts another, to see the whole picture. Within the framework of genealogy is proving origins and their historical relevancy. Fact: The event on September 11, 2001, in lower Manhattan, was a manmade disaster. It was the worst disaster in NYC history since the sinking of the General Slocum in the East River. Families and their descendants were violated. Fact: NYC fireman, police, and professional civil employees reacted in emergency mode, selflessly responding. Fact: NYC firemen positioned the flag of the United States of America, at the site. Succinctly, the flying of the red, white, and blue was a statement to the world, that this is our land. It was an act of patriotism, unity, and custom. For those who view the flying of our country's flag tomorrow merely as political statement, you've missed the connection to history and genealogy. If you review the topics on this Rootsweb list's homepage, it pertains to at least the topics that are marked with an asterisk. When flying your American flag tomorrow, if you use a standard, in the ground flagpole, the U.S. Navy and Marines advise me that it is to fly at half mast. Mine will fly out my window with a black ribbon on it, to commemorate the real everyday heroes in our midst, whose lives were senselessly lost, whose family history is forever changed. “The credit goes to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly… who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.” - Teddy Roosevelt Barb North of New York City ======= > Date:9/10/2008 7:44:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time > From:jaherbert@frontiernet.net > To:nybrooklyn@rootsweb.com > Sent from the Internet Are non-genealogy posts allowed on the list? (Re: FLY the FLAG on Thursday). I'd rather not receive political messages when I subscribe to a subject specific list. Perhaps the list owner can answer the question for me, and possibly others. Thank you. Judy Herbert ************** Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog, plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com. (http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014)