LET TYRANTS SHAKE THEIR WOODEN GAVELS :

The Brothers grew up in NJ, first in East Orange, until we and our sister were the 1% of our school that was still white. At that point our Mom became one of the first parents to practice choice when she paid taxes in West Orange even before we moved there so that I could go to their Middle School rather than to the new high rise in East Orange where I would have likely been killed (even at the elementary school one of the favorite playground games was "Get Whitey").

When we moved to West Orange we lived in "the valley". The kids "down the hill" were predominantly Catholic and Greek Orthodox. The kids "up the hill" were predominantly Jewish. We in the valley were Protestants, well-to-do Catholics, and the poorer Jews (including a significant Orthodox community).

For chorus we had to learn a variety of songs--including Christmas and Hannukah tunes--lest anyone be left out. One that we learned is one of the greatest songs from the Colonial period and the Revoltion--it's called Chester and it's by William Billings. Here are the original version : Chester

Let tyrants shake their iron rod
And slavery clank galling chain
We'll fear them not; we trust in God
New England's God forever reigns.

When God inspired us for the fight
Their ranks were broke; their lines were forced
Their ships were shattered in our sight
Or swiftly driven from our shore.

The foe comes on with haughty stride
Our troops advance with martial noise
Their veterans flee before our youth
And generals yield to beardless boys.

...and the one adapted by the rebels around their campfires and on the march during the
Revolution :

Let tyrants shake their iron rod,
And slav'ry clank her galling chains,
We'll fear them not;
we trust in God,
New England's God for ever reigns.

Howe and Burgoyne and Clinton, too.
With Prescott and Cornwallis join'd,
Together plot our overthrow,
In one infernal league combin'd.

When God inspired us for the fight,
Their ranks were broke, their lines were forc'd,
Their Ships were Shatter'd in our sight,
Or swiftly driven from our Coast.

The Foe comes on with haughty Stride,
Our troops advance with martial noise,
Their Vet'rans flee before our Youth,
And Gen'rals yield to beardless boys.

What grateful Off'ring shall we bring,
What shall we render to the Lord?
Loud Hallelujahs let us Sing,
And praise his name on ev'ry Chord.

The Michael Newdows of the nation would try to stop kids from learning this song in school. More importantly, they seek to deny the sentiment of the song, that the Revolution and American freedom are products of a belief in God, with all that entails. Any education that fails to at least acknowledge, and I would argue celebrate, the religious wellspring of our Republic represents a denial of reality and serves history, children, and the fate of the nation poorly.

CORRECTION :
A fellow West Oranginan writes :

For what it's worth, you've got the demographics slightly wrongÉ."down the hill" (which was the old, colonial part of WOÉTory Corners and all that) was predominately Irish Catholic; the "valley" was mostly Jew and Italian (with some GreeksÉall, apparently blood relatives of Ben Carfagnini's dadÉand Protestants); and up the hill was mostly richer Jews and ItaliansÉ.

In fact, the great rivalry in WO was not Jew v Catholic, it was Irish v ItalianÉ.they lived in different neighborhoods, so went to different parish churches and schools (since you got there in 8th grade, you wouldn't know that a number of the Catholic kids went to parochial elementary school and started public school in 7th grade)É.

I'd only add that at our High School graduation one of the Catholic thugs came up and apologized for giving me such a hard time for four years : "I just found out you're a Christian, not a Jew." I told him how flattered I was.

Posted by Orrin Judd at July 1, 2002 3:36 PM