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October 2003

First Week (October 4 through October 10) The Problem of Evil

Americans of all political and religious stripes agree the attacks of September 11, 2001 were acts of evil. But many of us disagree about what the word "evil" represents. Is it purely a religious classification, or can it also be used in a secular society? Jennifer Geddes (UVa) worries the term can be misused. Roger Thompson (VMI) says fiction is the best place to explore the questions of evil. Also featured: The late Flip Wilson used to make us laugh when his Geraldine character uttered the phrase "the Devil made me do it!" Rose Mary Sheldon (VMI) explains that the figure of the devil derives from the early days of Christianity.

Second Week (October 11 through October 17) Did China Beat Columbus?

In his new book, 1421: The Year China Discovered America, British author and amateur historian Gavin Menzies postulates the Chinese discovered America long before the arrival of Columbus and other European explorers. His assertions have drawn criticism from traditional historians, but book sales have been brisk. Also featured: Millions of people in China starved under the erratic leadership of Chairman Mao Zedong, and countless numbers were "re-educated" in the Cultural Revolution. But when Mao died in 1976, the Communist party began flirting with economic reforms. Can the party survive the introduction of the Internet and China's increasing integration into the world financial system? Shaomin Li (ODU) and Gregory Wang (JMU) are Chinese natives who emigrated to the United States in the 1980's. They say political freedoms must be introduced if China is to thrive as a world power.

Third Week (October 18 through October 24) An Imperfect God

Early biographers of the nation's first president left out the part where a young George Washington raffled off slave children to prevent his family's financial collapse. But Washington began to see the moral evil of slavery during the Revolutionary War, and he set all of his slaves free in his will. Henry Wiencek's new book An Imperfect God traces Washington's attitudes about slavery over the course of his life. Before he died, he wrote that his ownership of other human beings was his "only unavoidable subject of regret." Also featured: The birth of the United States was not kind to many of Virginia's elite, but St. George Tucker managed to keep his family solvent. The story of Tucker's rise and his attempts to avoid financial ruin is the subject of a new book by historian Phillip Hamilton (CNU), The Making and Unmaking of a Revolutionary Family: The Tuckers of Virginia, 1752-1830.

Fourth Week (October 25 through October 31) Democracy and the Media

We all know that a free press is one of the key ingredients of a healthy democracy. But what if the media doesn't do it's job very well? If you rely on the television networks for news, you might not be able to make an informed decision when you go to the polls. At least, that's what political scientist and former reporter Stephen Farnsworth (MWC) says in his book The Nightly News Nightmare. Also featured: In two thirds of Virginia's 140 General Assembly elections this fall there is only one major party candidate. James Phillips (VSU and VCU) says too many of us feel our voices aren't heard by government and offers some creative solutions.