Re: FW: TIME's Person of the Century .... HELP!!

["Heather Honerkamp" <heather@mindspring.net>]

I find it insulting to think that Elvis, or Princess Diana, although popular
and influentical Western icons should be thought of as "the Person of the
Century."  If you really boil down things and think about it, Willis
Carrier, the inventor of air conditioning has a lot more to do with the
shaping of this century than a rock and roll singer, however influential
Elvis may have been.  What's more disturbing is people think that the pop
singer Madonna is more influential than Franklin D. Roosevelt.

It's easy for us to take a snapshot of our century.  You find the person
who's been on the cover of People magazine a lot and call them the most
influential person of the century.  What about the rest of the world or even
the first half of the century?

Honestly, I think that it is really too hard to evaluate one person as the
primary influence on the entire globe for the entire century.  Sure, FDR had
a lot of influence on the Western world and could be quite arguably the most
influential American President of this century.  However, how influential
was he to the rest of the Eastern world or for that matter, how influential
in the lives of less developed countries?

No one has mentioned Carl Djerassi, the inventor of the birth control pill
or Jonas Salk and Thomas Francis who helped create the first successful
polio vaccine in their top ten.  Honestly, I rank them far above Madonna or
Princess Diana.

Hell, if we let the rest of the world vote, we might have Brittany Spears
(cute and entertaining, but not on the level of world shaper) on the top
ten.

My point is that yes a lot of world leaders and even musical or movie icons
have influence on us.  It is envitably hard to pin point what person was
more of a world shaper than the other in the league of true cultural icons.
Who was more influential in the American Civil Rights movement?  Was it
Martin Luther King who publically lead a march or Rosa Parks who wouldn't
move?  It takes all kinds of leaders including the ones who are less public
about their actions and simply work behind the scenes to accomplish the true
changes of our times.







-----Original Message-----
From: Baron Chandler <thebaron@mindspring.net>
To: mob@shorty.com <mob@shorty.com>
Date: Tuesday, May 25, 1999 10:38 AM
Subject: Re: FW: TIME's Person of the Century .... HELP!!


>> >      Please put in your vote, so that Hitler does not even show up on
the
>> > radar screen. This is really scary.  Apparently, all the neo-nazi
groups
>> > are out in force to push Hitler to the top.
>> >
>> >      Please countermand this effort. I have already voted. It only
takes
>> > a second. The address is below.
>
>Not to support the Nazis, neo or otherwise, but who said the person of
>the century has to be a positive one? I agree with what Glenn and others
>here are saying (this mob's got some intelligence, obviously) about
>some seemingly negative people and their influences.
>
>I do not believe that Elvis Presley is as influential in my life as some
>of the others -- even Lenin, as Glenn so adequately pointed out. It is
>amazing when you look at social ripples. It is almost like the show on
>TLC called "Connections". Someone casts their hook in the pond on one side
>and it is felt somewhere else in the lake.
>
>Anyway, some of these people on the list are a laugh.
>
>I would say that Linus Torvalds should be there, but in reality I suspect
>that his contribution will be reflected upon more in 2099.
>
>Baron 'Death to Intellectual Property' Chandler.