Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Greatest Americans

Ok, Ben insisted I do this so I'll do my best. I have no idea what makes an American "Great" so bear with me. I'm kind of thinking along the lines of who had the most influance over America and it's culture.

Presidents-
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Teddy Roosevelt
Thomas Jefferson
I wish I could think of a more contemporary president but I can't. I refuse to list JFK because people only think he's great because he was killed. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

Military-
Dwight Eisenhower
Douglas McArthur

Inventors/Buisnessmen-
Albert Einstein
Thomas Edison
The Wright Brothers
Henry Ford
Bill Gates

Other Fields-
Walt Disney
Martin Luther King
Lewis and Clark
Mark Twain
Susan B Anthony
Fredrick Douglas
Steven Spielburg
Dr Spock (the baby guy, not the Star Trek guy)

People who almost made the list:
Elvis - He's kind of an icon but did he really influance American culture? Yeah, I guess so but having you life end with your head in a toilet does not = great in my book.
Oprah - She mentions a book and it becomes a best seller. She mentions a product and it sells out at stores. She mentions a cause and the money comes pouring in. She's not a terrible actress. She came very close but in the end I decided she's become pretty insane lately and that's not so great.
The Wal-Mart guy - Probably the most important American buisiness man ever. To bad the company he started is ruining America. No list for him! The same goes for the guy who started McDonalds.

So there's my list. I wish I could have come up with some important people in the fields of education, medicine and art but I can't.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

A comment on Wal-Mart.
Sam Walton's idea for Wal-Mart is no where near what it has become.....don't blame him.

Not that I'm sticking up for WalMart, I hate them and never shop there, but Sam is not to blame for the ugly monster it has become

Jesse

Ben said...

Medicine- Jonas Salk?
No one cares about education or arts.