Monday; July 14
On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, Cuba killing almost 250 people. The incident became a flashpoint between the United States and Spain and played a role in the Spanish-American War. A war rallying cry, “Remember the Maine”, helped fuel the animosity. In the years since the tragedy people have speculated as to the cause of the explosion. While the initial cause was assumed to be nefarious, several other natural or mechanical explanations have emerged. While we don’t know what actually happened, the emotional reaction displayed back then seemed to have moved us closer to war. As I thought about this, I realized that there are times when we are led more by emotion than fact. Interestingly, this is not just true in our personal decisions, it can influence us as a society or as a nation. If we aren’t careful, we can be swayed by propaganda that presents itself as truth. When we lead with an agenda promoted...