Fred LaSor: History app worth looking into

Modern computing devices are beyond amazing, and I’m constantly learning things from the world wide web. Some of those things are supremely uninspiring, like which Hollywood actress is wearing which designer’s dress and just how much flesh she can display in public. You get the idea.

But some are fascinating. I pass along the following in case a reader missed it.

How many of you have discovered the time machine app available from the App store? It’s called “iWasThere,” and readers should be able to find it on their own if they remember to click their ruby slippers together before their search.

Depending on your bandwidth and download speed, this app allows you to be present when historic events were taking place. Reading the manual, I was excited about the prospect of actually watching history unfolding and immediately typed in “May 5th, 1904” and “Boston,” to watch Cy Young pitch the American League’s first perfect game. It looked a little muggier than I expected in Boston, and I was surprised at how quickly the game went, how small the crowd was, and how different baseball was without public address systems and an electronic scoreboard. But the game was great even though I knew the eventual outcome, and the ability to be on the scene as history was made filled me with awe.

Having great curiosity for America’s past, I then typed in “June 8, 1789” and “New York’s Federal Hall,” and managed to move the app through various rooms until I came upon what I was looking for: a small room where three men were having a weighty philosophical discussion. I was hoping, since this was the date and place James Madison presented his proposed Bill of Rights to the first United States Congress, that I might be witness to some of the deliberations that birthed that Earth-changing document.

Sure enough, my app soon tuned into a conversation between James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and a third party, whom I didn’t recognize. I found myself witness to their discussion as they discussed what form Constitutional amendments should take in order to guard the rights of individuals and of states. The deliberation on this day was about the 14th of 17 amendments Madison had proposed. “No state shall infringe the right of trial by jury in criminal cases, nor the rights of conscience, nor the freedom of speech, or of the press.”

The person I didn’t recognize asked Madison: “Do you not fear this freedom of the press will be used for vile ends? Against the ruling class, for example? Might this not be too much liberty?”

Madison replied: “Too much liberty? Is there indeed such a condition? Perhaps just the opposite would be the danger, I should think.” Hamilton spoke up, adding: “And as for a ruling class, that’s what we put behind us with Tom’s wonderful declaration of July Fourth.” I had to smile at his familiar reference to Mr. Jefferson.

The unknown man then said: “Well if liberty cannot be exceeded and personal rights be our lodestar, how then should we ignore the civil rights of gentlemen who identify as members of the opposite sex and ask to be allowed to use the ladies room? That private establishments be forced to accommodate this?”

My internet connection failed just then, but since such a proposition wasn’t written into the Bill of Rights, I concluded that James Madison thought more important matters called. What a difference 217 years makes.

Look for the app iWasThere in your app store. And don’t forget the ruby slippers.

Fred LaSor lives with his wife in Minden.