If you could change 1 event in American history....

[TommyD]

> If you could go back in time and prevent any event in American history,what would it be? I ask this with a few exceptions. First,you CANNOT go back and prevent any previous or current war or act of war,such as Pearl Harbor,9-11,or the Lincoln or Kennedy assassination. You can't kill anyone,or prevent anyone from being killed. You also can't use this opportunity to solely benefit yourself. Other than that,anything goes. I would choose to go back and prevent NAFTA from being signed. "I'll go ahead and tell you what is going to happen if you sign NAFTA. You are going to hear a huge sucking sound,caused by all the manufacturing jobs being sucked right out of America." Ross Perot. Tommy D.

[Newc]

I'd convince the Native Americans "those people who will come from across the sea in large ships are not Gods, but are devils who will come to destroy you all. Kill them and sink their ships and slaughter any who make it ashore."

Then 1/3rd of my ancestors can live in peace on their land, and hunt buffalo and live in freedom, while the other 2/3rds stay in Europe and die of their own festering diseases.

[ApeDosMil]

Any historical event that would have been changed would have problem caused you guys to cease your existance!

[RacerX]

My mom's income property foreclosure in 1981.

[Argos]

Those are some pretty limited options...

I'd prevent the onset of Becker's ALS.

[Newc]

Any historical event that would have been changed would have problem caused you guys to cease your existance!

This is always the first thing people say in these situations, but never consider the fact that if you did cause yourself to be "uncreated", you wouldn't know. You'd simply cease to be. You wouldn't miss whatever you think would be taken away, because you wouldn't be here to miss it.

[jackson1]

> First,you CANNOT go back and prevent any previous or current war or act of war

Well, I'm done here then. History is created by war or acts of war. It's the nature of the stupid greedy humans.

[Newc]

You also can't use this opportunity to solely benefit yourself.

Ok, I'd buy a ton of Microsoft stock for my parents AND myself

There, I shared


Hmmm, on the serious side:
-I'd record the telephone conversation between a local radio station host and my mother during the "gas crunch" of 1980 where she explained that my uncle was pushing 300 barges slam full of gas up the Mississippi but the storage tanks at all the refineries were full, so he took it back to Exxon to be burned off, as well as the meeting 2 years later between my mother and a Shell executive who said of the alleged "gas crunch": "We did it to see how high we could raise prices and people still buy it".
That'd play great on CNN.
-Videotape the 2 cops that robbed my parent's shop because they wouldn't pay protection money (there was a witness).
-Find out/videotape whoever broke into our house in 1978 and stole everything my mother owned - clothes (even her underwear), jewelry (including my great-grandmother's ring), and shoes (Imelda who?). I wouldn't kill them, but they'd never sleep again for fear of it. They'd know that I knew they did it, and the fear would drive them insane.

[axeman81]

that's an easy question!

Make Bush sign the Kyoto agreement and commit to the reduction of CO2 emissions in America.

[FusionFarmer]

If any of us could go back in time, most of us would opt to try to prevent a personal tragedy such as a loved one getting killed in an accident, or to invest money in something that would insure their financial gain, bet on the 69 world series,,, etc, the political issues such as NAFTA are so convoluted just stopping their signing wouldn't stop anything, Mexico and South America aren't shit compared to China as far as "Job Sucking" We were going to get sold out by Corporate America and no one even Ross Perot could not have stopped it, The idea of warning the Indians sounds good, but I'm sure that wouldn't stop the European invasion forever. Besides who is going to listen to you once you get back there?

[Tashtego]

that's an easy question!

Make Bush sign the Kyoto agreement and commit to the reduction of CO2 emissions in America.

The President is not empowed to do what you suggest. He could present it to Congress to ratify. There is zero chance of congress ratifying that treaty.

http://epw.senate.gov/107th/Hagel_072402.htm

[Endrik]

I want Bryon Russell not falling into Jordan's idiotically simple manouver in Jazz-Bulls final game '98

[Tashtego]

I want Bryon Russell not falling into Jordan's idiotically simple manouver in Jazz-Bulls final game '98

I want Bill Buckner to pick up the grounder and make the out at first. I was scarred for life that day.

[semagic]

mine would be changing the musical catagories in the AMA's, the Grammy's, and billboard music awards.

[CharvelRocker]

I always wondered what would happen if Lewis & Clarkes expedition failed.... It would be very interesting to see the effects of that...