All I can say is this: I'm sure glad Thomas Jefferson is not my ancestor.
Some of my ancestors are from this same Virginia planter class. But, thank
goodness they weren't as well known and neither are their sins, flaws, and
immoralities. <grin> As they say, those in glass houses don't throw stones.

I saw an interesting program on the History channel during Black History
month where an African American genealogist had found where one of his
African ancestors had sold another of his African ancestors into slavery!
Now should he blame himself for slavery? How twisted is that?

I'm sure TJ was no worse than some other men of his time. I'm sure there
were those who were worse then he, just as well as those who were more noble
than he. We just don't know as much about them. But, we shouldn't take
offense when someone points our his short comings. It's not as much a
reflection on the man himself. He is representing many others of his time.
By studying Jefferson and his decisions, we can possibly understand his
times a bit better. His way of life is just that, his way of life. We all
agree, his way of life was wrong. None of us would want to live the way he
did and hold people in bondage -- at least I hope none of us would. But, the
fact remains, he lived that way, and he was not the only one who did. An
entire economy survived on his way of life. The south, including white,
black, and mullato, paid a dear price for this immoral way of life, whether
they deserved to pay for it or not. Was it fair? No, it wasn't fair. But,
who said life was fair? Life is life, and history is history. It is our job
to learn from it and try not to repeat the injustices of the past. It is our
job to make a better world and a brighter future for our children. Bickering
about whether or not Jefferson fathered mullato children will solve nothing.
Trying to understand the situations that exist today because of his way of
life, just might help us to heal a nation and make a better future for our
children.

Lonny J. Watro

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