This List is not a blog, as you say, however, it does seem to me that
certain aspects of current events do pertain to Virginia history and
therefore qualify for inclusion and submission to this List; i.e., the
ongoing controversy at the College of William & Mary (an historical
institution) regarding the removal of an historical artifact (the cross from
the chapel) and, now, a sex show being presented, again, at the college
under the guise of art.
That is cultural history in the making, in my humble opinion.
Sometimes I will submit something to this List not so much for discussion
but, rather, because this forum is a legitimate aspect of the Virginia
Historical Society and I assume our submissions will become part of the
Society's archives. I submit some things because I would like future
generations to know how various Virginians felt about and responded to
certain paradigm shifts in our local culture....like those things now
happening at the college.
We don't need to fight about these matters but we can read each other's
opinions, can't we?
Deane F. Mills
York Co., VA
----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2008 11:26 AM
Subject: Re: Apology
> Hmmm. Herein we see part of the problem, it seems to me.
>
> VA-HIST is emphatically NOT a blog, nor should it be, despite the best
> efforts of some to inject the vehement incivility of contemporary
> politics into the discussion. This is not, in the first instance, a forum
> about national or state politics.
>
> Yes, there is almost always a political dimension to the writing of
> history, if for no other reason than that the questions that motivate us
> quite often are shaped by the public order in which we live. But what
> sets historical writing apart from contemporary political commentary, or
> indeed from other academic disciplines, is that we bring to our topic
> certain fundamental methods for truthfully describing and accounting for
> the past. When history reduces itself to mere sophistry, we have
> collectively failed, it seems to me.
>
> I'd like to think we are capable of a better, more rational, more civil,
> and more humane discourse here than the level of sophistic cant I see on
> so many political blogs. Its sad to see discussion of history equated
> with the blogosphere, since I'd like to think some aspiration for getting
> at the truth still, somehow, remains part of what we do. When we stop
> concerning ourselves about truth, in favor of the radical and destructive
> cynicism that pervades so much contemporary political discourse, we have
> lost something important to the continued existence and stability of our
> political order. Surely we are better than that?
>
> All best,
> Kevin
> Kevin R. Hardwick, Ph.D.
> Department of History
> James Madison University
>
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