Mr. Shriner is, of course, right, but we should remember that it is almost
impossible to libel (or slander) a politician.  Not by the way
because of the many jokes which float around about politicians
(and lawyers), but because as figures who have chosen to place
themselves constantly in the public eye, the legal rules are different.
  Having said all this, I remember what a very scholarly politician
scientist taught me about Congress, in a course of that very name.
 He argued that junkets, etc., no matter how expensive, were very
good things for members of Congress to do.  This was because,
the average Congressperson, whether Democrat or Republican,
was generally so ignorant about a range of matters, particularly
having to do with foreign policy, that any travel would necessarily
broaden their perspective.
  Thus, it has become clear to scholars and scientists recently,
that we have to make our case more effectively in the halls of the
national as well as state legislatures.  Virginia has been lucky to
have legislative champions of the LV, the most frequented (and
arguably the finest) state library and archive in the country.  But the
danger to the NHPRC, NEH, NARA, LC, and a range of other
resources vital to continued scholarship is not, I think, a cynical
hostility to culture, but rather a deeply entrenched ignorance about
what historians, folklorist, literary scholars, etc. do, and what those
efforts are worth to our nation and the world.
  Surveying the military and intelligence disasters, very expensive
disasters, of the last several years, I am reminded that all the
series publications supported by the NHPRC have never killed a
single person and have done no more harm than to dispel
ignorance about figures as varied as Thomas Jefferson, Samuel
Gompers, and Marcus M. Garvey.

Harold S. Forsythe
History & Black Studies
Fairfield University

Date sent:              Thu, 26 Apr 2001 08:49:17 -0400
From:                   [log in to unmask]
Subject:                NHPRC Budget Cuts
To:                     [log in to unmask]
Send reply to:          Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
        <[log in to unmask]>

> >    We could almost facetiously contend that the reason Istook and his
> >    fellow Nietzscheans are demanding the budget cuts for historical
> records.
>
>         Franklin Bell makes the preceding comment in his recent email
> regarding proposed action by Congress on a budgetary matter in which Mr.
> Bell has obviously keen interest.
>         It is dangerous, unscholarly, unprofessional, and unwise to make
> wild speculations and aspersions regarding the motivation of others.  It
> is particularly unwelcome in a forum such as VA-HIST where scholarship and
> accuracy in reporting of factual information in held in high regard.
>         It is perfectly acceptable for Mr Bell to express his personal
> views about the proposed budget changes.  It is NOT ACCEPTABLE for him to
> make unwarranted claims about the motivations of other people on this or
> any other matter.
>         I happen to agree with Mr Bell that cuts in this budget would be
> very unfortunate.  But I strongly protest his ad hominum attack on those
> who do not agree.  Not only is it offensive, but it makes the effort to
> oppose these cuts less credible and makes them appear merely infantile.
>         -- Robert Shriner
>
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