Jeffreson's use of slaves was consistent with the laws of ownership and use in his day and time, and consistent with the mores and folkways of his day and time. I don't see it as a "stain" on the man.
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> Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:53:49 -0500
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: (VA-HIST] "The Monster of Monticello"
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> I greatly appreciate the discourse and revelations of all kinds. What disappoints me is the emotional "blindness" of those whose bubbles are being burst.... as if a human being of note must be perfect. Jefferson's use (and abuse) of slaves is horrible and inexcusable for such an intelligent man. His brilliance in so many spheres is still a fact. Why is this so difficult to accept?
>
> Sent from Melinda's
> iPad
>
> On Dec 12, 2012, at 9:12 AM, "Johnson, Kirk N." <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > This seems to be indulging in the "middle ground" fallacy where both
> > sides of argument are framed as equally "extreme" and therefore it is
> > seemingly reasonable to split the difference.
> >
> > I just don't see it that way--I don't think the answer to "We shouldn't
> > think the Founding Fathers were saints" is "We should deconstruct them
> > by 21st century social and cultural mores", but I also don't see that a
> > serious discussion of Jefferson's actions within the context of the
> > Revolution and the Early Republic is an exercise in what Roth described.
> >
> >
> > Apologies if I'm misreading your intent.
> >
> > Kirk Johnson
> > Serials Manager
> >
> > Prince William Public Library System
> > 13083 Chinn Park Drive
> > Prince William, VA 22192-5073
> >
> > (703) 792-4883
> >
> > [log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Peter Henriques
> > Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 9:52 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] (VA-HIST] "The Monster of Monticello"
> >
> > In his novel, The Human Stain, Philip Roth notes that one of America's
> > oldest communal passions is to indulge in the "ecstasy of sanctimony."
> > We feel good and morally superior by condemning the moral failings of
> > others, past and present. I think it is particularly important for
> > those of us dedicated to a study of the past to guard against falling
> > into the dangerous condition of the "ecstasy of sanctimony." It affects
> > those on both the right and left wings of the political spectrum.
> >
> > Peter Henriques
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 12/11/2012 9:42:10 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> > [log in to unmask] writes:
> >
> > Thank you! Very few extraordinary men have totally clean slates of
> > behavior. It seems a bit juvenile to condemn the man and everything he
> > accomplished instead of condemning the (disappointing and unexpected by
> > "fans") bad behavior as a part of that human being. The emotion about
> > this subject never ceases to amaze me. Expecting our heroes to be
> > saints is very concrete thinking.
> >
> > Sent from Melinda's
> > iPad
> >
> > On Dec 11, 2012, at 9:18 AM, Steve Corneliussen
> > <[log in to unmask]>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Mr. Barger complained that Monticello's "emphasis...on slavery
> > issues"
> > comes "at the expense of Mr. Jefferson." To me that seems upside down.
> > The emphasis in fact honors Mr. Jefferson.
> >>
> >> Mr. Jefferson matters because self-evident but challenging truths
> > matter. It's too bad that Monticello, like the rest of us, failed for
> > many decades to begin elucidating and respecting the lives, dignity and
> > contributions of individual Americans obscenely oppressed by fellow
> > Americans -- including by Mr. Jefferson, the paradoxically slaveholding
> > human-rights idealist.
> >>
> >> If Monticello had continued its former Gone-with-the-Windism on
> >> slavery
> > late into the last century, if the curators had persisted in obscuring
> > Americans' lives on that mountain, it would have been the foundation's
> > civic, historical and moral negligence that would have come at the
> > expense of Mr.
> > Jefferson.
> >>
> >> But they got it right. Good for them. Good for self-evident truths.
> >>
> >> Good for Mr. Jefferson.
> >>
> >> Steven T. Corneliussen
> >> http://www.fortmonroenationalpark.org/
> >> http://tjscience.org/
> >> http://www.physicstoday.org/daily_edition/science_and_the_media
> >>
> >> ______________________________________
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