I believe I was the first to blast Mr Barger on the List; I thought it was a book promotion.  I stayed quiet and read EVERY email sent to the List after that.  It suddenly occurred to me that I had overlooked what really was the message and I think all of us need to just read and digest.  This has been a 30 year old debate and deserves your attention if for no other reason than to understand some oddities coming our way in the rewriting of history.  You may be in agreement with the rewriting but you should consider that others have differing views, views that are backed up with documentation and are worth airing.  I was ever so grateful for Brent's remarks that he had not seen anything that was not appropriate to the List.

Below is the apology I wrote Mr Barger earlier today and was about to forward to the List after reading today's List email, when Mr Barger wrote me privately asking that I consider such.

I graduated Virginia Commonwealth University in 1974 with a BA in American History, Political Science and Geography (a rough triple major) under the mentorship of Dr Daniel P Jordan.  I then left Richmond for Washington DC where I did my graduate work at Georgetown University.  I have a life long passion for genealogy.  I currently spend my lunch hours at the DAR Library and am looking forward to my youngest going off to college so I can spend my weekends at LOC, NARA and the VERY closeby LDS Family history room.  I have added this only to say that I know research.

Please consider my apology below to all of you.  But most importantly remember that one day you too will suddenly have a light bulb go off in your brain that something very peculiar happened in this particular 30 year period, I think it's called political correctness.  And it has no place in genealogical research.

-----Original Message-----
From: KathrynH01
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 09:54:00 -0500
Subject: Re: Jefferson-Hemings DNA and Genealogy


Mr Barger - early on in this discussion, I came across as critical.  This was
not my intention and if that is what was conveyed, I apologize.  I suspect I am
the cause of all the admonishments about politeness in email from those who are
in a position to have done so.

Your continuous communication to the list and steadfastness in your position are
admirable.  You have brought back many memories for me over these 30 years since
the first "scandal" sheet was published, that of Fawn Brodie.  I had forgotten
about the other Hemings that could be tested.  I had as well forgotten about the
proposal, one which made total sense to me, that it was a Jefferson other than
Thomas who sired Sally Hemings' children.  And, you brought back my memory of
the LAST Oprah Windfrey show I ever watched, the one where both "sides" appeared
on her show and she totally dismissed a Jefferson who was absolutely polite,
supportive but stupid in her eyes for a statement he made that growing up they
just didn't know about the others.  When she lashed into him and then refused to
listen to anything else he said, I turned off the TV and never watched her
again, 20 years ago?

The most puzzling part of all this, has been your relaying of conversations and
contacts you have had with Dr Jordan.  He was my undergraduate advisor from
1969-1974; I've stayed in touch over the years but not regularly.  He and I
would debate, or I would attempt to debate, the Fawn Brodie proposal with him.
At that time, I found it titilating; he found it scholastically repugnant.  In
1970, he DID NOT entertain the idea of his hero having children with his slave.
When the report came out and it came out from HIM, I was honestly stunned.

Keep up your dialogue.  The reminders are important.  I am concerned though,
that Elizabeth Mills may have punctured your armor.  Leaving out a detail like
that could color the rest of your argument.  That is, unless what she sent to
the List is not true.  Nonetheless, I appreciate your endurance and your
scholarly perseverance.

Katie Holland
Silver Spring, MD

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