Forwarded to the list at the request of Professor Jordan: Colleagues: For the past few days I have silently read the Jefferson discussion on this listsev and noted that the tone has often deteriorated from civil to strident. Mr. Kneebone and Ms. Roderick are highly respected voices of reason here and in Virginia. I know Mr. Kneebone personally and he can hardly be labeled as someone who who "gag" someone, especially a fellow scholar. Before someone misstates my record or questions my motive for writing now, I will state that I have been a member of the Advisory Committee on African-American Interpretation at Monticello [http://www.monticello.org/gettingword/GWabout1.html] since 1992 and am proud to be associated with such fine historian talents. I was appointed to the board by Monticello Executive Director Dr. Dan Jordan (no relation) despite the fact that I was known in some circles at the University as a Jefferson critic. Finally, those of us who joined this listserv early on agreed to follow certain standards and rules of netiquette. If someone feels they are being "gagged" on this or any other listserv they are free to leave it and/or create their own. President Bush, in his recent inaugural address, has rightly asked for more civility in public discourse: "America, at its best, matches a commitment to principle with a concern for civility. A civil society demands from each of us good will and respect, fair dealing and forgiveness" [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/inaugural-address.html]. Professor Ervin L. Jordan, Jr., University of Virginia; Editorial Advisory board, Footsteps: African American History; Board of Trustees, Virginia Museum of Natural History; Virginia State Historical Records Advisory Board; Advisory Committee on African-American Interpretation at Monticello; Somerset Place Foundation Board of Directors, North Carolina. To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html