Kevin, Political correctness is indeed a "slippery term" but when we observe some in academia "readjusting" common sense and fact for preconceived benefit to their agendas that tend to follow along certain lines then we must call it what it seems to be. And it does not cut across ALL academic conversations, but we also must not ignore it when we are faced with it. We all recall Prof. Joseph Ellis's attempts to sway his student's outlook of himself and history of the Vietnam War and other personal lies. I am sure we may not have sympathy for those who use their profession and large groups of students for their private agendas. Even though there is a captive audience such people must be "flushed out" when revealed. Herb-- "Political correctness" is a slippery term. For example, in some circles it is taken for granted that Unites States constitutionalism is directly predicated upon evangelical Christian values. In the early decades of the 20th century, professors in various Virginia colleges were fired for teaching that, contrary to the UDC and other Confederate heritage groups, slaves disliked being enslaved. In some academic circles today, you will get shouted down if you suggest that Islam is not, by its intrinsic nature, hostile to "Western Values." Question the idea of a fundamental "clash of civilizations" and you are (impolitely) ignored. Political Correctness is a bad thing. But you would be simply incorrect to think that it applies uniformly across all academic conversations. Academics, just like everyone else, are prone to divide themselves along political lines. There is as much "group think" and proclivity to knee jerk moral judgments among right wing academics as there is among left. Its ugly whenever it happens. But human nature being what it is, it is something in which persons from all political persuasions are quite capable of indulging. In my opinion, the academic face needs cleaning in matters of those teaching the TJ/Sally controversy without fact and full knowledge of the study. Herb Barger >I don't believe it is such a hard task to identify that which attempts >to revise history to one's own agenda and throw in political correctness >for good measure and we have it pretty well "nailed down." The term is >quiet frequently used in identifying persons who traffic in this >trade.........look around......see or read of any? > >Herb > >I think that, save when used as a term of art in discourse between >professional historiographers and historians, the term "revisionist" is >pejorative. That is to say, it is used to disparage the work of >scholars with whom one happens to disagree. > >My comment here is quite subjective. This is just an impression, and >hence not a comment I wish to advance with any special claim to >authority. > >All best, >Kevin >Kevin R. Hardwick, Ph.D. >Department of History >James Madison University ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html