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 >> >> ______________________________________ >> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the >> instructions > at >> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > ______________________________________ > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the > instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > ______________________________________ > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > ______________________________________ > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html