tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post8578722247095715527..comments2024-03-07T23:20:49.790-07:00Comments on Genealogy's Star: Being politically correct in genealogyJames Tannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02989059644120454647noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post-30950060973408699122011-03-29T06:17:20.075-07:002011-03-29T06:17:20.075-07:00Agree. I have a WWII letter home from Italy in wh...Agree. I have a WWII letter home from Italy in which my relative referes to the 'Wogs and sand' of his service in Africa. Not particularly complimentary in it's day and downright racist now, but it's what he wrote, in his own handwriting to his parents, whom luckily he did get to see again. It's a critical part of my family's documentary history and I refuse to see it sanitised in transcription (and one relative even wants ot destroyed!).KateUKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post-89865325529881952312011-03-24T18:01:18.200-07:002011-03-24T18:01:18.200-07:00One of my great-grandfathers was a bigamist. I am...One of my great-grandfathers was a bigamist. I am not going to bury that fact, nor am I going to be so silly as to refer to him as indulging in "uxorial redundancy." As a genealogist and as a university-trained historian, I keep myself conscious of the need to avoid "presentism" -- that is, not to judge the people of yesterday by the standards of today.<br /><br />What I have done is investigated and thought about the social milieu in which he lived, the circumstances surrounding his indiscretion, and come up with a man who got caught in a situation from which he saw no good way out except to take off and leave his family. He ended up in another state, friendless, alone, and probably confused and ashamed. From that he build a good life with his second wife (great-grandma got an uncontested divorce back home). His descendants by that marriage are honorable, fine people who have served community and country.<br /><br />That's the take-away.<br /><br />That, and the fact that he did liven up an otherwise dull genealogy!Karen Packard Rhodeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711434283636830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post-39555875387381756552011-03-24T05:45:38.724-07:002011-03-24T05:45:38.724-07:00It was good to hear how someone else is tackling d...It was good to hear how someone else is tackling difficult issues. I had an ancestor who drank too much and beat his children. It is an 'open secret'; something everyone knows and no one addresses. I have come to no decision as yet on how to handle this when it comes time to put together a publication on this branch. You gave me some helpful insights.Colleen G. Brown Pasqualehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16402783115333431440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post-85172934282743835192011-03-23T12:15:30.698-07:002011-03-23T12:15:30.698-07:00I agree about keeping our transcriptions true to t...I agree about keeping our transcriptions true to the original language. History is history.<br /><br />I transcribed a sermon given by an itinerant preacher in the 1800s. It's a great (somewhat funny looking back)sermon which is also very politically incorrect. But is it what he said and I have no right to change it. <br />http://mygenealogypondering.blogspot.com/2010/02/ole-brother-donk-sermon.htmlBecky Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04375430428083496025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post-10893938114677505432011-03-23T10:16:00.552-07:002011-03-23T10:16:00.552-07:00THANKS for the shout-out James. It is important th...THANKS for the shout-out James. It is important that we look as objectively as possible to the context of our ancestors' lives.DearMYRTLEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15684472865240981715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post-77840121367130395152011-03-23T04:57:57.625-07:002011-03-23T04:57:57.625-07:00I agree with Heather. Why hide history? It is wh...I agree with Heather. Why hide history? It is what it is. If we hide it we can't learn from it. We should learn from it and (hopefully) not make the same mistakes the second, or in some cases, the third time around...Cynthia Shenettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07089125778529696076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post-61619434657486052392011-03-22T21:54:32.384-07:002011-03-22T21:54:32.384-07:00It's hubris of the highest order to presume th...It's hubris of the highest order to presume that we must pass judgment and condemn our ancestors for not having our same values and customs. For example, imagine a man living in the 19th Century, who spent long, difficult hours working on the farm just to survive from day to day and from year to year. Why should we feel it necessary to condemn that man for being insensitive of women or for not caring about freeing the slaves?<br /><br />Projecting our values while we sit in relative comfort, have plenty to eat, and have a decent future ahead of us denies the very real problems our ancestors did face.Euripideshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02405637531928318155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post-15728466943147991892011-03-22T18:46:01.923-07:002011-03-22T18:46:01.923-07:00I have addressed this in some of my posts about 19...I have addressed this in some of my posts about 19th century Hawaii. When I transcribe documents for Amanuensis Monday I transcribe them exactly, even though some people asked me to leave out some words. I even highlighted several very racist cartoons for historical reasons. Why hide them? It is interesting to see how people thought 100 years ago, and to see how little we have advanced sometimes.Heather Wilkinson Rojohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17704949156266722016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1527613590529958801.post-83266937799177271972011-03-22T17:16:51.579-07:002011-03-22T17:16:51.579-07:00Interesting post. I agree. History should not be r...Interesting post. I agree. History should not be re-written to suit our day and notions. As you say, facts are facts.Roots Travelerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03527137184877156613noreply@blogger.com