Please Don't Shoot the Messenger

[L Verge]

(08-05-2018 10:45 AM)LincolnMan Wrote:  His points are known—I’ve read them by others before. As I’ve said before- everyone must study, weigh the evidence, and form an opinion on things. It doesn’t mean our opinions are correct. It doesn’t mean we won’t change our thinking on something at some point. Most matters are very complex. No one is monochromatic. Lincoln did great things. Perhaps he made some really bad decisions too—we all do. It behooves us as students of history to be familiar with all the facets of a thing-whether it be an event, a battle, a cause, a person. And Lincoln too.

Very well said, Bill, thank you so much. For many a year now, I have been preaching to people to consider both sides of historical issues (especially).

My voice has grown even louder over the past few years because of the current "discussions" over CW statues and memorials. No matter when and by whom such things as these - as well as such opinions as Mr. Baldwin's - were erected, written about, etc., it is our responsibility to learn about them and how they affected American culture. We can't do that if we "cleanse" our U.S. history.

Pardon me for once again inserting a personal story, but I taught 8th and 9th graders during the Cold War. In certain areas of U.S. history (such as Manifest Destiny), I would ask the students to judge whether our country acted correctly or made bad mistakes. One day, a student asked me if I was a Communist since I was teaching them that America was not always perfect...