“Oh, Mary!”

[Rob Wick]

Quote:I was talking about the historical inaccuracies in the "Lincoln" movie, such as the scene (which I never saw) where Lincoln slaps his son. What does that say to an unknowing public about the character of President Abraham Lincoln?

Why not tell the truth?

First, this was not a documentary. It was one filmmaker's idea of Lincoln's life. Second, whether or not Lincoln slapped Robert (and can you prove he didn't?) says absolutely nothing about his character. A parent slapping a child today is not acceptable, but in the 1860s, it was.

Quote:As I recall, Leslie Stahl began the 60 Minutes segment with the statement that the "Lincoln" movie informs the American public, "who are not Lincoln scholars," the historical truth about President Lincoln.

There is nothing—not a book, not a movie, not anything else—that can give the "historical truth" about anyone or anything. As long as people are different, they will approach a subject with different interpretations, kind of like you and I do when it comes to your obsession with the Perfect and Sainted Lincoln.

Best
Rob