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Thomas E. Cross
I never really bought in, to the great american story as taught in school,or for that matter in history as taught. What I agreed with was the actions of my family and those around me that I knew well. My father's attitude about others, and what I have studied since. The problem seems to be what Winston Churchill said," the winners write the history". I have never in my mind nor heart, put down the peoples of the Native American culture, based on a name. I never was one to use history like a club and beat people with it. Like the reconstruction folks did after the civil war. Terrible things were done to both the South and to the Indians. I do really get tired of the politic in general trying to define the reasons other people do things.
I disliked having history sifted through someones opinion. I don't really accept that someone purposely came up with a name to put down a group of people and then adopted that name for themselves.???? I think that is the main reason some teachers today don't want school students studying encyclopedias, especially old ones. They were like a good (not most of todays) newspaper, for the most part factual and unbiased. I've spent most of my life doing research of one kind or another both in the military and civilian theaters. Both technical and historical research. It does not take a rocket scientist to recognize bias and or just plain propaganda. In engineering there, facts and there are theories. Sometimes they are used interchangeably, and when they are many times disasters occur. Because theory is not necessarily fact! The same is true when you try to define the motivation of someone relative to a historical occurance. We do an injustice to all when we ascribe a mindset to someone in the past based on our opinion. Especially if they are not arround to explain or defend their actions.
Have a good day. I do believe we will all, someday be judged accurately and fairly. But not just now and certianly not by our present society.
Tom
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