https://wthrockmorton.com/2013/01/24/response-to-worlds-coverage-of-the-david-barton-controversy/ A [retired] college psychology professor's observations about public policy, mental health, sexual identity, and religious issues Wed, 30 May 2018 18:07:04 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://wthrockmorton.com/2013/01/24/response-to-worlds-coverage-of-the-david-barton-controversy/#comment-79092 Wed, 30 May 2018 18:07:04 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com/?p=13991#comment-79092 We identify a 24 year window (1782-1806) when Virginia law was relaxed and allowed for emancipation of slaves by owners. We acknowledge that freeing slaves was more difficult (although still possible) after 1806…
This is an important clarification, but it is not news to us; we document these requirements in our book. Adult slaves under age 45 and older than 18 (women) or 21 (men) could be freed with a deed of manumission without financial guarantee from the master. Jefferson owned many such human beings.
This is actually interesting as history in its own right, a pity it’s diminished and fouled by merely being part of the Barton circus.
For it applies also to GWash [d.1799] and James Madison, Madison being a fellow who totally slips the hypocrisy noose.
James E. Best’s
http://americancreation.blogspot.com/2010/09/tempest-at-dawn-who-wrote-us.html
a fictionalization of the Constitutional Convention, poignantly frames that difficulty when the narrator visits James Madison in retirement, and presses him about his flaccidity about slavery–indeed that Madison never freed his own slaves either.
In the current political climate, Madison’s stock is up, for his genius as the Father of the Constitution. But he hath his own feet of clay, eh?

]]> https://wthrockmorton.com/2013/01/24/response-to-worlds-coverage-of-the-david-barton-controversy/#comment-54865 Sat, 26 Jan 2013 03:47:21 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com/?p=13991#comment-54865 We identify a 24 year window (1782-1806) when Virginia law was relaxed and allowed for emancipation of slaves by owners. We acknowledge that freeing slaves was more difficult (although still possible) after 1806…
This is an important clarification, but it is not news to us; we document these requirements in our book. Adult slaves under age 45 and older than 18 (women) or 21 (men) could be freed with a deed of manumission without financial guarantee from the master. Jefferson owned many such human beings.
This is actually interesting as history in its own right, a pity it’s diminished and fouled by merely being part of the Barton circus.
For it applies also to GWash [d.1799] and James Madison, Madison being a fellow who totally slips the hypocrisy noose.
James E. Best’s
http://americancreation.blogspot.com/2010/09/tempest-at-dawn-who-wrote-us.html
a fictionalization of the Constitutional Convention, poignantly frames that difficulty when the narrator visits James Madison in retirement, and presses him about his flaccidity about slavery–indeed that Madison never freed his own slaves either.
In the current political climate, Madison’s stock is up, for his genius as the Father of the Constitution. But he hath his own feet of clay, eh?

]]> https://wthrockmorton.com/2013/01/24/response-to-worlds-coverage-of-the-david-barton-controversy/#comment-54864 Fri, 25 Jan 2013 04:30:20 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com/?p=13991#comment-54864 What Barton is cleverly doing is creating so much noise that people will conclude “well, he might be right.” While historical truth is a binary concept, Barton likes to create shares of grey.
This is a bit of jiu-jitso because the prevaricator (Barton) benefits from knowing that his adversary is a truth-teller (WT). While Barton may create all manner of inventions, he knows – word for word- what the response will be. He’s not stupid. He knows what the truth really is. If he can keep the banter going back and forth, he muddies the waters which is exactly what he is trying to do.
Before responding, I would urge you to formulate a strategy. Barton is like the litigant who is who is wrong on the facts and the law but who buries his adversary in legal papers.

]]> https://wthrockmorton.com/2013/01/24/response-to-worlds-coverage-of-the-david-barton-controversy/#comment-79082 Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:30:20 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com/?p=13991#comment-79082 What Barton is cleverly doing is creating so much noise that people will conclude “well, he might be right.” While historical truth is a binary concept, Barton likes to create shares of grey.
This is a bit of jiu-jitso because the prevaricator (Barton) benefits from knowing that his adversary is a truth-teller (WT). While Barton may create all manner of inventions, he knows – word for word- what the response will be. He’s not stupid. He knows what the truth really is. If he can keep the banter going back and forth, he muddies the waters which is exactly what he is trying to do.
Before responding, I would urge you to formulate a strategy. Barton is like the litigant who is who is wrong on the facts and the law but who buries his adversary in legal papers.

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