I am more of the same mind as Leonard Silva who suggests that as researchers and chroniclers of genealogy and family history the future generations have the right to know what you have "uncovered" because this is in part study of pure history but it is also detective work of the most personal kind.
To suggest that because there is not "hard evidence" to support a claim of something unsavory when one is barely able to find or decipher the "hard evidence" of birthdates and locations is to somehow only do part of the job. To me it is a bit like saying that because OJ Simpson was acquitted, there was no basis for the arrest and subsequent trial. One doesn't have to declare the guilt or innocence, but one should report the story. Though, unlike criminal cases in US courts of law in which acquittal takes place, these "stories" may prompt further research into their accuracy which is what genealogy researchers are continuously doing. Instead of guaranteeing that no further info will impact anything, this can lead to a whole other place. Further, as has been pointed out, some of these things are causative and genetically impact future generations, so they may help to explain serious illness-including alcoholism. As for the original post about the "kindly old man...I knew as a child", all of us have the capability to rise above what we are born with and also to "mend our ways". Even someone like Hitler was human and capable of eliciting love in others. So, don't give up on lifelong memories and the impact those have had on you who knew the person in one way, since that is also part of the "story" and the heritage, and might even be deserving of mention if you are going to formalize the less savory by writing it down. Fred Souza On Sep 11, 2012, at 5:31 PM, Dano wrote: > As researchers we bear the responsibility of documenting facts, not > gossip. Therefore, if we come across "stories" in our research, which > disparage the memory of the person we are researching - we, who do not > know what truth such stories carry, if there be any truth at all, have > the ultimate responsibility not to perpetuate such "gossip," but, to > provide an accurate and objective report on the facts that our > research have uncovered. By doing so, we can feel secure that we have > provided the last decent account of a person's life - something that I > would hope that anyone who researches my life would afford to me after > I am gone and unable to speak up to defend myself. > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > On Sep 11, 9:41 am, Steve Peters <[email protected]> wrote: >> On Monday, September 10, 2012 11:36:16 AM UTC-7, Leonard Silva wrote: >> >> After some research, I find that the kindly old man that I knew as a child >> >>> may not have been all that nice. Stories are starting to arise of abuse, >>> excessive drinking, and estrangement of his children...So, my question for >>> the group is: If you were putting together a family history for the >>> generations to come, how would you handle this? >> >> I am in the minority on this one so far, but if I was one of the people you >> are writing this for I would definitely want to know the whole story. These >> kinds of things have a way of being carried down through future generations >> and impacting descendents who never even knew the person. One of my >> grandfathers was an alcoholic and philanderer, the other was a sociopath >> and convicted felon. The former died when I was three so I didn't know him >> well, but the latter died when I was in my 20s and I was quite close to >> him, and they both loved me. But their behaviors absolutely had a huge >> impact on my parents (and their mothers), which effected their life choices >> and in turn impacted me. >> >> Part of what is interesting about genealogy (to me) is knowing that I am, >> in part, a product of those who came before me, and trying to understand >> who those people were and how they may live on in me, in good ways and bad >> ways. The things we take for granted in ourselves - character traits, >> behaviors, ways of speaking, attitudes toward life - are always influenced >> by what we grew up with, and what we grew up with came from somewhere. >> >> So Leonard, I would encourage you to at least mention these things in your >> family history. Make it clear that they are unsubstantiated but persistent >> rumors, and that this was not your own experience with your grandfather, >> but assume that there may have been some truth to them. The point is not to >> judge your grandfather or defame him to future generations, but to give his >> descendents as accurate a picture as possible of where they came from and >> what, perhaps, makes them who they are. >> >> My 2ยข worth... > > -- > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. Follow the confirmation directions when > they arrive. > For more options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail > (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right > that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." Thank you, Frederick Souza 19 Owen Drive Stonington, CT 06378-1012 860-535-2670 [email protected] -- To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. Follow the confirmation directions when they arrive. For more options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership."
