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Archiver > GERMANNA_COLONIES > 1998-07 > 0899875162


From: "Keeler & Prescott" <>
Subject: Fw: ANN LANDERS
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 22:19:22 -0700


Many of us feel the passion to discover our roots. But that is our
individual choice. There is no right to force an idea on another. Ann
Landers could be educated perhaps about the benefits of discovering one's
family history. But, there is no need to "let her have it".
Ken Prescott
-----Original Message-----
From: <>
To: <>
Date: Tuesday, July 07, 1998 9:32 PM
Subject: ANN LANDERS

> Did anyone besides me read Ann Landers' column in today's paper? 'She
>received a letter from "Louisville Mom" who wrote to complain about the
>fact that her children who were adopted from Korea were being asked in
>school to do a project on family history. The Mom was expressing the
opinion
>that schools should keep out of such family information and should not be
>encouraging children to look into their family backgrounds. She went on to
>say that some children (those in foster care or from troubling family
>situations) may be embarrassed by such a project. Ann Landers' response was
as
>follows:
>
>"I'm glad you wrote. Your letter gives me an opportunity
>to speak out about family trees, lineage and other topics that should
>have no place in our schools.
>It is nobody's business whether a child's family came over on a slave
>ship or the Mayflower. Teachers should not be asking about family
>background. If I had to draw a picture of my family tree it would look like
a
>shrub. My parents and grandparents immigrated from Russia, and beyond
that, I
>don't have a clue as to my lineage, and I have never given it a moment's
>thought."
>
>Well guys--I think we should all clobber Ann with letters!!!!!! She
>obviously is looking at a person's interest in their lineage as
>something that would connote snobbery. She is implying that society would
>think there is something inferior about the child whose parents arrived on
>the slave ship compared to those with Mayflower ancestors. I think those
who
>do not have a natural curiosity about their family history (no matter what
>that history is) have the misconception that those of us with an interest
in
>genealogy do our research out of some sort of desire to feel superior to
>others. (MY ancestors arrived in 1727, just when did YOR ancestors
arrive--oh
>not until 1855--then I MUST be superior to YOU!) I think we need to set Ann
>Landers straight as to WHY we are interested in the pursuit of our family
>history--as well as the history of the times our ancestors lived in, in
>general.
>
>I can't remember when I have gotten this worked up about something I
>read in an advice column in the newspaper but Ann Landers has clout--and is
in
>a position to impact on the thinking of others. Therefore, it is our
>responsibility to correct this misstatement of fact.
>
>In the first place, schools should not, and DO not, mandate a family
>history research project--at least they don't in New Jersey where I live. I
>would assume a similar situation exists elsewhere. Students in New Jersey
>schools are given a list of projects to chose from with family history
>research being one of the choices (and even within this topic the children
can
>chose to study a famous person or anyone they choose--it does not have to
be
>their own ancestry). Family history research is a popular choice from the
>list of topics as curiosity about one's history is a natural thing for most
>people--no matter what that history is concerned with, and regardless
>of whether that history takes us to Colonial America, Europe, Asia, or
>Africa.
>The history is sill there--no matter WHERE your people came from! We
>all studied history in school with each of us preferring an emphasis on the
>history that we were most interested in based on our family and ethnic
>backgrounds--that is also natural and even desirable. Are we so shallow and
>rooted only in the present day that we do not even give a thought as
>to the accomplishments and sacrifices of our ancestors? How can any student
be
>expected to have an interest in, and understanding of, history if they are
not
>encouraged to associate those events of long ago with thoughts of what it
must
>have been like to have lived through them--and with the knowledge of the
fact
>that their own forbears did just that. Whether it be the remarkable tribute
to
>the strength of human character that kept the slave families alive through
the
>generations of our American past, or the survival of the Jewish people in
more
>recent times; or the sacrifices made by my own German ancestors who set
sail
>into the unknown in the mid 1700s to come to a new home called Pennsylvania
by
>means of a perilous sea voyage. What was the driving force behind all of
the
>actions of these peoples? In my opinion it was to seek a better life for
>themselves and a hope for the future of an even better life for their
>descendants. To take the time to find out who these ancestors were, to
learn
>their names, dates, and what their lives were all about, is an extremely
>important part of teaching our next generation of Americans, wherever they
>came from, and no matter what their background, to have respect for
themselves
>and those who came before them. what better lesson could there ever be for
>today's, or any day's, school children.
>
>OK--now I will get off my soapbox for today. Anyone who would like to
>copy this to any other list has my complete unrestricted permission to do
>so!
>Here's where you can write to voice your opinion on Ann Landers'
>column!
> http://www.creators.com/lifestyle/landers/writelan.asp
>
>I hope we all remember that all we want to do is have her respect our
>opinions and to see that genealogical research is not a quest for
>superiority, but heritage and family loves and strength...so we also
>need to respect hers.....and turn the light on for her!!!!
>
>

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