As I was pondering some of our recent conversations, it occurred to me that we have little participation in these discussions by those who identify themselves as Academics or Professional Historians. For those diplomaed professionals who do participate, I appreciate your courage and desire to rub elbows with we "lay" historians who rely on our personal libraries and many years of reading and discussion to offer our views and perspectives. That being said, I do note that we have far fewer acknowledged academics who post on this message board promoting a Southern or Neutral position, than we do with those who are of a Northern persuasion. I am sure, some might state this is due to the fact, that the "generally accepted view" or the "common understanding is" among academics, professors and professional historians, that no credence is given to earlier views, and such terms as "Lost Cause Mythology" and other modern scholarship of particular schools, have completely invalidated any claims by the South that their ancestral leaders and soldiers fought for anything other than the perpetuation of the dark institution of slavery.

But the above, I know, is not true. On a personal level, I have had the opportunity to speak and correspond with many respected authors and professors, and other professional historians holding positions at prestigious institutions, parks, libraries and archives, who hold far different views on the origins, causes and conduct of the war than they would say in a public forum or in writing. Their views, by all means, are NOT pro-slavery or white supremacist, they are generally not pro-Southern; however, they do have a more balanced view of the governments, the leaders, the respective "causes" and take a more pragmatic view of the underlying motivations on both sides that led to the most horrific war in American history.

It is this kind of history that I want to hear and read. I want to trust that the author or presenter's information that I'm ingesting is his or her best attempt to set aside personal, partisan or political views and to present a well-researched, factual and balanced story.

I am concerned that a large percentage of fine historians are fearful of speaking out, even in neutral tones, about subjects related to the Civil War, because they fear being ostracized, ridiculed, insulted or even injured in their careers by "water cooler" educators who "parrot" and promote the popular view for the sake of personal advancement or accommodation.

For those of you who are "Northern" scholars, whose specialties are slavery, reconstruction, abolition and who do not have a kind or respectful view of the South and Southerners, I hope that your highest goal is to live up to some kind of "Hippocratic-style" professionals ethic to do no harm to the historical record, but to provide truthful, reliable and balanced history and to give a safe place and respect to views opposed to your own.

I must also state, that as a Southerner, I am embarrassed by those so-called "scholars" who take extreme positions that try to justify the horrors of slavery, demonize the Union government, its leaders and what is most revolting for me personally, its soldiers. Fortunately, these Southern extremists are generally not teaching my daughter history. Unfortunately, many of the extremists who do ascribe every evil to the South and Southerners are teaching and honored at our universities.

There I go again.

Jim