January 5, 2004
IT AIN'T:
This was just posted as a comment to SAY IT AIN'T SO, TOM, but deserves to be more widely read:
Name: Herbert BargerPosted by Orrin Judd at January 5, 2004 4:12 PM
Email Address: herbar@comcast.net
URL: http://www.angelfire.com/va/TJTruthAs assistant to Dr. E.A. Foster on the Jefferson-Hemings DNA Study I can assure the reader that the DNA DID NOT prove ANY Thomas Jefferson parentage of Sally Hemings's children.
The long standing claim of scandelous reporter,James Callender, was proven WRONG by the DNA test, there was NO DNA match of Jefferson/Woodson. The ONE descendant of Sally Hemings did indicate a match from SOME Jefferson DNA, but NOT specifically that of Thomas......DNA DOES NOT identify individuals by GIVEN names. Since only ONE Hemings descendant was found "at that time" to represent Sally's blood, the media and even a Monticello study board concluded it MUST have been THOMAS. To this very day the Hemings descendants REFUSE to gather DNA from another Hemings male source, William Hemings. WHY would they and Dan Jordan, Monticello President, (who said to me, DON'T PRESSURE THEM), REFUSE to move forward on VALUABLE DNA? He says he is open to receive research on the topic but where is his interest in securing it? I personally DO NOT believe we would find a match and possibly they all fear the same thing. It would CRUSH several agendas.
In my opinion, the support that the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (Monticello owners), gives to this misevaluation and assessment,the more the public is confused. Don't we normally go to the source of subject research such as Monticello for Jefferson, and BELIEVE THEM? After all, don't they have all the research material, Jefferson specialists, etc? I URGE all Americans and world citizens NOT to fall for this.
Our earlier name was, Thomas Jefferson Foundation and they sued us in court and required that we change our title. Within days they DROPPED "MEMORIAL" from their title, thus they become our former title, Thomas Jefferson Foundation. Is this a sign of "memoralizing Thomas Jefferson?"
That was the reason for my involvment in assisting in forming the Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society www.tjheritage.org)(a second opinion was required), which only financially supported 13 independent scholars, top blue ribbon, full professors. Their independent study was much different than the Monticello study, basically the work of in-house EMPLOYEES reporting to their employer, Dr. Daniel Jordan, Monticello President. The Scholars Commission Report took the in-house Monticello Report to task on several occasions and found NO proof of the Thomas Jefferson charges, heaped upon him.
President Jordan signed off on their report (Chaired by Diane Swann-Wright, an African-American, hired to research ORAL history at Monticello),finding of Jefferson probably not only fathered one Hemings child but probably ALL Think about that......there was NO test of ANY Hemings except ONE.....HOW could this man make such an outrageous statement? If he wants to prove this ALL statement, why does he not ask the Hemings for permission to test William Hemings (at least that would bring the total to two to be tested)....what is he and the Hemings afraid of?
It must be reported here that their report acknowledges African-American input to the report and we also must note that Ms. Swann-Wright is in charge of the Getting Word Project there and on that Monticello board are ten prominent African-Americans which includes NAACP Chairman, Julian Bond (see the Monticello web page for their names). Mr. Bond also teaches history at the University of Virginia where history professor, Peter Onuf (sponsored chair of Monticello), frequently misrepresents Mr. Jefferson, his latest: "Siting Jefferson," He references the slave issue with Jefferson and those he released and flat out states (this is the Monticello supported UVA professor), "...and that those few....INCLUDING HIS CHILDREN WITH SALLY HEMINGS and had strong personal claims on his solicitude, we begin to suspect that JEFFERSON HIMSELF IS THE PROBLEM." The caps are mine!
We had another Professor Joseph Ellis (an admitted liar (recall the Boston Globe expose)to touting his NON Vietnam service and other personal history lies (see my web page www.angelfire.com/va/TJTruth), who, in my opinion, also misled the public on several occasions in Nature Journal, USNWR, his own book, "Founding Brother", the Library of Congress book, "Thomas Jefferson, Genius of Liberty." He had NO PROOF to much of what he claims. These professors are in positions to cast bad impressions with unproven statements about Mr. Jefferson. Do you have a child in high school or college listening to them or other like professors? Please ask Monticello, the UVA or the Library of Congress where the proof is and why do they put this garbage out. Where are the letters of protest to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (Monticello), the UVA President, PBS, Biography, etc.......I have sent my complaints.....they well know MY thoughts on their participation of this politically correct, historical revisionism
on Mr. Jefferson and also other founding fathers who owned slaves. I suppose I must answer my own question: the public does not know of the facts of the mishandeling of this fiasco as I do. Now that you know it....go into action! It's your country's history and the future of your children's history that is being rewritten and manipulated.I urge readers to read Dr. Ken Wallenborn's Minority Report (www.tjheritageorg), which was SURPRESSED and DELETED from their final release. He and two other Monticello Guides immediately RESIGNED at Monticello and joined the Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society board. You may also read of much more INSIDE information surrounding this amateurish DNA Study and those associated with it. Several agendas abound and our book, reviewed on our web page, "The Jefferson-Hemings Myth, An American Travesty" will enlighten the reader. There is also a link to the Scholars Commission Report there......the hard back printed version is nearing completion.
The media giants, PBS Frontline and A&E Biography decided that the reader or viewer DID NOT need to hear "my side" of the controversy when they ran programs on Sally Hemings WITHOUT my long recorded interviews with them. The Washington Post continued to run slanted and biased stories until I complained to their Ombudsman who "blasted" them exposing them by a long exposure article of them by name in their own newspaper.
Herbert Barger
Jefferson Family Historian
herbar@comcast.net
Well, to be fair, when the DNA tests were concluded I did read in several fora that the tests had only proved that *some* male related to Thomas Jefferson - possibly TJ himself - had contributed to the bloodline. Surely I am not the only one to have remembered this?
I had not heard the claims that TJ had fathered _all_ the Hemmings children, but this isn't a hobby horse of mine.
Posted by: Bruce Cleaver at January 5, 2004 4:35 PMI recall reading about the DNA test in a book on Jefferson. I don't remember which one, but as I recall, I've got the impression that the tests showed he fathered the child. I'm sad to see Ellis mentioned in such a way though, because I recently read "Founding Brothers" and thought it was an excellent book (I think I'm right on the authorship - I can't find it just now).
Cheers.
Posted by: alastair at January 5, 2004 7:42 PMalastair:
Mr. Ellis is a fine author but got busted telling his students about his combat experience in Vietnam, about which he was either completely lying or enhancing the facts.
This led him to embrace the PC answer on Jefferson with unseemly speed.
Posted by: oj at January 5, 2004 7:53 PMThe newspaper accounts of the DNA testing were misleading to any general reader. Whether this was deliberate or just incompetent, I cannot say.
A great deal of nonsense has been written about Jefferson, including here.
It started, as regards our generation, with Faith what's-her-name's fantasy published and widely accepted as biography, despite such "research" as her statement that Jefferson hated his mother, because he never mentioned her in his writings.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at January 5, 2004 8:18 PMAnd here I thought it was proved that it was not TJ, but his brother. Seems Tom was off the plantation when she was impregnated.
When TJ came home, he left and got married and what do you know, no more babies.
So, the Hemings' will not allow further DNA. How interesting. Dig em up and test. Settle it once and for all.
Posted by: Sandy P. at January 5, 2004 9:50 PMfurther DNA testing.
Posted by: Sandy P. at January 5, 2004 9:51 PMThe Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society commissioned a report by a group of distinguished (albeit conservative) scholars on this mater the report may be downloaded. The report summary says:
The question of whether Thomas Jefferson fathered one or more children by his
slave Sally Hemings is an issue about which honorable people can and do disagree. After
a careful review of all of the evidence, the commission agrees unanimously that the
allegation is by no means proven; and we find it regrettable that public confusion about
the 1998 DNA testing and other evidence has misled many people. With the exception
of one member, whose views are set forth both below and in his more detailed
appended dissent, our individual conclusions range from serious skepticism about
the charge to a conviction that it is almost certainly false. [emphasis in original].