The deeper one gets into l'affaire Bellesiles the clearer it is that he did not fake just parts of his research, he faked it across the board. As an author myself, I know with respect to every book I have publoished, when, where, and how I did the research for it. Sometimes I sweated bullets for weeks trying to track down one final point that was ecessary to the argument.
What I find most disgusting about Bellesiles is how his stories keep changing about his research. The places change not once, but repeatedly. The materials used change not once, but repeatedly. The bottom line conclusion is clear, this man and his book are both frauds.
Even his excuse, "the flood ate my homework," has been given in multiple versions to different people. At one time his notes were "drying out at home in Atlanta," Now he claims they were "carted away by the clean-up crew" with no notice to him.
This man should have the gold tassel cut off of his mortarboard and his gown stripped away, and be forced to leave Emory University at dawn down the ranks of his colleagues, all facing away from him. That's how they showed it in the opening credits of that ancient TV series The Rifleman, starring Chuck Conners.
At least, that's how they would do it if academics had a sense of drama, and shame.
Congressman Billybob
Even better, Emory should force him to perform the "Walk of Shame" as he leaves. The Walk of Shame is portrayed in The Lords of Discipline, which is set in the thinly-disguised Citadel. A student has been expelled. At dawn, the cadets are dressed in No. 1s and lined up on each side of the main drive from the quad to the front gate. The Commandant intones, "Commence...the Walk of Shame!" As the ex-student walks toward the gate, each facing pair of cadets turns their backs on him just before he passes.
That was Chuck Connors second TV series, Branded. The Rifleman started each episode with Connors rapidly "fanning" shots from his custom, ring-levered Winchester 76, most likely into the carcas of some miscreant.
W/ all due respect, the series was "Branded"
"What do you do when you're branded, and you know you're a man/"
I loved that show when I was a kid. Otherwise excellent commentary.
At this rate, in a few months he'll be down to spinning tales about space aliens and the Bavarian Illuminati.