To those who may claim that Sherman is a killjoy for wanted to correct an embellished record, I have to agree with what he is doing. Not only do we want to remember the truth, but when we embellish heroic acts to the level of perfection, we then start to take the actions of great men out of the realm of possibility for us flawed folk.
I am blessed to have ancestors who helped found this country. I remember being thunderstruck when I heard stories from family historians about the mistakes, the foibles, the sheer humanity of these great men who, as I was taught in class at school, were given plastic veneers of infallibility and god-like hero stature. At last, hearing the real stories, I knew I had a chance to be like them, that failure was possible and never a reason to stop fighting for what is right.
How can a kid grow up hoping to be perfect? It can’t be done. So when faced with impossible legends, kids are awed but not inspired. The real stories, the actual truth, make it possible for this new generation to find its own courage amid the imperfections and obstacles of this all-too-human life.
May God bless every American and keep them this day.
>>>>I have to agree with what he is doing. Not only do we want to remember the truth, but when we embellish heroic acts to the level of perfection,<<<<
I’ll agree with the debunking element...
... but it’s also fair to say that we cannot replace these questionable “certainties” with “maybe”, “perhaps”, “possibly”, or “might have”.