Saturday, November 24, 2007

Memo to Anyone with Wilson’s Silverware in Their Backs

As I read the WorldMagBlog thread referenced by Patrick Poole (below), I came across an interesting comment (#74) by Dr. William Ramsey, who co-authored Southern Slavery As It Wasn’t: Professional Historians Respond to Neo-Confederate Misinformation, which was a response to Wilson’s and Wilkins’ Southern Slavery As It Was. Dr. Ramsey also wrote the “The Late Unpleasantness in Idaho: Southern Slavery and the Culture Wars,” which has this quote:

In an angry letter to the university provost, Wilson claimed that the book review was “slanderous” and “defamatory” and demanded disciplinary action and a public apology, while Atwood wrote a similar letter to the president. Failing to get the desired response, Wilson wrote to Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne asking him to step in and “remove the University of Idaho as a launching pad for their mortar rounds.”

Wilson also asked the governor to make the men apologize to him, if you can believe that! What a petulant little child. But I digress. Please notice Dr. Ramsey’s comment:

My opposition to Douglas Wilson began as a naive effort to combat historical misinformation and academic dishonesty with respect to the history of southern slavery. In my experience of the recorded documentary history of the American South, his views were incorrect, and I said so. I have suffered for it in more ways than most people can imagine. I am not a God-hater. But if your pro-slavery literalist interpretation of God’s word demands an earthly enemy, my e-mail address is wramsey@uidaho.edu. I am happy to speak with you personally and anonymously with no regard for public relations. God Damn me to Hell.

Dr. William L. Ramsey
Assistant Professor
University of Idaho

Posted by: Willliam Ramsey at April 25, 2005 01:56 AM

Mark this: “I have suffered for it in more ways than most people can imagine.” If Wilson has you in his crosshairs, then you must understand that you are dealing with a ruthless, hateful, vindictive SOB (Son of Belial), who will stop at nothing to exact his revenge. Be careful.

Thank you.

2 comments:

Randall van der Sterren said...

Wilson and Wilkins plagiarized a book called "Time on the Cross." It was an economic history of slavery, not an apologia for it. So are they saying that authors Stanley Engerman and Robert Fogel are bad scholars or that our daring duo didn't steal the material properly?

Mark T. said...

Good question — but you missed a third option. When Wilson and Wilkins plagiarized Time on the Cross they misrepresented the authors’ positions, affirming that Engerman’s and Fogel’s breakthrough discovery actually proved that the slaves got a good deal. I’ll look for the Daily News article.