[Ansteorra] Kansas State historical society bans re-enactments of war or violence

[Burke McCrory]

Owen,

I don't have it as this was forwarded to me.  You might check the Kansas
City Star Newspaper site.

Sir Burke

At 09:27 PM 2/27/2002 -0800, you wrote:
>Sir Burke
>  Can you get me the link to the original story?
>Thanks
>Owen
>--- Burke McCrory <bmccrory at oktax.state.ok.us> wrote:
> > I received this from a friend in a civil war group.
> > Looks like it could
> > apply to SCA activities as well.
> >
> > Sir Burke
> >
> >
> > >Posted on Tue, Feb. 26, 2002 (Kansas City Star web
> > page)
> > >
> > >State historical society bans re-enactments of war
> > or violence
> > >
> > >JUNCTION CITY, Kan. - This might have been
> > "Bleeding Kansas" in the 19th
> > >Century, but visitors to properties managed by the
> > Kansas State Historical
> > >Society won't see any blood.
> > >
> > >The historical society recently banned
> > re-enactments of war or violence at
> > >properties it manages, and some state historians
> > aren't pleased.
> > >
> > >"It is impossible to tell the story of Kansas
> > without mentioning
> > >violence," said Scott Price, a historian and former
> > president of the
> > >Friends of the First Territorial Capital at Fort
> > Riley.
> > >
> > >Ramon Powers, the state society's executive
> > director, said the decision
> > >was based on "our general view of the kind of
> > audience that we are trying
> > >to reach out to. Particularly in light of events of
> > Sept. 11, it is not
> > >appropriate to engage in those kind of activities,
> > or have them at our
> > >facilities."
> > >
> > >The Historical Society's policy says there are some
> > situations where
> > >demonstrations of historical military tactics or
> > weapons usage might
> > >be an appropriate form of interpretation, but does
> > not define those
> > >situations.
> > >
> > >Beginning in 1855, bloody battles and political
> > unrest ravaged the Kansas
> > >frontier. The struggle eventually led Kansas to be
> > admitted into the Union
> > >as a free state.
> > >
> > >That history, Price said cannot be effectively
> > taught without re-enactments.
> > >
> > >"We live in a visual age," he said. "Now, more than
> > ever in our nation's
> > >history, a picture is worth a thousand words."
> > >
> > >Good re-enactments go beyond the visual, Price
> > said.
> > >
> > >During some of the two- and three-day re-enactments
> > that are popular in
> > >Kansas, visitors walk through simulated Civil War
> > camps.
> > >
> > >"They see the fires, smell the bacon and hear the
> > soldiers answer roll
> > >call," Price said. "A good re-enactment brings
> > history alive."
> > >
> > >Powers countered that there are other, more
> > family-friendly ways to teach
> > >history.
> > >
> > >"It really is not history itself," he said of
> > re-enactments. "The real
> > >gore of battle is not represented. You could almost
> > argue that we make
> > >violence appealing if we engage in it in this
> > controlled way."
> > >
> > >Re-enactments do not glorify war, Price said, but
> > focus on the stories of
> > >those who fought for a way of life.
> > >
> > >"It is very important for people to realize that
> > Abe Lincoln didn't sign a
> > >piece of paper in Washington and free the slaves.
> > Men and boys from all
> > >over the country had to go put on a blue uniform,
> > load muskets and fire at
> > >fellow human beings across the field," he said.
> >
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>
>=====
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