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

[Owen]

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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=====
Lozengy'argent and vert,a dexter tierce indented azure.

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