Native Impressions at Brushy Run

Whitewashing or sugar-coating history is as bad or worse than teaching it in a dishonest manner. Things happened, not all of them good, and lying about it makes it worse - offense of delicate sensibilities be damned....

These are the same people that have been conditioning us to put everyone in a category, instead of thinking of someone as an individual person we are to think of them as part of this group or that, I'm sick of this woke BS and I say let the little snowflakes melt down into a puddle, I will follow my interests, do the research, and portray them as a HUMAN BEING, to the best of my abilities and ignore the mindless rabble.

This is a sad reality, one to which I knew would approach upon the living history community in due time and we've reached that point.

Sadly many of the constituents progressing this way of thinking know how to ruffle the cages and they surely won't stop, that is until a vast majority of Americans have had enough. There's only so much the pot can hold... I feel we are reaching an overflow quicker by each passing day.

Our society is so morally, ethically and socially out of touch with reality it's a sickness. This is just another example of the generation who can't utilize common sense and reasoning. Rather they live in their own augmented reality were all must conform to some twisted ideological ideal.

While my faith and hope isn't in man, I do hope change is near.

Anything having to do with slavery from the slave-owner perspective or atrocities committed by non-whites. Some people would absolutely lose their $..t

I do the former all the time at work as I have, and still do somewhat, many prominent founders who were Virginia slaveholders. I get asked questions about it all the time and have to navigate the dynamic. I actually enjoy those questions, especially when people think they're going to make me uncomfortable, but by sticking to the facts and putting things in perspective I can usually walk away having left them with a lightbulb moment without becoming an apologist. Unfortunately I get the feeling that a lot of those teaching moments don't come about precisely because people are either hesitant or afraid to ask those uncomfortable questions, which is entirely understandable.

The aforementioned woman at MV, however, had it much more difficult being that her portrayal constantly revolved around what Washington referred to as that most unfortunate subject of regret. Picturing herself in that role day in and day out eventually took it's toll, so rather than let the perceived resentment build, she unfortunately resigned. Last time I called her she mentioned moving towards her next chapter working on more pleasant pursuits from a freelance perspective. MV sadly lost a few other good interpreters over the last couple years as well.

In either situation it does take an element of courage to ask those questions, initiate the dialogue, and answer those questions from the perspective of those involved. My opinion is that those concerns or apprehensions subside the more one has an articulate grasp on the subject matter. While the portrayal of Caroline Branham at MV h gas certainly experienced at least a temporary death, I've never seen anyone lose their shit and I'm still trucking right along continuing to get busier coming out of the pandemic while continuing to build my clientele. I guess time will tell.

Good to know that from a professional perspective there's still decency by many. Truly it seems so much of this negativity comes from the lack of a solid educational understanding from the public. Good on you for doing what you do in maintaining that level headed educational mindset. Me personally I can't handle the public anymore, so I'm truly sincere when I say we'll done!

Hopefully the woman above settles into a roll she enjoys and becomes successful, best wishes to her as it certainly would take courage doing what she's done. I remember Mount Vernon being the highlight of my school trip long ago. Sad to hear it's fallen short of the mark.