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Read other letters about this article
Is there a reason you feel the need to attack me?
I have known about, read about and been interested in the sotry of Sarah Baartman for a while. When I said I googled the "Hottentot Venus" it was not because I had never heard of her (in fact, how I could google someone I'd never heard of is beyond me) it is because before I posted something on here I wanted to double check dates, facts, etc. My point is that it would be great if everyone did that before publishing. It is easy on my screen the google search tool is up there waiting to be used. And, since I usually only devote 3-4 minutes to each letter and look at some of the googled material of course I can't claim any intellectual or scholarly rigor for my letter. I know I've barely scratched the surface.
I am sorry if I gave you the impression that I put myself out there as some sort of expert. (I doubt there are many realy experts writing letters on Salon - I don't mean this to be snarky but because they are busy working in their areas of expertise.) I do not think that I did and clearly I am not. But do I have to be an expert to analyze and comment on a subject? Do I know everything about this issue? No - I maybe know .001% of what there is to know. But I have a reading list that I am going to take on my weekly library trip and read more. I never intend any of my letters to be PhD thesis proposals. Although it would make interesting reading for someone to look at the story of Sarah Baartman with post November 5, 2008 eyes - add another chapter or more to this story.
One final thought:
I recently had the insight that the four most important words are:
"I do not know."
Followed by: "But I am open to learning."
I am making an effort to always remember that "I do not know" and to try to find out before I act or speak. It isn't easy because we've all been taught that the quick response is the correct response.
