In a message dated 3/9/05 12:28:17 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, DebCA@comcast.net writes: Wow - ashamed - proud. Powerful words. In some ways - wish I had just said "saddened"! Maybe it wouldn't have "hit a nerve" out there. Actually, it is the wording. I have come across those words so often in genealogy. For instance, someone sent me a bit of information on one of my husband's gr-gr-gr-grandparents, starting with the caution, 'not to be ashamed, but the person was a slave-holder'. In order for me to be ashamed, I would have to be schizo, because while this particular person fought in the civil war for the South, my husband's other gr-gr-greats fought for the North! None of my greats were here in time to be involved. And that is another thing I'm not ashamed of. Although my brother-in-law's mother seems to think I should be. HER relatives came here on the Mayflower! I was just trying to say that since I have no power over what was, and I wont ever know how it really was, only glimpses of how other people saw things, I can't bring myself to feel badly or proudly, about history. I'm just very glad people decided to emigrate to a new land. New word - horrified - I am horrified by some of the things people in other countries have lived through, and thank God, mine had the brains to leave. And back to proud, I am proud to live in the United States today. She may have her problems, but I will take them over any other countries problems. Kathy