-----Original Message----- From: paceshire@juno.com [mailto:paceshire@juno.com] Sent: Sunday, June 25, 2006 9:37 PM To: PACE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [PACE-L] Re:Jamestown Massacre: What year did it occur? <If you can not document it is fiction....> ------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, not quite. It may be Truth which is lurking in the guise of Truth Which Cannot be Proven, or, Truth Which is Awaiting Proof, either of which is different than Mere Fiction. Sort of like "guilty until proven innocent." Example: If, your parents once got married and there were no witnesses except the J.P. and his wife, then your folks lost their marriage certificate, Mr. & Mrs. J.P died, the courthouse and state records agency got bombed, and finally your parents died so we don't even have their word for it, does that make you a "love child," the product of a mere fictional event? No, it just means the marriage can no longer be proven, but, it did indeed happen. The problem arises when we researchers cite events as facts without a shred of backup AND with no disclaimers such as, "This seems to be...or, the evidence points to this, but it cannot currently be proven." Maybe it's true, maybe not, but IMHO, to label something as mere fiction seems an unwarranted leap and may discourage further investigation. - Joyce