Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Quotes
Only bitter old men write history.
Jacqueline Kennedy, 1929-1995, First Lady (John F. Kennedy), Journalist and Cartoonist, Statement to Theodore White, 1963
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835-1910. Every history writer has his/her prejudices based on his/her world view, upbringing, education, values, and culture. The best historians tend to understand this and try to be as objective as possible.
This quotation shows us that Ancient historians knew well, that rulers and governments could intimidate contemporary historians and even after rulers died hatreds from previous periods also often distort history. The hatred and resentment of the American Southerners after the Civil War warped most history books in America and especially history text books for over 100 years before histories of the Civil War and Reconstruction could be written with more reasonable accuracy.
This is something that most nations and groups of people indulge in. Democrats considering the New Deal and Republicans expounding on the Presidency of Ronald Reagan are two classic instances. In this case Petri was particularly referring to Southerners who extoll the virtues of the Confederacy and the Confederate soldiers, ignoring the fact that they had committed treason to preserve one of the most cruel and evil institutions in human history. At the same time, they recall every disgraceful act of looting and destruction of Civilian farms and factories and ignore the Northern behavior after the Confederate defeat where no treasonous and rebel army in history had ever escaped not only retribution but all accountability as well. Internationally, almost every conflict in the world is characterized by this behavior on both sides.
Countess of Blessington
This comment was triggered by a question about Sarah Palin’s attempt to use Paul Revere’s Ride to promote her political standing. See {623709} for Palin’s quotation upon which he commented.
Jacqueline Lee "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was an American socialite, writer, and photographer who became First Lady of the United States as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. Her popularity as First Lady was due to her devotion to historical preservation of the White House, her fashion sense, and her devotion to her children, which endeared her to the American public. During her lifetime, Jackie was regarded as an international fashion icon. Her ensemble of a pink Chanel suit and matching pillbox hat that she wore in Dallas, Texas, when the president was assassinated on November 22, 1963, has become a symbol of her husband's death.
