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Hello all,
It is a human trait to ask "why?" on almost any subject. Children, around the age of 5 or 6, start to ask "why Mummy?, why Daddy?" and most parents will patiently, in a simple way, explain the reasons for A or B being a fact, or A or B being decided. There are some parents of course, who will answer with "because I said so" or suchlike. So we have been brought up on the bottle of curiosity. Some of us develop our sense of the curious with reading, hunting, finding out, discussing, arguing and even demonstrating against in order to find out what we wish to learn more of. Some even become politicians, some watch television, others listen to radio. Whichever way we turn our interest, we are affected by those expert commentators on a subject which can sway us in one direction or another. When we become in posession of knowledge and express it, we ourselves become the "listened to", the "read".
In our developed mind, we find we have the urge to defend arguments, even prolong and protract them, for the idea or cause in which we believe is correct. Something internal drives us along. So much so it can become a process to lead to utter conviction that one is standing on the side of "the truth", or the "real" facts. We have all seen this, throught our lives, demonstrated clearly in one form or another. The subject of Ripperology is no exception.
In this 21st Century, we have at our fingertips oceans of imformation that was never available for anyone connected to the ongoings of the Late Victorian Period. We can research and present articles from nigh on every major newspaper worldwide, all at the touch of a plastic button. The world of the Victorian scribe opens up before our very eyes. Verbal reminiscences too are questioned by us all. Scribes, in the form of the journalist or author are dissected. Some of them had their own reasons for writing, embellishing and even inventing things in print. Even the statements of the police, doctors, coroners and witnesses, along with the political hierarchy and the political establishment, all these people and their reasonings, are put into question and under the microscope. All of these things, leads that curiosity in us, all the more baffled.
Where opinion becomes divided with our world of historians, writers, researchers, enthusiasts and the idly curious, is how we interpret the facts before us. Some will stick to the written word of the official documents and nothing else. Some will allow certain press reports to be considered. Others will allow the majority of all press reports into the mix. Whatever degree we use as our personal yardstick, interpretation is individual by its very nature. That interpretation leads to suggestion. These suggestions will themselves be the subject of interpretation. Conclusions will be drawn, and the writer who originally made the suggestion, will rightly or wrongly, become catagorised and put into his or her designated box, complete with label. We have all done it, and some, if not most have fallen victim to this form of sentencing.
It is very very difficult to not have opinion and remain totally neutral, especially in Ripperology, where so much of the original information is either missing, stolen, destroyed, lied about, falsified or (thankfully rarely), made up. I am, personally, "open to persuasion but not easily persuaded" by any particular theory of any particular suspect. Of course, we all lean in certain directions and consequently away from others, but we like to ask questions, and bring in possibilities. It may not be solid, but a small nugget now and then can always be deemed useful for collective consideration. A good few individuals have his or her "niche", and within the complexity of this case, that isn't such a bad thing. Others take a a more general overview and others want to know something about everything. I take my hat off to one and all.
People we may have very little contact with, occasionally single one out and ask a question or even ask for help. In return we ask for questions and help of others. This is the way Ripperology, in the 21st Century, should be. I think it a great pleasure to share correspondance with established author, historian, researcher, the curious and the newbie alike, for one thing we all share is our time. Whether we agree or disagree, time is a precious commodity that is being given. I thank all for sharing their time. It simply inspires.
best wishes
Phil
It is a human trait to ask "why?" on almost any subject. Children, around the age of 5 or 6, start to ask "why Mummy?, why Daddy?" and most parents will patiently, in a simple way, explain the reasons for A or B being a fact, or A or B being decided. There are some parents of course, who will answer with "because I said so" or suchlike. So we have been brought up on the bottle of curiosity. Some of us develop our sense of the curious with reading, hunting, finding out, discussing, arguing and even demonstrating against in order to find out what we wish to learn more of. Some even become politicians, some watch television, others listen to radio. Whichever way we turn our interest, we are affected by those expert commentators on a subject which can sway us in one direction or another. When we become in posession of knowledge and express it, we ourselves become the "listened to", the "read".
In our developed mind, we find we have the urge to defend arguments, even prolong and protract them, for the idea or cause in which we believe is correct. Something internal drives us along. So much so it can become a process to lead to utter conviction that one is standing on the side of "the truth", or the "real" facts. We have all seen this, throught our lives, demonstrated clearly in one form or another. The subject of Ripperology is no exception.
In this 21st Century, we have at our fingertips oceans of imformation that was never available for anyone connected to the ongoings of the Late Victorian Period. We can research and present articles from nigh on every major newspaper worldwide, all at the touch of a plastic button. The world of the Victorian scribe opens up before our very eyes. Verbal reminiscences too are questioned by us all. Scribes, in the form of the journalist or author are dissected. Some of them had their own reasons for writing, embellishing and even inventing things in print. Even the statements of the police, doctors, coroners and witnesses, along with the political hierarchy and the political establishment, all these people and their reasonings, are put into question and under the microscope. All of these things, leads that curiosity in us, all the more baffled.
Where opinion becomes divided with our world of historians, writers, researchers, enthusiasts and the idly curious, is how we interpret the facts before us. Some will stick to the written word of the official documents and nothing else. Some will allow certain press reports to be considered. Others will allow the majority of all press reports into the mix. Whatever degree we use as our personal yardstick, interpretation is individual by its very nature. That interpretation leads to suggestion. These suggestions will themselves be the subject of interpretation. Conclusions will be drawn, and the writer who originally made the suggestion, will rightly or wrongly, become catagorised and put into his or her designated box, complete with label. We have all done it, and some, if not most have fallen victim to this form of sentencing.
It is very very difficult to not have opinion and remain totally neutral, especially in Ripperology, where so much of the original information is either missing, stolen, destroyed, lied about, falsified or (thankfully rarely), made up. I am, personally, "open to persuasion but not easily persuaded" by any particular theory of any particular suspect. Of course, we all lean in certain directions and consequently away from others, but we like to ask questions, and bring in possibilities. It may not be solid, but a small nugget now and then can always be deemed useful for collective consideration. A good few individuals have his or her "niche", and within the complexity of this case, that isn't such a bad thing. Others take a a more general overview and others want to know something about everything. I take my hat off to one and all.
People we may have very little contact with, occasionally single one out and ask a question or even ask for help. In return we ask for questions and help of others. This is the way Ripperology, in the 21st Century, should be. I think it a great pleasure to share correspondance with established author, historian, researcher, the curious and the newbie alike, for one thing we all share is our time. Whether we agree or disagree, time is a precious commodity that is being given. I thank all for sharing their time. It simply inspires.
best wishes
Phil
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