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Lincoln

sargebill

Sergeant
Joined
Dec 22, 2010
Location
Arkansas
Tomarrow on the history channel from 8am till 11am theres a show on lincoln set you recorders unless you have seen that one already...lol :)
 
Is this the same Lincoln documentary from a few years ago where Gore Vidal was peddling the same old drivel about Lincoln being a closet homosexual? THC is an absolute crapfest.
 
Is this the same Lincoln documentary from a few years ago where Gore Vidal was peddling the same old drivel about Lincoln being a closet homosexual? THC is an absolute crapfest.

I have been watching this in segments and not meaning to offend anyone but this is OBVIOUSLY slanted in such a way as to portray Lincoln as homosexual, not only by Vidal but by many of the other commentators as well. I sense an "agenda" here??

bTW: Talked with my wife about it this morning (she's not a CW nut so didn't watch it). Told her of his suicidal depression over the death of his true love of his life, Ann Rutledge. This depression according to THIS very documentary went on for YEARS. My wife says "That would seem to me to be proof that he WAS NOT homosexual". Bisexual? Maybe but I doubt it. Homosexual? No
Sometimes I am disgusted by this PC world but then I'm just an old fuddy duddy Christian!
 
Is this the same Lincoln documentary from a few years ago where Gore Vidal was peddling the same old drivel about Lincoln being a closet homosexual? THC is an absolute crapfest.
Doris Kerns Goodwin in her book "Team of Rivals" states on pg.93 "Before his marriage Lincoln enjoyed close relations with young women and "almost certainly found outlets for his sexual urges among the prostitutes who were readily available on the frontier." I'm wondering if there were also male prostitutes readily available on the frontier too. Maybe I should watch the HC bio to find out.
 
That was covered extensively in the documentary as well. Yup, he had a LOT of "fun" by the sounds of it but hey, so have some of us and I for one regret that to this day. Prostitution was RAMPANT in Vietnam and I did it too. Not proud to say that and have made ammends wherever possible, confessed my sin, and have been forgiven. I was young (no excuse intended). Just didn't think about the ramifications. Question is: Was Lincoln with male prostitutes? Who the heck knows? I just know I wasn't. I'm sure they were available in certain places during those long ago years of Abe but always closeted in those days. Surely in Vietnam also. I just wouldn't be able to tell you where. I judge no man or woman for his or her sexual preference. Not my job....never will be and I DON'T condemn them!
 
Doug Rooney said:
I have been watching this in segments and not meaning to offend anyone but this is OBVIOUSLY slanted in such a way as to portray Lincoln as homosexual, not only by Vidal but by many of the other commentators as well. I sense an "agenda" here??

I think there was definitely an agenda. The evidence for Lincoln's supposed homosexuality is extremely weak but Vidal acted as if it were a 100% certainty. People are more observant than we think. If Lincoln had truly been fooling around with other males there would have been town gossip or some other rumors to support that claim.

Greg Mahoney said:
I think that this tells us more about Gore Vidal than it does about Lincoln.....

I lost a lot of respect for Vidal and I won't buy any of his books.
 
And it gets worse. According to Stephen B. Oates, author of "Lincoln: The Man Behind The Myth", certain Lincoln "scholars", among whom I believe he includes Mr. Vidal, postulate that Lincoln contracted an STD from prostitutes early in life and transmitted the same to his wife. This was supposedly the reason for the early death of his son, Edward and the reason for Mary Lincoln's madness. Lincoln supposedly realized his complicity in this and that was the reason for his depression. Sort of a "one explanation fits all" for several tragic occurrences.

I guess some folks will stoop to almost any depths to discredit a revered American icon.
 
And it gets worse. According to Stephen B. Oates, author of "Lincoln: The Man Behind The Myth", certain Lincoln "scholars", among whom I believe he includes Mr. Vidal, postulate that Lincoln contracted an STD from prostitutes early in life and transmitted the same to his wife. This was supposedly the reason for the early death of his son, Edward and the reason for Mary Lincoln's madness. Lincoln supposedly realized his complicity in this and that was the reason for his depression. Sort of a "one explanation fits all" for several tragic occurrences.

I guess some folks will stoop to almost any depths to discredit a revered American icon.

Well, I reckon folks can say what they want, and it might not necessarily be truthful. Whoever started the "STD" rumor probably would feel better themselves if it were true. Why...I have no idea...to sell a book maybe? As far as Mr. Vidal is concerned, he is gay, admittedly so, for years now, publicly. It may give him a warm and fuzzy feeling thinking that Abe Lincoln was gay, and it perhaps maybe would give him even more satisfaction and comfort if he could persuade the rest of us that Lincoln was gay, as well. However, speaking for myself, I'm less than convinced...sorry Gore.
 
As far as Mr. Vidal is concerned, he is gay, admittedly so, for years now, publicly. It may give him a warm and fuzzy feeling thinking that Abe Lincoln was gay, and it perhaps maybe would give him even more satisfaction and comfort if he could persuade the rest of us that Lincoln was gay, as well.

Yup, I think you've hit the nail on the head.
 
If Mary hadn't been nuts, I would be amazed, after all she went through. The list is too long for us to totally put everything here--children and husband dying, political pressures, her family's Confederate ties, general depression brought on by the war--heck, why not a few hormones going awry as well? That she stayed relatively strong as long as she did is an absolute miracle.
 
If Mary hadn't been nuts, I would be amazed, after all she went through. The list is too long for us to totally put everything here--children and husband dying, political pressures, her family's Confederate ties, general depression brought on by the war--heck, why not a few hormones going awry as well? That she stayed relatively strong as long as she did is an absolute miracle.

Not to mention that her husband was gay. :hmmm: (Just KIDDING, folks!)
 
I watched that documentry. At times I kept on thinking "Okay, you've made your point about your beliefs of Lincoln...move on..."
 

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