February 06, 2004
This Opinion Journal op-ed points out a new publication from professor Michael Bellesiles. First, here is a reminder of this man's claim to fame:
Mr. Bellesiles is the former Emory professor who shook the scholarly world in 2000 with his book "Arming America." An academic bombshell, the tome went against long-held beliefs by claiming that few colonial Americans actually owned guns. This set off a riotous public debate over whether the Second Amendment was designed to protect individual gun rights. Mr. Bellesiles was showered with prizes and media praise, becoming an instant academic star.
His very short-lived claim to fame:
Reputable scholars in the ensuing months tore apart his work on probate and military records, travel narratives, and other documents. Mr. Bellesiles, when asked to explain, provided ever-more outlandish excuses: that his notes had been lost in a flood, that his Web site had been hacked, that he couldn't remember where he'd found certain documents.
This is old news, right? It would be except for the fact that Mr. Bellesiles had decided to reissue the book as well as a response to critics of his work:
This 59-page pamphlet, "Weighed in an Even Balance," is a spirited attempt by Mr. Bellesiles to turn himself into the world's latest misunderstood genius.
He repeats his far-fetched excuses and does admit a few errors in the original text; however the tone of the document seems far from apologetic:
But the most amusing parts of the pamphlet are those meant to support our scholar's belief that he is up against a stubborn world that refuses to open its mind to the truth. And his sense of persecution and righteousness is very much on display. The very title of his book is taken from Job: "Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may known mine integrity."
After you go and read this entire article, you may also want to read this (pdf format) critical analysis of "Arming America" by Clayton Cramer.
