Eric,

  If you are thinking about the Disney model when you speak of such gross
distortions then lets speak of that, for even there what you say is perhaps
couched in your own biases and may not be strictly fair.

  I assume by "Disney model" you are speaking of the historical theme park
that was planned but not built in Virginia.  All that I know of this park is
what was said of it by its enemies (enemies as least partly because they
didn't want a big tourist attraction in their neighborhood).  I don't know
for a fact that the park would have made gross distortions, and I very much
doubt if you know that for a fact either, since you probably don't know any
more about it either.  And the park was never built, so you are speaking of
something that does not and never did exist.

  I suspect that if the Disney historical theme park was built that it would
have presented the generalized and simplified history.  I am not sure that
that constitutes a gross distortion.  Certainly it is not complete but what
name any text or display that actually does display such a thing.  It is
presented for an audience that wants to see an overview, and if they become
further interested in history then they can come to our museums and learn
more.  I don't see what is seriously wrong with that.

  Yes, theme parks and museums are (thankfully) different in their approach.
But let us not get caught in the situation of as representatives of one
talking about how the other is bad.  It is not constructive and it is not
nice.

Kevin McCartney, Ph.D.
Associate Prof., Geology
Director, Northern Maine Museum of Science
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Presque Isle, ME  04769