User talk:Maestrodad

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Richard Nixon edits
Hi there. Please do not show your own bias when it comes to editing Wikipedia, as you did with Richard Nixon. People around the world have mixed feelings regarding Nixon, but he was president of the United States and, like him or not, he should be treated with as equal respect as any other president. You inserted a large amount of material to his article; it was uncited and reflected your own point of view. And that article was not the correct place for it; please see Watergate scandal for a more detailed description. I should tell you that before inserting the material to the scandal article, find citations to back up the info and author it with a neutral point of view. That's the key to editing Wikipedia. Best, Happyme22 (talk) 01:29, 6 January 2008 (UTC)

Hello. Thanks for writing. I wondered who was re-writing my entry as I was writing.

I believe that U.S. presidents deserve respect inasmuch as they earn it. It's history and honesty that truly deserve respect. Presidents are all human; regardless of political persuasion, they all do their best to spin. Historians need to unravel the spin.

I'm new to Wikipedia editing but no stranger to scholarship. I haven't yet mastered the process of online citation, so my revisions all include verifiable facts and direct quotes. I don't include opinions. Still, I appreciate and accept your suggestion that I document entries wherever necessary. As you say, Nixon is a controversial figure, so I'll make sure I learn the ropes of online citation before I make additional entries.

I disagree that an article on Nixon should have an abbreviated Watergate section. It's a major element of understanding the man, his administration, and his legacy. And, as evinced in Nixon's tapes, it certainly consumed a great deal of his time and energy during his last two years in office.

I believe this article is marred by bias and omissions. For starters, it doesn't mention student unrest over Vietnam and Cambodia, other than the small blurb I just added. The sentence "Nixon was widely praised in the United States for having delivered 'peace with honor'" is blatantly partisan--it comes right out of his '68 campaign speeches. And the material I added on Nixon's pardon is quoted directly from Ford's memoirs. If it casts either man in a less than favorable light...well, that's history.

Best wishes, Ben