User talk:Mhmorton

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Kerr/Nicaragua
I intend to remove the bit you added to the History of Nicaragua about John Leeds Kerr, your apparent ancestor ("family history"). I believe that it is not important in a general overview of Nicaraguan history to note who the first US ambassador was. At that scale, people should only be mentioned for significantly affecting the course of Nicaraguan history; being the "first X" isn't enough. Otherwise, it becomes an invitation to clutter the article with trivia. (If we're going to mention who the first US ambassador was, why not the first British ambassador, they were an important player in Central America at the time? Why not Spain's, the mother country? Why not the first Honduran and Costa Rican ambassadors, they're Nicaragua's neighbors? Etc.)

Do note that John Leeds Kerr, and his son John Bozman Kerr, have articles on Wikipedia, and you're welcome to work on them. However, keep in mind Wikipedia's policies about information needing to be verifiable through reliable sources. "Family lore" sometimes proves to be embellished when researched. In this case, the article on Leeds Kerr says he died in 1844, which obviously contradicts your information. Apparently, his son, Bozman Kerr, did serve as charge d'affaires from 1851 to 1853, but again the dates don't match. Depending on the circumstances, there might be reason to mention him in the E. G. Squier entry. However, while your knowledge about your family history can enhance Wikipedia, don't let your pride in your ancestors tempt you to try to shoehorn them into topics where they are only tangentially connected (as per conflict of interest and not indiscriminate information/genealogical database policies). -- Groggy Dice   T | C  19:47, 19 November 2006 (UTC)