Comments on: What’s In a Name?

By: Dick Stanley

Dick Stanley — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 21:26:32 +0000

It used to annoy me. I stopped worrying about it. So many things to do, so little time.

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:38:08 +0000

I used to do the same thing. Now I just say “yes”. It saves a lot of time for both of us and a lot of effort on my part.

By: Michael C. Hardy

Michael C. Hardy — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:35:02 +0000

I find that people often use the term as a means of introduction – I get “So I heard you were a Civil War buff”. I usually tell them that I probably passed buff stage some time ago, that my interest in 19th century American history is probably at the obsessive level and that I probably need to seek some sort of medical help. They usually laugh and then launch into whatever they are interested in.

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 20:55:13 +0000

I pondered this a while ago. I really don’t like the term “buff” but I don’t know why. Perhaps it seems almost like a put-down when used by people who do not like the Civil War – almost like a generalization akin to calling us Civil War geeks or something like that. I don’t know why, but that’s the kind of connotation that term has to me.

I thought about the term “enthusiast” but that’s kind of generic and isn’t really better than buff. I am learning about the war, so “student” may apply, but I’m in no formal educational program.(Then again, I may be learning more now than I ever did in class.)

I’m certainly no historian, author, re-enactor or expert of any sort/

So, after all that, maybe “buff” it is.

By: Jeffry Burden

Jeffry Burden — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 20:18:31 +0000

Well…self-absorbed dabblers, for a start. After that, I suppose anyone whose desire to display it is greater than their reluctance to offend some others.

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 20:07:43 +0000

So who should feel free to keep using the Battle Flag as a symbol?

By: Jeffry Burden

Jeffry Burden — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 20:00:47 +0000

“…we should drop its use entirely.”

No, not at all – self-absorbed dabblers should feel free to keep on using the term. :-)

By: Harry Smeltzer

Harry Smeltzer — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:38:45 +0000

I see – so since the term has been given negative conotation by outsiders, we should drop its use entirely. Like the battle flag ;-)

By the way, I know those guys on tours of whom you speak. It seems to me they are folks who are either at early stages of the learning curve, or incurable buttholes.

By: Susan Evelyn McDowell Cole

Susan Evelyn McDowell Cole — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:49:34 +0000

Everyone has a different reason and a different approach to the Civil War. Since I have a biology degree and come from the McDowell and Connor families, I like to look at medical stuff and genealogies. I also like to look at different points of view. I am no expert on military tactics but I will read books on military tactics and try to learn from them.

Its all about being being willing to learn from our history.

Susan Evelyn McDowell Cole

By: Jeffry Burden

Jeffry Burden — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:22:01 +0000

Yeah, I’m one of those who’s never liked the term “buff.” I find that it’s used by some people to denote a sort of self-absorbed dabbler, the kind of person who will listen to an authentic expert in the field, then use Q&A time to show off how much he himself knows, rather than seek insights from the speaker (and we all know people like that). It’s use is a way for non-students of the Woah to chuckle and dismiss those with an evident interest as not to be taken entirely seriously. I’m fine with “student”, but that’s just me…