Talk:Robert W. Lee IV

Ancestry Topic

Since Rev. Robert Wright Lee IV frequently speaks about being the descendant/nephew of Robert E. Lee, to include when testifying before Congress, this is an issue that would logically be addressed in an article about him. ElTejanito (talk) 23:29, 14 August 2020 (UTC)

The issue of ancestry was originally addressed in the article page, but was removed by an admin for not being sourced. When it was pointed out that the facts that were shared were indeed thoroughly sourced, a different admin claimed the sources were "random government documents." A third admin stated that the sources were from "amateur genealogists." When it was pointed out that the documents were primary source materials directly related to the topic and were created by the State of North Carolina and the United States Census Bureau, a fourth admin tagged it as "original research" and said it was not allowed. ElTejanito (talk) 23:29, 14 August 2020 (UTC)

While some admins have removed content and claimed a reason, this article has been edited numerous times by anonymous users that give no reason for the edit or simply say "untrue information" even though the information was well sourced. ElTejanito (talk) 23:29, 14 August 2020 (UTC)

To ensure relevant information is included in the article and not removed by admins, it looks like the way forward is to present the primary source documents to a secondary source for verification. To that end, these primary sources that were initially referenced in the article have been submitted to multiple genealogical societies in North Carolina and Alabama, as well as to journalists from reputable news agencies who are familiar with the issue. Once these secondary sources publish their analyses of the source documentation, the information should be able to be reintegrated into the article without violating the "original research" policy for Wikipedia articles.

The following sources have been referred to professionals for review and analysis:

• 
  North Carolina Birth Record - Robert W. Lee III
• 
  North Carolina Birth Record - Robert W. Lee Jr.
• 
  1910 U.S. Census - Robert W. Lee Sr. and John O. Lee
• 
  North Carolina Death Certificate - John O. Lee
• 
  Greenville Advocate Newspaper - Robert S. Lee 84th Birthday
• 
  Greenville Advocate Newspaper - Robert S. Lee Death Announcement
• 
  1880 U.S. Census - Robert S. Lee (Birthplace of parents recorded)

If another member is currently aware of a previous analysis of these primary sources published by a reliable secondary source, please include that in the article. ElTejanito (talk) 23:29, 14 August 2020 (UTC)

You don't need to create a separate heading for each point you are making. I suggest you combine your concerns into a single section. OhNoitsJamie ^Talk 00:23, 15 August 2020 (UTC)

Roger WILCO ElTejanito (talk) 00:39, 15 August 2020 (UTC)

I concur with the information you have submitted and have the same conclusions that you have reached. There is no path to the lineage that Robert Wright Lee lV has claimed and we should continue to seek the truth so that an injustice is not brought upon the heritage of the family of Robert Edward Lee. McRick52 — Preceding unsigned comment added by McRick52 (talk • contribs) 02:17, 15 August 2020 (UTC)

The Extremists

We need to talk about what's really happening with this article. It's been a years-long constant "edit and delete" battle between people who think Lee is a saint and people who think he's the devil (and probably paid publicists, if we're being honest.) Encyclopedias are supposed to be objective sources of information, so I'd say both sides of this tug-of-war are in the wrong. Let's try to take a minute to be objective and maybe that will resolve this to some degree:

Do official government records show exactly who are Lee's direct lineal ancestors back to his immigrant ancestor from England?

- Yes. They are posted above on this page. Feel free to examine them for yourself.

Are any of those direct lineal ancestors Robert E. Lee or his immediate family?

- No. Again, feel free to examine the records for yourself.

Does Lee claim to have documents showing some sort of kinship to Robert E. Lee that he hasn't made public, but shared with a few journalists?

- Yes.

Does Lee not wanting to share what he considers proof of kinship to Robert E. Lee with the public mean he's lying?

- No. Most of us don't share everything about ourselves to the public.

Does Lee only wanting to share what he considers proof of kinship to Robert E. Lee with sympathetic journalists mean his claims are proven?

- No.

Should we believe the conclusions of journalists who say they have seen Lee's private records?

- That's up to the individual. There are good reasons to believe them and good reasons not to believe them.

Does someone being bothered by their personal perception that Lee was being dishonest about his ancestry mean that they are a racist who obviously disagrees with his other valid points about slavery and injustice?

- No.

Does agreeing with Lee's valid points about slavery and injustice mean everything else he says MUST be true, and you must defend him to the death through any means necessary, because the ends justify the means?

-No.

I honestly just wish Lee himself would say, "Hey, everybody... there seems to be some confusion about the different types of ancestors and descendents people have, which has led to some misunderstanding about what I was trying to say, and this has turned into an unintended distraction from my true message. Let me try again... As the direct descendant of a very old Southern family and a Confederate veteran from Alabama, and as someone who was told my entire life that I was a distant kinsman to Robert E. Lee and was raised to believe he was a hero, here are my thoughts on ________." If he'd just say that, he wouldn't lose face, and it would remove 99% of the fuel from this fire. Hopefully whatever PR firm may have been employed to monitor this page will agree with this and guide him in that direction.

Coronel Tejano (talk) 06:27, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

Relationship Not Proven

Robert W. Lee IV is not proven by professional geneaologists to be related Robert E. Lee. His earliest proven ancestor was William Lee who was born in England in the 1700s. Robert E. Lee's family traces back to Richard Lee I who immigrated to Virginia in 1639 nearly 100 years before William Lee was even born. Lee is a very common surname in both England and North America. The Lee Family Archive of Stafford Hall, which is an authority on the Lee family of Virginia does not support Robert W. Lee IV's claim of a relation of any kind to Robert E. Lee. Having information on his Wikipedia page to support his claims as "facts" are both misleading and need to be handled with caution. Simmons1998 (talk) 07:00, 12 December 2024 (UTC)