Facts about family are sometimes better appreciated when placed in their historical context. In October last year I wrote a piece for my blog that connected the Boko Haram - a bunch of fanatics in eastern Nigeria - with a British military slaughter in that same region a hundred years ago. A great-uncle of mine was a participant in that slaughter, and was thus - I fear - partly responsible for the anti-Christian acts of vengeance by the *modern* terrorists. Any thoughts on the matter?

Hi Gordon. Throughout history, there have been acts committed by one side or the other. It is time to just start over with a clean slate and let the past be behind us. Revenge never gets us anywhere.

Historically leaders in one time period lay the groundwork for future problems also. Politically they think they are doing the right thing at the time but later it all backfires.

It is important to know what happened in the past but not harbor such anger and hatred that people can not move forward.

Where is your blog located?

Couldn't agree more, Angie. Vengeance for past wrongs is futile. However, it's important to understand why some acts of vengeance do occur. Sometimes the perpetrators are cold-blooded about their actions, sometimes they're scarcely aware. But we must acknowledge that past events do influence what happens later. I don't believe all the African and Arab refugees invading the coasts of Europe today are doing it out of revenge for past imperial misdeeds, but who knows? It's karma, whatever the motive.

Anyway, it makes for an interesting family-history story. My blog is as per my signature; if you click on that you should get to the most recent post, and the Uncle Charles post is in the Archive of October 2014. Alternatively, you can simply Google the title of this thread of mine.