On 5/20/06, Sarah <slimvirgin(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Even if Harold Shipman was Jewish and there's a good source for it,
there's no reason it should be in the intro. His ethnicity/religion
wasn't in any way relevant to his notabilty.
I'm probably straying into dangerous territory here, but I do notice that
ethnic origin is very frequently cited in the intro for people with, shall
we say, more positive contributions to humanity. "Jim Smith was a Jewish
scientist of Polish origin best known for his studies of geraniums" seems
like something you would come across fairly often.
There's really no policy or guideline at all for what shouldn't go in the
lead section. There are vague guidelines for what *should* go in it, but
whether or not to mention a religion or ethnic origin is largely a question
of taste and common sense.
Steve