The
Virginia Flaggers are deeply disturbed that Richmond’s Mayor has chosen to
attempt to shamelessly capitalize on the tragedy in Charlottesville by suddenly
changing course and directing the Monument Avenue Commission to pursue the
removal of the monuments on Richmond’s majestic Monument Avenue as a viable
option. Instead of seeking to work with
and represent all of his constituents, he has chosen to escalate tensions and
encourage lawlessness, such as was witnessed by the violent anarchist Antifa
march in Richmond Sunday night, and which will certainly be amplified with his
announcement.
Mayor
Stoney is fully aware that discussion of the removal of ANY veteran’s monument
in the Commonwealth is a waste of time as it is a violation of state law and any
attempt to do so will cost the city millions in legal fees and damages, while
creating division and disunity among her residents. The citizens of the Commonwealth
overwhelmingly oppose removal of memorials and the thousands of direct
descendants of Confederate veterans are not going to sit by quietly and allow
our history and heritage to be dismantled to appease a few extremists.
We
call on the Mayor to do the right thing for the community, and what citizens
suggested over and over in the public meeting just last week (and which he
would have heard had he attended) …leave the existing monuments alone and
pursue the development and construction of new monuments in other areas of the
city.
How can we stop this? Is there a way to organize something? Can the Sons of Confederate Veterans get involved?
ReplyDeleteAs most everyone knows the Civil War was the most gut-wrenching moment in our American Experience. Richmond was naturally Ground-Zero in that event. In many ways the City of Richmond is itself a museum to that point in time. However Monument Ave. is not so much a memorial but a reminder of that period. Richmond will hopefully always be a southern town. During that conflict both sides fought with courage and love of land. The North and South gave and paid dearly. The monuments are a reminder of that. Just as the Alamo was preserved, the Little Big Horn saved, yes even the Death Camps of Europe preserved...they are touch stones for events that have come and gone. Thankfully for those who survived we are all the better for it. Yes we've made progress, perhaps even Arthur Ashe, that forever quiet, humble but devastating brilliant , cool man might admit that. How easy it is in the excitement of the moment, in a politically charged environment to bring down these statues. How seemingly right, how trendy, how "so now". Could it be possible for any person of color to feel, think objectively about these monuments? Perhaps not -- on the surface-- why should they? However in many ways these statues are testaments in stone to how far the American Black experience has come today.
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