Charlottesville

[L Verge]

(08-18-2017 08:56 AM)Rsmyth Wrote:  I struggled to articulate my feelings on this topic and the responses I knew were to follow. How in one post...can you argue the wrongs in this country that have been perpetuated for hundreds of years against minorities culminating in the divisiveness that is now tearing us apart. Thankfully I do not have to try. Please read Boothiebarn.
Dave - my sentiments exactly! Stop buying in to the lost cause, gone with the wind myth.

I have expressed my thoughts previously, but I would beg Rich Smyth to please let go of that ancient premise that all the hub-bub is about the "lost cause - gone with the wind myth." That misconception was dropped many long years ago by dedicated historians who know how to handle both sides of an issue.

Rich - when you posted the topic originally, I knew what your feelings were on this topic. I was getting worried that you would not express those feelings after having asked for others to post theirs. Thank you for doing so - even though I think you should have been more specific and up-to-date than just falling back on moonlight and magnolias.

I arrived at work this morning to a lengthy email from a longtime Life Member of the Surratt Society that I have known for forty years - a decade before I became director of Surratt House. He is an excellent researcher and historian on the CW era and appreciates the opportunity to consider both sides of an issue.

In this case, he was very upset at Dave's decision to print his personal views and then close the topic for discussion from others. I have asked for his permission to edit his comments down to the pertinent historical points and post it here. I do not believe that he is a member (yet) of this forum. His email to me includes one of the legal points that I questioned in a post here yesterday.

I would also like to thank Roger for allowing us to express our opinions here, and I thank our posters for staying reasonably civil in their postings.