It will surprise no one that before blogs etc. I ranted and raved--sometimes not very civilly.
Here is a letter I wrote ten years ago to the News Leader, a local Staunton, VA paper, when I lived in that western Virginia community. Clearer heads prevailed and it was not published but it was my first rant that I made a conscientious attempt to be civil.
It was beginning to look and feel a lot like the holidays as I walked up Lewis Street that crisp Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The message board aside the Second Presbyterian Church proclaimed “Christmas Peace,” holiday lights were already in place on a nearby bank, the downtown was decked out for the season and Staunton’s Christmas parade was history. All this accomplished before December 1st. Our city was prepared for the holidays a week before Hanukkah and three and a half weeks before Christmas.
The residents of the city played their part also placing candles at the windows and seasonal greenery about those lovely old homes. All the symbols for our many varied holiday celebrations of peace and light seemed in place. Staunton does like its holiday lights.
At the crest of a hill rested an old anti-bellum style home. It sat high above the sidewalk and back in trees, the bushes around it’s porch trimmed in festive lights and a small decorated evergreen presented holiday joy to passersby. For me the decorations so epitomized this sense of “peace on earth, good will toward all” that I turned back to view them one last time. It was then I noticed flying from the porch a large Confederate battle flag. Now this interested me.
I will admit that, frequently, I walk downtown and back home. It is a time consuming indulgence but the walk is good exercise. More than that, it slows me down, gives me time to think and since I am new to Staunton observe the city close up. My excuse for doing so was that I needed coffee. That day I had bought two pounds of my favorite, The General’s Blend. Named for Washington and Lee, this potent aromatic mixture of light and dark beans is roasted and blended in Lexington and sold here.
As I walked home Tuesday, my coffee under my arm, I wondered if the residents of that lovely old home considered the mixed signals that Christmas trees and Confederate battle flags presented together sent to many of our citizens? How do the members of the nearby Churches view the house on the hill?
In tandem could those symbols be viewed--”Peace on earth, ---”only ‘cept”?” The caveat of “only ‘cept,” always bothers me. The “only cepts” get in the way of the peace statement, don’t they? What about “Good will towards all”? When we display holiday symbols that mean “Peace” and “Goodwill” don’t we accept a small measure of responsibility to make it happen?
I would inquire. I called the owner.
Unfortunately, I presented my case rather badly to the resident putting him on the defensive, and for that I am sorry. To his credit he was more generous than he needed to be with his explanation but he informed me: I had my opinions and he had his. At some point I recall the words "Damn Yankee" being used. End of conversation. I received a good history lesson about "our hallowed ancestors" and even better civics lesson concerning the 1st amendment of our Constitution. I love history, thank the Good Lord I did not point out his beloved Ancestors fought to be free of our Constitution, and I understand that the symbols for peace and war can get easily mixed especially in a state that celebrates a Lee, Jackson, King Holiday. I had no axe to grind, no agenda to present to the resident. I just wanted his viewpoint.
But, now, I have an observation. We celebrate our wars more than our peace. If this continues our past will cloud our future more than it now does our present. General Lee was right when overlooking the Union's preparations, before the battle of Fredericksburg, he said, “It is well that war is so terrible -- we should grow too fond of it.”
I would suggest we take a moment and reflect during this holiday season on the symbols we use to represent ourselves to others. Could we not engineer a flagless Armistice during the holiday season? Would that not be the best way to honor all our ancestors? Staunton, the birth place of President Woodrow Wilson, our own Nobel laureate for Peace, deserves it-- And if we do come together to talk about it, let me bring the coffee.
Be well
A Journeyman
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