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June 5, 2023 Editor, The News-Gazette: I lament the unwelcome presence of the Lee-Jackson Memorial Park in Fairfield. The 80-foot tall Confederate flag now flying at the Interstate 81 southbound exit sends a big message to all our nonwhite travelers, neighbors and friends, and their allies. The message is “You are not welcome here!”
I lament the lost income for our local merchants when folks bypass this stop on I-81. And, I lament the need of some folks to glorify the cause of the Confederacy in this day and age. The Confederate States of America fought - and lost - a battle designed to tear the fabric of our great United States of America. The impetus of this effort, as codified in the Constitution of the Confederate States of America, was the ability to preserve the institution of slavery and the of superiority white people. Thus, the flag on display here in Fairfield is a symbol of slavery, oppression, and white supremacy.
The statues being sought for this memorial display are the ones removed from the town squares across the state of Virginia and possibly beyond. Many of these statues were installed during the height of the Jim Crow era for the intimidation effect they would have on people of color - “to stay in your place.”
Upon removal of these statues, the stated options were destroy them or preserve them for museum displays where the true history and the people they represent would be told. Will the Stonewall Brigade of the SCV be committing to telling the true and complete history? Or, are they likely to be repeating the false narrative developed in the South in the mid-20th century? The comments made by Brandon Dorsey, SCV commander, speaking for the organizers of this park in last week’s News-Gazette article, clearly indicate a lack of desire to share the true history of the cause that was defeated in the Civil War.
How will the presence of this park impact the picturesque and rural hamlet of Fairfield and its surrounds? Is this truly what the residents of this community want? I sincerely hope not.
REV. SUSAN WORRELL Fairfield
