Letters to the Editor

Another Media
Cause Celebre

A patriotic rally in Charlottesville Va. protesting the removal of a Gen. Robert E. Lee monument was high-jacked by racist groups. Then the event became deadly. The media has done nothing to differentiate what the event started out to be from what it became. To the contrary, Sunday morning news programs lumped all those who came to defend Civil War heritage with Neo-NAZI’s and KKK racists. As a result of the conflict in Charlottesville, the governor of Kentucky decided to lead the charge to remove Civil War monuments in his state compounding the anger brought on by the insurgence of historical revisionist! Only the historically bankrupt can wave a NAZI and Confederate flag at once. The Confederacy wanted freedom and independence while NAZI’s stood for oppression and tyranny!

 Like a Cobra, the media waits for uprisings as this to strike. They trivialize such import truths while sensationalizing their distortions! The left-leaning media puts on a cloak of moral righteousness while fanning the flames of civil unrest heightening racial and political tensions. The clash between Left and Right in America always arises when the Left wants to take something from the Right. Be it guns, free speech or Civil War monuments, the left can’t leave peace alone sparking civil unrest only to later accuse those on the Right for all the problems.

Still smarting from the election of Trump, the liberal media has (and will continue) to use their influence to exploit times like this to sully everyone on the Right from the president on down while (trying) to cast themselves as a moral authority!

Karl Schmidt

Farmville, Va.

Radical Running for
District 60 Seat

In reading the article in the Southside Messenger by Crystal “Farmville Resident Seeks 60th District Seat” I was impressed by the description of the candidate in the first three paragraphs. However, after those he was revealed as the typical liberal/progressive candidate that populates the democrat party and is certainly one of the reasons that the Commonwealth has seen its favorable business climate rating falling in a precipitous manner over the last four years of the current democrat administration.

His prescriptions for economic progress are all those that have been and are currently being tried with limited success. Throwing more money at the problem is the typical democrat reaction to a problem, and one that rarely works.  His solution of offering incentives for one has not worked. Clarkesville offered a $500,000 incentive to an industry which accepted the funds and did not come to Clarksville.

What the candidate missed is that the area has to be made one that individuals find more attractive to live in than somewhere else.

With regards to healthcare, he adopts the democrat/liberal stand that it is a right. Nowhere in the Constitution can that be found. Republicans have wisely refused to accept the expansion of Medicaid. States which have done so are going bankrupt as the costs of the program grow well beyond the estimated costs. While the federal government with its huge deficit currently picks up a part of the costs, it is unlikely to continue and will leave these states with increasing deficits prompting tax increases.

He is incorrect that “Medicaid has been shown to grow the economy”. He does not offer any proof as there isn’t any. As the costs of Medicaid continues to climb in the states which have expanded it, other services such as schools, law enforcement, roads, public safety, etc. will have to be cut in order to provide the funds for Medicaid and/or taxes raised. One other fact, an increasing number of doctors are not accepting Medicaid at their offices and long waits at places that do accept Medicaid are occurring.

The Commonwealth cannot afford to elect individuals such as Jamaal Johnston. His socialist ideas have and will never work. His rehash of failed liberal/progressive ideas shows that he is not good for the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Barry A. Bank

South Boston, Va.

Both Sides of Monument
Issue Should Be Recognized

Regarding the removal of Confederate statues across the state of Virginia, both sides of the issue need to be acknowledged.  For those in favor of removing the statues, anything associated with the Confederacy is perceived of as revering slavery.

The notion that Confederate soldiers went to war over slavery is questionable in that most (98% in Texas) never held slaves.  So why were these men willing to fight and die?  Certainly it was not over slavery.  What did they have to gain? Evidence suggests they fought to defend their beloved states from the invading Union forces.

Those that want to keep the statues look on them as representations of Southern pride and recognition of the sacrifice of all who fought. Surely they are not condoning the institution of slavery.   Robert E. Lee and others are honored for their efforts on behalf of the South. They are not symbols of slavery. Today, everyone agrees that slavery is wrong.

Recognizing both sides of the issue is all that is required to keep the peace.

 Jo Ann Toirrence

Meherrin, Va.

In Support of R-H
Coach Allen

As a concerned supporter of the Randolph-Henry baseball program, I want to bring to light what seems to be an injustice and disservice to the R-H students and athletes.

It appears that outside influences played a role in the removal of J.R. Allen as baseball coach at R-H and golf coach at Central Middle School.

Here are a few of Allen’s accomplishments:

• 88-30 record over the last five years

• Won 20 games in three of the five years

• Two JRD Championships

• Three Conference Championships out of four years

• Three Conference Coach of the Year Awards

• Four Regional Appearances in five years

• One Regional runner-up

• One Final Four appearance

• Eight players have gone on to play at the college level

• Three player are at Division 1 schools on scholarships

• Three players have played in the VHSCA All Star game. Two have been named MVP for their team.

I have reached out to six school board members and have yet to receive a reasonable response.

Alan Jones

Chester, Virginia

What Exactly is
Politically Correct?

The difference between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson from Confederate generals Lee and Jackson is that Lee and Jackson were not slave owners! If it’s fair to remove or destroy statues of anything Confederate, it is just as fitting and proper to do likewise to certified/bonafide slave owners! The Jefferson memorial needs to come down along with the Washington monument! The face of Washington needs to be removed from the one dollar bill and from Mt. Rushmore along with the face of Thomas Jefferson! If Americans sees fit to eradicate anything from history that remotely supported the institution of slavery, let’s not discriminate for those deserving the (politically correct) chop block! The sword of political correctness needs to cut both ways!

 Social media is now on a crusade to post the faces and names of anyone at the Charlottesville rally that were not on the, “correct” side of the dividing line. So anyone who was there merely protesting the removal of the R.E. Lee statue or in defense of their Confederate heritage are now targeted and associated among the raciest groups! There is an mounting escalation of tension arising in this country that all began with Civil War monument bashing! Trump was most correct in his initial comment that fault lies on both sides of this (unnecessary) conflict!

Karl Schmidt

Farmville, Va.

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editor@southsidemessenger.com. Please include your name and town; we do not print anonymous letters. It is not the responsibility of the newspaper to fact-check for accuracy; we run letters as-is. We reserve the right to reject any letter for any reason. Opinions expressed in letters are not necessarily that of the Southside Messenger.