Robert E. Lee statue vandalized

[paulcalloway]

Robert E. Lee Statue Vandalized
ASSOCIATED PRESS
January 17, 2004

RICHMOND, Va. - A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Richmond's Monument Avenue was vandalized and damaged Saturday, Virginia Capitol Police said.

The words, "Happy Birthday, MLK," were painted on the statue along with other "questionable wording" sometime between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., police Maj. Mike Jones said. A light that illuminates the statue was broken, he said.The Full Story:
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArti cle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031773160264&path=%21news%21vaapwire&s=1045855935241

[JimKindred]

Funny, how this works. Nothing has been said on TV news about this but had it been a MLK statue there would probably have been unceasing reporting of it as a hate crime.

Of course any one condemning the vandalism of Lee's statue will probably be labeled a racist.

[KentuckyReb]

We were watching the Iowa vote last night on CNN, and the 'crawl' along the bottom came across with a story...couple of guys who vandalized a church started by former slaves down in Virginia somewhere. Apparently the police either already had IDs on them and were searching or had actually already apprehended them. Yet so far nothing about who vandalized this statue. Hm... anybody ever read 'Animal Farm'...?

[ANDY DANISH]

You expected something different ?

Too bad they stopped teaching history in school.

Andrew, you must sign your full name to all posts here on the A/C forum - Mike Chapman

[Vuhginyuh]

You expected something different ?

Too bad they stopped teaching history in school.

Andrew, you must sign your full name to all posts here on the A/C forum - Mike Chapman

To the victor go the spoils... and the right to write their own history.

Why is the history of The Spanish in North America not taught in any greater detail? The defeat of the armada I suppose.

Where is the amazing story of the Tuscarora civilization in the eastern North Carolina? Buried with the dead of thier cities by John Lawson and The Crown and oddly, by the tale of Squanto.

Look at an anti-bellum history text or narrative and you will see page after page about Roanoke Island and Jamestown with little concern given to the Puritans doing thier thing at Plymouth. After 1865 a very pronounced swing in content is evident, as was the source of editing and publication.

To defile any (well deserved) public tribute or religious symbol smacks of Germany in the 30's.
Any mutt that commits this act should be punished accordingly, regardless of who they are and the social statement they are trying to make.

Sadly, Justice is not blind, nor is she balanced.




( One last little thing, my cousin in Richmond says that the reason the text of the vandalism on the LEE monument was not released is because the spelling was so bad.)

[JimKindred]

ten characters

[KentuckyReb]

Well...yes...I can see that. But bear in mind...the media are the very ones who determine what is politically correct, mainly by how they manipulate how history is portrayed, which parts of it are excised prior to its presentation to the public... further, the 'media' doesn't really just apply to the modern media. Look at the incredible slant apparent in Harper's during the War. Thomas Nast's cartoons shortly after 'our' period of history. The media have always been involved in the twisting of history to suit the purpose of the victors in any war, but particularly this one. And it is the acceptable brand of 'sterilized' history produced by this nefarious process that is referred to as 'political correctness'. So from this point of view, all the contributing factors referred to in all these responses could be seen to contribute to the problem of which the recent b______t in Virginia is only a symptom.

[MoFed]

This is the incident that you saw reported on CNN. It appeared yesterday in the Daily Press, Hampton Roads, VA.

"Two men charged with vandalizing historic church

By the Associated Press

Published January 19, 2004

ROANOKE, Va. -- Two western Virginia men have been charged with vandalizing a historic black church, police said Monday.

Zachary Lee Bryant, 22, of Moneta in Bedford County, and Christopher Frank Martin, 35, of Roanoke, were held in the Roanoke City Jail on charges of breaking and entering and felony property damage.

The two are accused of causing roughly $50,000 in damage to Mount Moriah Baptist Church, which was founded by slaves in the mid-1800s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Additional charges are anticipated, and Police Sgt. E.M. Legg said authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the vandalism was racially motivated. The FBI, which typically becomes involved in hate crime cases, has joined the investigation, according to David Burch, resident agent in charge of the Roanoke office.

Two of the church's eight members entered the church last Monday to find its windows smashed, picture frames and furniture broken, plumbing fixtures shattered and hymnals tossed outside the small wooden building.

Police said the vandalism occurred sometime between 11 p.m. Jan. 11 and 5 a.m. Jan. 12."

This is an AP story about an event that occurred on Jan. 12 and it only hit the local paper and CNN yesterday.

Charles D. Hoskins

[dusty27]

Fellas,

I think that the original post was presented for information only and not to start a modern political discussion. Voice your anger, but let's not try to critique the modern press or motives of the criminals on this forum.

[Dignann]

Charles,

Thanks for posting that story. $50,000 worth of damage at a historic church with national signficance is newsworthy.

Eric

[KentuckyReb]

...sigh... Yes, I suppose I tend to 'soapbox' a little when it comes to PC and the press, etc. etc... I suppose it's just from the frustration of seeing something we all feel so strongly about (our country's history) being shat upon, and such behavior not only (it seems) tolerated at times but perhaps even encouraged indirectly. Of course no, I didn't mean to sound cavalier about the destruction of a church, regardless of age or origin. I just get a little bent outta shape sometimes at the rather selective nature of public outrage these days. But I'll cut down on the pulpit-poundin'. Sorry, Dusty.

[marlin teat]

Even less noticed............buried on page five of the Rome News-Tribune



Gordon Lee High students charged with park vandalism


01/15/04
Kevin Cummings
Respond to this story
Email this story to a friend

Two Gordon Lee High School students have confessed to last week’s paintball shooting spree that left numerous monuments and markers inside Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park defaced, park officials said.

Sam Weddle, chief ranger for the park, said the students, both 16-year-old males, will face misdemeanor charges and will have to appear before the U.S. magistrate in Rome.

Weddle said felony charges were an option, but will not be pursued because the extent of damages was not as severe as first believed and also due to sensitivity that the crime involved juveniles. Weddle said he is unsure of the maximum penalty the alleged perpetrators could face if convicted, but possible judicial options include fines and/or community service, which may include duties inside the park.

Last week, district ranger Jim Staub, who led the vandalism investigation, said under the federal Archaeological Resource Protection Act, each person involved in the crime could face felony charges resulting in up to a $100,000 fine and five years in jail.

Weddle said various tips from community sources led park investigators to the two suspects who confessed to the crime Friday afternoon, Jan. 9. Weddle said he is unaware of the motive behind the paintball spree.

“It’s always pleasing to know that the citizens of this area do hold the park in high regards and were not only offended by the fact that these acts happened, but came forward in large numbers to say, ‘What can we do to help?’” he said. “It’s a very nice feeling to know you have that kind of support in the community.”

Park personnel used pressure washers to remove red and green paint splotches from the monuments — many over a century old. Although park officials initially said the cleanup effort could cost as much as $60,000, they scaled back their estimate for the project to about $10,000. Weddle said there were a few permanent stains to a small number of markers and monuments.

[Majakka]

Sir - Mr. Nobody is not an acceptable registered name on this forum. If you would like to re-register using your given full name, you will receive all of the priviledges afforded all members in good standing. Until then, you will not be able to post here. - Mike Chapman

[KentuckyReb]

It's really frustrating, and it's really a shame. Sure, sometimes behavior like this is just because the perpetrators are just ignorant punks. But occasionally it's amazing to see how the people one would expect to engender respect for history in a young person are completely ignorant of their responsibilities, or else too lazy to fullfil them. For instance...at Perryville, this last time. There, at the top of the hill, at the area where a large obelisk is surrounded by a stone fence, is of course the mass grave for many, many Confederates. It's clearly marked at the entrance to the area, the monument has 'in memory' engraved all over it... it could not be more obvious. Yet this year, while I was trying to take a little time to sort of... absorb, I suppose-- Sit and think of the ones under that obelisk. Have my own little quiet moment of respect for them---while I was trying to do that, the monument was surrounded by a group of boys doing an excellent impression of Apaches 'off the reservation' a la 1888. Hootin' and hollerin', zapping one another with silly string and of course managing to drape the crap all over the wall and the base of the obelisk in a web of jarring neon pink and orange and green... just generally giving a ringing endorsement for birth control. I mean, boys will be boys, but this was a GRAVE, and clearly marked as such. The thing that was just so depressing about the whole thing is that they were Boy Scouts and their Leaders (?) were about 15 yards away the whole time, placidly puffin' away at their Camels and tossing the butts on the ground.

...sigh...

Almost makes you want to give up sometimes... Really tiresome. Man, I'm dyin' to try a c/p/h event. I'm really starting to burn out on Funnel Cake Feudin'.