Louisville Courier Journal: "Oh, That Slavery".
Oh, that slavery
In a day's time, Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell went from “what slavery?” to “oh, that slavery” with his frantically updated proclamations for the state's Confederate History Month.
The original proclamation was a relatively shiny, happy take on the War Between the States and Virginia's “shared history” in that epic struggle. The guv mentioned all the brave Confederates of the past. He mentioned the cool historic attractions that have survived to the present. He even mentioned context all over the place. But he never mentioned slavery. Not once.
What part of “shared” did the Governor not understand? How about the sacrifices of the non-citizens? What if you were a descendant of a Virginia slave and, in reading the first draft of Mr. McDonnell's declaration, you're not in it? Nowhere to be found! What about slavery?
Talk about whitewashing history.
Well, it didn't take long for the newly elected, and apparently grotesquely politically ambitious, Republican governor to walk back from his offensive omission. He acknowledged his “mistake,” offered an apology, and added a graph to the edited declaration, but only after outrage grew.
He should have, could have, known better to begin with, going on his own predecessors' history with this proclamation. George Allen of “macaca” fame got caught in the same tempest for the same reason and offered the same apology. Another Republican governor sidestepped Mr. Allen's cow flop by acknowledging slavery in his commemoration. Two Democratic governors did not make proclamations. Enter Gov. Eyes on Higher Office. (Virginia governors are elected for a four-year term).
When Robert McDonnell comes knocking on doors someday for more votes, and he will, the people of Virginia and America would do well to remember a bumper sticker associated with the war he tried to re-write:
Forget, hell.
In a day's time, Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell went from “what slavery?” to “oh, that slavery” with his frantically updated proclamations for the state's Confederate History Month.
The original proclamation was a relatively shiny, happy take on the War Between the States and Virginia's “shared history” in that epic struggle. The guv mentioned all the brave Confederates of the past. He mentioned the cool historic attractions that have survived to the present. He even mentioned context all over the place. But he never mentioned slavery. Not once.
What part of “shared” did the Governor not understand? How about the sacrifices of the non-citizens? What if you were a descendant of a Virginia slave and, in reading the first draft of Mr. McDonnell's declaration, you're not in it? Nowhere to be found! What about slavery?
Talk about whitewashing history.
Well, it didn't take long for the newly elected, and apparently grotesquely politically ambitious, Republican governor to walk back from his offensive omission. He acknowledged his “mistake,” offered an apology, and added a graph to the edited declaration, but only after outrage grew.
He should have, could have, known better to begin with, going on his own predecessors' history with this proclamation. George Allen of “macaca” fame got caught in the same tempest for the same reason and offered the same apology. Another Republican governor sidestepped Mr. Allen's cow flop by acknowledging slavery in his commemoration. Two Democratic governors did not make proclamations. Enter Gov. Eyes on Higher Office. (Virginia governors are elected for a four-year term).
When Robert McDonnell comes knocking on doors someday for more votes, and he will, the people of Virginia and America would do well to remember a bumper sticker associated with the war he tried to re-write:
Forget, hell.
Labels: News reporting
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 8:09 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home