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> To: [log in to unmask]
> From: Rodney Coates <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Confederacy Month Wins early approval
> Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 12:56:11 -0500
> -----
> Confederacy Month Wins Early Support
> Va. Senate Debate Looms; Black Caucus Troubled
> By Chris L. Jenkins and Jo Becker
> Washington Post Staff Writers
> Wednesday, February 4, 2004; Page B01
>
>
> RICHMOND, Feb. 3 -- A resolution that would designate April as
Confederate
> History Month received preliminary approval from the Virginia Senate on
> Tuesday, reopening a debate over how the Old Dominion should remember
its
> legacy as a slave-holding state that seceded from the Union.
>
>
>
> The measure sidesteps Gov. Mark R. Warner's refusals to officially
recognize
> Confederate commemorations. Instead, state heritage groups are seeking
> support from the General Assembly, hoping that legislators will pass a
> resolution similar to the Confederate History Month proclamations
issued by
> past governors.
>
> "The reason why I've introduced this is because this is our history and
we
> need to come to terms with it," said Sen. Charles R. Hawkins
> (R-Pittsylvania), the chief sponsor of the measure that he said would
honor
> the legacy of the thousands of Confederate soldiers who died during the
> Civil War. "History is history. This is part of all of our backgrounds,
and
> there's no need in running from it," he added.
>
> Senate Joint Resolution 96 was approved by the chamber's Rules Committee
> last week by a vote of 11 to 3. A full debate in the Senate is
scheduled for
> Wednesday. Because it is a resolution, it does not require the
signature of
> Warner, a Democrat, if it passes both the Republican-controlled House
and
> Senate.
>
> A majority of the 16-member Legislative Black Caucus has "very strong
> concerns" about the resolution, said Del. Dwight Clinton Jones (D-
Richmond),
> the group's chairman.
>
> "I just think it's time we put the Confederacy behind us," said Sen.
> Benjamin J. Lambert III (D-Richmond), a member of the caucus. "These
are the
> folks, this is the history, that had my forefathers in chains."
>
> Hawkins's resolution is another salvo in a long debate about how the
state
> should acknowledge the Confederacy's role in its history, beginning with
> former governor L. Douglas Wilder (D), who signed a similar
proclamation in
> 1990. Then in the late 1990s, former governor George Allen (R) issued a
> Confederate History Month proclamation, calling the Civil War "a four-
year
> struggle for independence and sovereign rights." It was observed during
> April, the month in which the Civil War essentially began with the
> Confederates' attack on Fort Sumter, S.C., and ended with the Army of
> Northern Virginia's surrender at Appomattox. The declaration made no
mention
> of slavery, angering many civil rights groups.
>
> James S. Gilmore III (R), who succeeded Allen, modified the decree in
1998
> by adding a condemnation of slavery. Later, he dropped references to
> Confederate History Month, instead designating April as "Virginia's
Month
> for Remembrance of the Sacrifices and Honor of All Virginians Who
Served in
> the Civil War." In 2002, Warner decided not to offer a proclamation,
saying
> that it was a "lightning rod" that would not help bridge divisions
between
> whites and blacks in Virginia.
>
> The Hawkins resolution's supporters said Tuesday that the measure does
not
> honor slaveholders, only those who fought for what they believed was a
noble
> cause.
>
> "This has nothing to do with trying to celebrate slavery. Most of those
who
> fought in the war were not slaveholders," said Brandon Dorsey, a member
of
> the Sons of Confederate Veterans' executive committee. "What we want is
the
> state to recognize the sacrifices of our ancestors."
>
> Several civil rights groups, long opposed to creating statewide
> commemorations of the Confederacy, said they continued to be concerned
about
> the efforts of heritage groups to receive endorsements from the state
on the
> issue.
>
> "It seems like, to us, that there are enough schools, bridges and other
> private monuments such that the state does not need an official
Confederate
> History Month," said Salim Khalfani, director of the Virginia NAACP. "It
> goes without saying that we are opposed to this resolution."
>
> Also Tuesday, the House of Delegates gave preliminary approval to a bill
> that would extend unemployment benefits to military spouses who
voluntarily
> leave a job to follow their spouse to a new assignment.
>
> Proponents gave impassioned speeches about the troops serving in Iraq.
Del.
> L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-Prince William) said that the gesture would be
a
> "small token of our appreciation." Benefits would be paid out of the
state's
> unemployment pool.
>
> Opponents said the bill could prove costly and set a bad precedent;
> currently, unemployment benefits are paid only to workers who have been
laid
> off through no fault of their own and not to workers who voluntarily
leave
> jobs.
>
> Del. Samuel A. Nixon Jr. (R-Chesterfield) said that although the goal
was
> "laudable," other groups could seek the same kind of consideration. Del.
> David B. Albo (R-Fairfax) called the bill anti-business.
>
> The preliminary vote was 56 to 41. Once a final vote is taken, the bill
will
> move to the Senate. To become law, it must be signed by Warner. His
> spokeswoman, Ellen Qualls, said he supports the measure.
>
> Also in the House, a committee rejected a proposal to encourage public
> health clinics to notify parents if a minor receives emergency
contraception
> or counseling about sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, illegal
drug
> use or suicide prevention.
>
> Lingamfelter, the sponsor of the legislation, said the action by the
House
> Health Welfare and Institutions Committee effectively kills his bill
for the
> legislative session, but he said he will try again next year. "The
people
> who voted no on this are saying that parents do not need to be involved
with
> youngsters in a turnstile of destructive behavior."
>
> Mental health experts and others convinced lawmakers that the measure
would
> have a chilling effect on young people seeking care and counseling.
>
> Del. Lionell Spruill Sr. (D-Chesapeake) said: "If you want to get young
kids
> to run away and not to go and seek help," vote for this bill.
>
>
> rodneyc..
>
> If we are to combat the insanity of our world, we need to explore
love,
> self, and each other. Join me in this exploration
>
> When love reigns supreme, then we will see the beauty of our
existence!
>
> Please check out my new series: The Art of Love at the following url:
>
>
>
http://communities.msn.com/TheArtofLovefortheEmotionallyImpaired/_whatsnew
msn
> w
>
> More Generally: My poetry can be found at:
>
> http://gw.cas.muohio.edu/umoja/www.ulbobo.com/umoja/index.html
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