Forwarded Message: > 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 --------------------------------------------- This message was sent using Endymion MailMan. http://www.endymion.com/products/mailman/