New, Improved Proclamation? More on the Subject….

MoonHowler

Here is the new proclamation issued by Governor McDonnell.  The bold is mine:

Confederate History Month

WHEREAS,  April is the month in which the people of Virginia joined the Confederate States of America in a four year war between the states for independence that concluded at Appomattox Courthouse; and

WHEREAS, Virginia has long recognized her Confederate history, the numerous civil war battlefields that mark every  region of the state, the leaders and individuals in the Army, Navy and at home who fought for their homes and communities and Commonwealth in a time very different than ours today; and

WHEREAS,  it is important for all Virginians to reflect upon our Commonwealth’s  shared history, to understand the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens during the period of the Civil War, and to recognize how our history has led to our present; and

WHEREAS, it is important for all Virginians to understand that the institution of slavery led to this war and was an evil and inhumane practice that deprived people of their God-given inalienable rights and all Virginians are thankful for its permanent eradication from our borders, and the study of this time period should reflect upon and learn from this painful part of our history; and

WHEREAS, Confederate historical sites such as the White House of the Confederacy are open for people to visit in Richmond today; and

WHEREAS, all Virginians can appreciate the fact that when ultimately overwhelmed by the insurmountable numbers and resources of the Union Army, the surviving, imprisoned and injured Confederate soldiers gave their word and allegiance to the United States of America, and returned to their homes and families to rebuild their communities in peace, following the instruction of General Robert E. Lee of Virginia, who wrote that, “…all should unite in honest efforts to obliterate the effects of war and to restore the blessings of peace.”; and

WHEREAS,   this defining chapter in Virginia’s history should not be forgotten, but instead should be studied, understood and remembered by all Virginians, both in the context of the time in which it took place, but also in the context of the time in which we live, and this study and remembrance takes on particular importance as the Commonwealth prepares to welcome the nation and the world to visit Virginia for the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the Civil War, a four-year period in which the exploration of our history can benefit all;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert McDonnell, do hereby recognize April 2010 as CONFEDERATE HISTORY MONTH in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Is the inserted paragraph an improvement or did it make matters worse?   The Proclamation was issued at the request of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.  Did any of them stop to think about the unintended consequences of this blunder?

I am not happy with the new paragraph buried within the ‘whereases.’    It sounds to me too much like the Governor is now saying slavery was the cause of the Civil War.  Many historians, including those with Sons of the Confederate Veterans, would probably find that statement erroneous.  Slavery was certainly factor, a strong factor in Civil War causes, but most folks agree that it was not the only cause.

We should acknowledge the Civil War as we enter the sesquicentennial time period.  However, we need to talk about it with the sensitivity of 2010.  And I have to say it, white people simply cannot tell black people how to feel about slavery.  They just don’t have standing or the ‘right stuff.’  This situation is living proof why the heritage of Virginia cannot ever become political.  Perhaps it simply is not up to government to keep our history alive.

UPDATE: Governor Wilder’s radio interview

Read Governor Wilders Proclamation from April, 1990.

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Reverend Barbie? Barbie Ordained!

MoonHowler

What will this girl think of next? Not bad for a lady born in 1959. Barbie has been ordained as an Episcopalian Priest. This move is a 2nd career for Miss Barbie. A little bio from the Deacon’s Bench (which is a Roman Catholic site):

The 11.5-inch-tall fictional graduate of Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, Calif., has donned a cassock and surplice and is rector at St. Barbara’s-by-the-Sea in (where else?) Malibu, Calif.

She arrived at the church fully accessorized, as is Barbie’s custom. Her impeccably tailored ecclesiastical vestments include various colored chasubles (the sleeveless vestments worn at Mass) for every liturgical season, black clergy shirt with white collar, neat skirt and heels, a laptop with prepared sermon and a miniature, genuine Bible.

Apparently a devotee of the “smells and bells” of High Church tradition, the Rev. Barbie even has a tiny thurible, a metal vessel used for sending clouds of incense wafting toward heaven.

The Rev. Barbie, who in less than a week had drawn nearly 3,000 friends on her Facebook page, spends most of her time in the office of the Rev. Dena Cleaver-Bartholomew, rector of Christ (Episcopal) Church, in Manlius, N.Y., near Syracuse.

The Episcopalian Church began ordaining women in 1976.  A handful of women were ordained before then but it wasn’t with the official sanction of the Episcopalian Church.  The current leader of the church is Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, a real gutsy lady who is not without controversy.   The American Episcopalian Church has undergone what many would consider  a schism  because of its official position on ordaining women and the role of gays in the church.  I hope Barbie knows she is stepping in to a hornet’s nest. 

Apparently Reverend Barbie isn’t for sale yet.  Perhaps she will never be.  The Mattel site sure isn’t featuring her.  If there is enough interest, perhaps Mattel will ‘ordain’ her for sale.  Should action figure dolls become religious figures?  Today we have Reverend Barbie.  There were rumors of Burka Barbie.  Do we next have Taliban Ken?  Rabbi Joe?  Father What-a-Waste?  Ayatollah Andy, G. I. Jesus?   Where do we stop?  Does having a ‘doll of the cloth’ cheapen religion or does it enhance it?

 

Barbie History