I've been avoiding responding to anything on this board for a spell. Found myself getting too emotionally attached to the subjects. And the responses I got to my posts just got me more "disturbed". I'm sure there are a few that regularly work this board that will shoot at me again from behind their keyboards.

The subject of the Museum of The Comfederacy and it's constant problems with visitation, the encroachment of Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia, the difficulties of access, etc., etc., etc., is nothing more than a cry of "WE NEED MORE MONEY". The easy answer to this problem, like so many of us run into, including our own Federal Government, is to stop spending more money than you have. It's obvious from your posts that you are unaware of this problem and the associated organizations that have tried to help with the financial difficulties on display at the MOC. MOC Director Waite Rawls is the worst enemy and scalawag that the MOC has ever embraced. The place is run like The Country Club of Virginia. Need to have a black tie dinner, write the check....need to shmooze some possible donors for contributions, write the check....need more staff, hire them and write the check. Don't EVEN try to blame the SCV and the UDC for not acting to help keep this establishment the Southern Shrine that it is. We have been fighting with the MOC for years. Political correctness has shown it's face at 1201 East Clay Street for the last few years as it has across this country. You say you visit the MOC, but that it's hard to find and difficult to park near. There is an 8 story parking deck right next to it. Yes it's shared with MCV/VCU. But most visitors to the museum come on the weekends and parking is usually less of a problem. I have lived in and around Richmond for 25+ years and I have visited the museum HUNDREDS of times. It's not a problem getting there or parking. I have NEVER been turned away from a visit to the MOC because I couldn't park. People visit every known monument and building in Washington DC everyday. Have you ever tried driving or parking there? It's a problem with the management. One thing you must understand about the MOC and their collection. The majority of the artifacts housed there are ON LOAN from private individuals. They don't belong to Waite Rawls even though he might lead you to believe otherwise. It's time that the Southerners that own these items stood up and demanded accountability for their priceless items. And maybe some, like JEB Stuart IV should maybe hold on to their dear history and stop auctioning it off at Heritage Auctions to perpetuate his own and his children's lifestyles. If you want to know the truth about the display of Southern History and memorabilia you need to dig a little deeper than the "lifestyle" section of your local newspaper. And just for the record.....battleflags were just that. Flags that flew on the battlefield and marked positions of troops on these fields. Battleflags were not intended to be and were not flown over buildings, especially Statehouses. Read up on flags and know that the Confederacy had three versions of a national flag as it evolved. If you want to fly a flag put up the third national version. It was the flag adopted by The Confederate Government early in 1865 to be displayed on public, private, and government buildings. And if you are planning a visit to Richmond and have The National Civil War Center on you schedule, prepare to have your visit hampered by area construction and hourly parking fees as well as another racially biased view of the Confederacy that the National Park Service is serving up these days. That "letter" that was discussed in another thread on this board a few days back concerning the new Gettysburg Visitors Center/Museum was written by a good friend of mine in Suffolk, Virginia. An SCV member, a N-SSA participant, and a sometime reenactor that has seen our history constantly glossed over and is tired of it. Don't let the newspaper supply your only view of situations regarding our heritage. Here in Richmond we refer to our paper as "The Richmond Crimes Disgrace".

Keith

Virginia born and bred, former SCV member, and active living historian and reenactor.