Pam, I know exactly what you are saying about the grave of one of our greatest generals not being as important as someone else, but that is just a way of life. What we have to do is not fight it, because that is a lost battle from the start!! But continue what we are doing, and hundreds like us, and that is preserving all the graves, markers, and monuments that we can. Our next step is to make sure that our kids and grandkids and even great grandkids, realize how important it is to preserve the graves of not only our ancestors, but those graves of others who may not have anyone left to take care of theirs. The memory of the Confederate men and women who fought, struggled, and died for what they believed has to be preserved in all ways possible. My granddaughter is 15, a freshman in high school in Alabama. Last month I took her to get her learners drivers license. The ring tone on my cell phone is DIXIE, so while we were in the courthouse, I told her I needed to turn my cell phone off, her reply was "yeah that old banjo music" I ask her if she knew what song that was, her reply " I don't know, but it is an old banjo song" So here I am in the middle of a county court house, having to explain what the song was. There was a lady sitting next to me, with her daughter who happened to go to the same school as my granddaughter. She asked me if I ever went to any football games there anymore. I told her I had not been since my grandsons played there and graduated several years ago. She said last year they were in a really close game and all of a sudden our band struck up DIXIE, she said she was afraid there was going to be a war. When I was in high school (years ago) our band played DIXIE at least 4 times a game, and as soon as they started, EVERYONE in the stands stood up. Played one time last year, none this year, and it had been years since it had been played, compared to a minimum of 4 times a game for a minimum of 10 games per year. So where I am going with this is I graduated in 1965, or in 47 years we have come from standing for DIXIE several times a game, to not playing it but once a decade. The same thing is happening to our ancestors graves, soon there will be no one left to care for them at the rate we are going now.
You are to be commended for the work you do in the cemeteries there, and to bring your grand kids and get them interested is GREAT!!!!!! I have 20 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. I am extremely proud of all of them, most are into sports, or the Beta club or church. But few are willing to go with PawPaw for a couple hours to a cemetery 50 miles away. But they expect PawPaw to be at their volleyball, football, basketball, softball, baseball, rugby games, and their drama club plays, even if they are 100 miles away. A couple of them will go every once in a while, my wife goes with me when she can, and she has gotten to where she can spot a confederate grave marker from one side of the cemetery to the other. So I guess what all this is trying to say is: with the things that we grew up with, the battle flag, DIXIE, and being taught about the war and its causes, are all gone. And our kids and grandkids are not taking a part in what we are doing to preserve our heritage so it may become lost forever probably as early as during our childrens life time. Keep doing what you are doing, and get everyone you know involved, and this goes for everyone that reads this post. Talk to the SCV and UDC groups in your area, try to stir them up and get them out there doing all they can, and get them to get other groups and even their friends and family out there. It is not a lost cause yet, but the end could be in sight. email me at taw87ga@gmail.com
I know this rambled on and on, but when I was a kid coming up, if I showed any disrespect for anyone my senior, I would not have been able to sit down for a few days, but that is also gone. Maybe that is what is wrong in the world now, no more good old fashioned butt whoopins, my daddy's way of giving me a little attitude adjustment, which must have worked because I have never been in trouble, worked the same job for 30+ years, have 7 great kids. And to top that off it did not kill me, nor did it do any damage to me other than hurt my pride and my posterior briefly.