THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701240018
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 26 lines
On Jan. 20, Virginia celebrated Lee-Jackson-King day. It is only right that these three distinguished gentlemen are relegated to their elevated places in history. The nation has chosen to celebrate Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday, properly befitting the man for his enormous contribution not only to African Americans but to the American people as a whole.
No one can doubt that Martin Luther King's life inspired us all to strive to live together as brothers and sisters and to be tolerant of those with whom we have differences. However, nowhere within the newspaper was there even a mention of the contributions or sacrifices of Generals Lee and Jackson. It's as if the mere mention of their names would somehow embarrass people or detract from the quality of the newspaper. This, indeed, is a shame.
Being a descendant of a family whose members fought and died with the Army of Northern Virginia, it is especially hard to understand your continued omission year after year of any mention of Lee or Jackson. This is our heritage, and you do your readers a disservice.
BRIAN V. CAMDEN
Virginia Beach, Jan. 20, 1997