Family Security Matters
by Chet Nagle
The deadliest time in United States history was four years of Civil War, when 640,000 Americans were killed or wounded. Over 260,000 of them were Confederate soldiers. In recognition of those appalling losses, southern and northern states named public buildings, parks, and schools for their fallen soldiers. The U.S. Army named facilities for brave Union officers, and even named ten bases for Confederates. But Hollywood now wants to rebrand the Civil War as a progressive event, acceptable to all Americans.
Julianne Moore, an Oscar-winning actress in her late 50s, has edged back into the publicity spotlight by petitioning Virginia’s Fairfax County Public School Board to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School to Thurgood Marshall High School. In defense of her petition she and her producer friend wrote that they felt they had to apologize for the school’s name “our whole lives.” It seems, however, that not everyone in the Fairfax community sympathizes.
At a meeting at the J.E.B. Stuart High School in late May, county officials listened to differing opinions on the name change issue. Local news station WTOP reported the meeting, noting that petitions have also been created against changing the name, and that school alumnus Paul Clarke said, “When you start changing names and revising history just because somebody doesn’t like that particular name I think you can run into some real trouble.”
In a survey to test how the community felt about a change, 56 percent said the name should not be changed. “Hopefully they’ll leave the name the way it is,” Clark added.
Socialism is not the Answer 