Harold--

I agree with you that we don't want this discussion to
degenerate into polemics, and we all know how easy that is for
that to happen, even among so moderate and temperate a people
as Virginians :)

As someone charged with teaching Virginia history at the
university level, however, I am very much concerned with
getting a handle on contemporary Virginia history.  In that
sense, anyway, the original comment regarding Senator Allen
and his effort to claim a piece of the Jeffersonian heritage
strikes me as informative.  Virginia is still coming to grips
with its past, in all of its multiple complexities, and I am
very much fascinated by the way in which we are doing so.

Provided we can maintain a civil, polite, and respectful
dialogue, I would welcome very much seeing a continuation of
this conversation.

Warm regards!

Kevin
Kevin R. Hardwick, Ph.D.
Department of History
James Madison University

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