> And if people think there are too many state holidays already, > let's retire > Lee-Jackson Day and inaugurate Emancipation Day/Juneteenth instead. > At the risk of starting an entirely new discussion that could be even more divisive than this one, I have to say that there are too many Virginia residents with ancestors who served under Lee and Jackson (and I am one) who would oppose the retiring of Lee-Jackson Day. Regardless of what one may think of the appropriateness of the holiday, the fact remains that much of the CW was fought on Virginia soil by common farmers--most of whom did not own slaves--who viewed the Federal forces as invaders of their native land. It is these ancestors that most of their descendants today wish to honor--not for their slave owning or defense of it--but for the defense of their state. And Lee-Jackson Day is simply the vehicle for that remembrance. And there are also those with their own agendas who view Lee-Jackson day as a vehicle for re-fighting and re-hashing the Civil War. But there will always be extremists of that type on either side of any argument. ___________________ Donald W. Moore Virginia Beach, Virginia To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html