Tag: Donald Smith
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“Too Thin”
by Donald Smith The Virginia Military Institute’s hands were tied, it seems. It tried for months to justify leaving an inscription of Stonewall Jackson’s name on an arch at the Old Barracks on VMI’s Main Post. But the school’s leadership couldn’t find a way, so it chose… to take a sandblaster to the National Historic…
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“Retained and Contextualized” at VMI
by Donald Smith The Stonewall-Jackson-statue-at-VMI controversy is one of many, both in Virginia and across the country, where communities and their elected/appointed representatives have grappled with tough questions: how do we honor past heroes in modern times? Do we continue to honor them at all? When do the feelings of a minority of a community…
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No Clear and Compelling Justification
by Donald Smith Governor Northam’s November speech to the VMI cadet corps has been widely panned for many reasons. Here I offer a new reason: The speech violated a cardinal principle of American leadership: you must be able to articulate compelling reasons for your decisions and actions. When Northam spoke to the assembled Corps of…
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A Theme for Youngkin: Lend Us Your Vote
by Donald Smith To all those who will vote in November, especially those who are thinking of voting Republican for the first time. You may only lend us your vote. You may not see yourself as a natural Republican. Your hand may quiver over the ballot, as you debate whether to put your mark in…
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Save the Jackson Arch
By Donald Smith This past summer, Washington and Lee University decided to keep Robert E. Lee’s name as part of the college’s name. Sentiment to keep Lee’s name was strong in and around Lexington. “Retain The Name” signs were commonplace. It’s not too late to trot those signs out again, to retain — or save,…
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Understanding the Jackson Statue Controversy
by Donald Smith Perhaps you’ve noticed the discussion over the past year about the banishment… er, sorry, removal… of Stonewall Jackson’s statue from the Virginia Military Institute’s Main Post. Well, here’s another contribution. I will make the case that the powers-that-be behind the excision of Jackson’s memory from VMI weren’t trying to help the institute.…
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Paperwork Is for the Little People
by Donald Smith This is a story of two political candidates, from two different parties, and the standard that should –but almost assuredly won’t — be applied to both. The candidates are Terry McAuliffe, Democrat, running for governor of Virginia in 2021, and Nick Freitas, Republican, running for the House of Delegates in 2019. The…
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Monuments to Bravery and Sacrifice, Not White Supremacy
by Donald Smith My family has lived in western Virginia since the mid-1800s. Six relatives — my great-grandfather, four great-uncles and great-great grandfather — served in the Confederate Army. Five were in the same unit, the 14th Virginia Cavalry. The sixth was in the 25th Virginia Infantry. (We suspect he couldn’t find a horse.) In…
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Out of Many, Weakness
by Donald Smith John Hay, Abraham Lincoln’s press secretary, wrote that Stonewall Jackson’s temperament and personality reminded him of John Brown. Hay didn’t mean that as a complement. But he did have a point. Jackson was an eccentric. At times he looked silly — sucking a lemon, wearing a beaten uniform, losing control of his…
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Extirpation of Memory
by Donald Smith In deciding which Confederate iconography should remain visible at the Virginia Military Institute, the school’s Commemorations and Memorials Naming and Review sub-committee (CMNRC) identified four major items of commemoration to Stonewall Jackson at the Main Post. Most famously, there was the statue sculpted by VMI alumnus and Battle of New Market veteran…
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Disrespecting Stonewall Jackson Dishonors All Those Who Fought Under Him
by Donald Smith When we think about wars, we often think of the great commanders who led the armies and navies that fought those wars. Mention World War II, and names like Eisenhower, Halsey, Rommel and Yamamoto come to mind. If you think of the American Revolution, quickly you’ll find yourself thinking of Washington, Cornwallis,…
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Why the Need to Slant Stonewall Jackson’s Legacy?
by Donald Smith If you were asked to describe Stonewall Jackson in just a few words, what would you say? Apparently the Washington Post would say — an enslaver of six people. Ian Shapira, a member of the Washington Post’s Metro section, is the paper’s most prolific writer on the ongoing controversy at VMI over allegations of…