Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Then They Came for the Gravestones

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by

James A. Bacon
in ,

Photo credits: Mike Dickinson

Vandals this weekend overturned numerous memorials and markers in Hollywood Cemetery, a historical cemetery overlooking the James River that is closely identified with the Old South. The historical graveyard, opened in 1847, is the final resting place of presidents James Monroe and John Tyler, six Virginia governors, two U.S. Supreme Court justices, and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and it has a monument to 18,000 Confederate enlisted men buried nearby.

Visitors discovered the damage Saturday morning. Destruction of the markers occurred in the “President’s Circle,” where Monroe and Tyler are buried.

The identity and motives of the vandals are not known, but the destruction follows a wave of vandalism and graffiti directed against the Confederate memorials and statues this summer. Cemetery officials have filed a police report and the matter “is under investigation,” reports WTVR. As of 3:30 p.m. Sunday, The Richmond Times-Dispatch had not yet acknowledged the incident.

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39 responses to “Then They Came for the Gravestones”

  1. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    Happens.

    How headstones from a historic Black DC cemetery wound up along the Potomac River in Virginia

    https://farmaciacapdelavila.com/how-headstones-from-a-historic-black-dc-cemetery-wound-up-along-the-potomac-river-in-virginia.html

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3c06dbe2eca4b200fbc4bb3e10712d5cce323cbd8e4d3f4b5ced3035ede09517.jpg

    1. CJBova Avatar
      CJBova

      One wrong never justifies another.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        tis totally true – but the headstones of some in our society have been routinely abused and disrespected… for decades.

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          If it were just their headstones, but burning of their churches with little girls in them gives greater latitude.

      2. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        Odd… what then is the death penalty?

  2. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    I have numerous kinsmen buried here. I guess I am going to have ride down and see if those stones were damaged. There would be a national outrage if this happened to Arlington.

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      Would there be? I’d hope so. Larry would excuse I’m sure….

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        Oh geeze. It’s a terrible act no matter who or what but we do have differing sensibilities about it depending on “who” was desecrated, right?

        We have had up Fredericksburg way, over the years, desecration of gravestone, in the Confederate cemetery, in the NPS cemetery, in Church cemeteries, etc…

        This is only a partisan “culture” issue to those who can’t or won’t think otherwise.

        There are ignorant people in this world that do hateful stuff… been doin it ..for a long time.

        1. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          “…but we do have differing sensibilities about it depending on “who” was desecrated, right?”

          Once again, Larry, please speak only for yourself.

          This particular member of “we” makes no distinction. I think every instance of grave desecration should be investigated and I think everyone who desecrates graves deserves a jail term.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I do too but it has been my perspective that has not happened that way over time. Seems like many, many African American graves and cemeteries have been “desecrated” without all the “fru fru” that happens when “Confederate” and white folks cemeteries have been desecrated.

            They might get a note in the paper but nothing like the “outrage” seen for others. Again, my perspective over time.

      2. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        Didn’t realize Larry supported toppling stones… or governments.

    2. DJRippert Avatar
      DJRippert

      There is always at least one soldier at Arlington guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Something tells me that the cowards who toppled the stones in Richmond would have no interest in a confrontation with an armed soldier.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        Well, like said earlier, in my neck of the woods, this kind of thing happens… seem like almost every year a bunch of hooligans looking for something to do with some spare time and some six packs will roll up on some cemetery and do their thing.

        Mostly reported in the paper as an act of vandalizing rather than desecrating the headstones of heroes or some such.

        It’s surely a desecration and disrespect to the dead and their stones but these kinds of folks that do this kind of thing seem to be always with us. Not usually a particular flavor of political or philosophical ignorance, just ignorance.

        1. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
          James Wyatt Whitehead

          You won’t mind if they push over your tombstone will you?

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Well probably no since I’m a “dust-to-dust” guy! 😉 But for those that do want to be buried and have a headstone, I respect their wishes and have nothing but contempt for anyone who would vandalize them – for any reason. Some of it is just mindless vandalism and sometimes, some of it is about making some statement about race or history or similar. It’s an outrage no matter who or for what reason but again, we have had these folks that do these things among us for as long as we ourselves have been here. I have no problem at all ripping the culprits a new butt in community service and $$$.

            But myself – not going into the ground as a body but ashes instead and probably on a river somewhere.

          2. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
            James Wyatt Whitehead

            How in the world is the Lord going to find you to raise up if your scattered across Spotsylvania County? I hear you Mr. Larry. Many folks prefer dust to dust now. I will put up a stone for you anyways. For about 25 bucks I can make you one. I think we need to mark that we were here once. Vandals and desecration of graveyards seems to be more common now. I remember when it happened in Fredericksburg and Warrenton Cemetery was hit a few years ago as well. They never did find the culprits.

          3. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            James – if there is a God and I do believe there is, he won’t need a headstone – I have faith in that. Many vandals are either young folks doing stupid stuff they’ll be ashamed of later or older folks who have hate and discontent in their hearts towards another race or others that are not their kind.

            Either way – hate and ignorance are not confined to liberals or conservatives or any other group – it’s the same illness no matter color or ethinicity , etc.

          4. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
            James Wyatt Whitehead

            Your probably right about this Mr. Larry. I always thought Mel Blanc, aka Bugs Bunny had the best line on a tombstone.
            https://www.askideas.com/media/27/Man-Of-1000-Voices-Funny-Tombstone-Picture.jpg

          5. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            If he does, he’s got a waaay bigger problem.

        2. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          “Mostly reported in the paper as an act of vandalizing rather than desecrating the headstones of heroes or some such.”

          Yes. And this article reported it as an act of vandalism. So why have you been implying the coverage is somehow different from that of similar acts performed in other cemeteries?

        3. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          “Mostly reported in the paper as an act of vandalizing rather than desecrating the headstones of heroes or some such.”

          Yes. And this article reported it as an act of vandalism. So why have you been implying the coverage is somehow different from that of similar acts performed in other cemeteries?

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            re: “then they came for the headstones” ….” The identity and motives of the vandals are not known, but the destruction follows a wave of vandalism and graffiti directed against the Confederate memorials and statues this summer. ”

            got something on your mind or just bored again?

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            re: “then they came for the headstones” ….” The identity and motives of the vandals are not known, but the destruction follows a wave of vandalism and graffiti directed against the Confederate memorials and statues this summer. ”

            got something on your mind or just bored again?

  3. CJBova Avatar
    CJBova

    Wonder if the lack of news coverage is from reduced staff on a Sunday, or a choice to overlook the desecration.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      ..

  4. Stephen Haner Avatar
    Stephen Haner

    Thousand and one, thousand and two, thousand and three…..counting the seconds until somebody blames Trump…..

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Not his fault you’re rudderless.

    2. PassTheBuckBureaucrat Avatar
      PassTheBuckBureaucrat

      This is George Bush’s fault

  5. James A. Bacon Avatar
    James A. Bacon

    Around 10:00 p.m. Sunday night, Mayor Levar M. Stoney issued a statement on the desecration of the graves at Hollywood Cemetery: “This weekend’s desecration at Hollywood Cemetery is morally wrong. Disturbing final resting places is contemptible, criminal and will not be tolerated.”

    Good for Stoney. I guess that gives the RTD, which at 10:14 p.m. had yet to publish a story about the desecrations on Richmond.com, license to finally acknowledge what happened.

  6. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    200 years of slavery, 100 years of Jim Crow, 70 years of open season by cops, and 243 voter suppression laws in 3 months.

    Oops. Somebody went too far

  7. disqus_VYLI8FviCA Avatar
    disqus_VYLI8FviCA

    I wonder why those crackerjack reporters at the RTD missed this? Maybe it doesn’t fit their cheerleading agenda.

  8. James A. Bacon Avatar
    James A. Bacon

    As of March 15, still no acknowledgement from the Richmond Times-Dispatch that this vandalism occurred.

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      Had it been a Jewish cemetery, a historic African American cemetery I can honestly say I would have just as disgusted or outraged, just as eager to see the perps punished. The RTD’s lack of interest is telling.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        Ah yes, now we can add NEWS POLICE ! 😉

      2. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
        James Wyatt Whitehead

        Evergreen Cemetery in Richmond has received extensive attention from RTD from the past and rightly so. I always viewed Hollywood and Evergreen as bookends of final resting places for historic Virginians.
        https://enrichmond.org/evergreen-cemetery/

      3. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        “Had it been a Jewish cemetery, a historic African American cemetery I can honestly say I would have just as disgusted or outraged, ”

        And probably wouldn’t have heard about it at all.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          EXACTLY –

        2. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
          James Wyatt Whitehead

          That might have been true in the past. But now AA cemeteries are getting the attention and respect they deserve. I remember visiting the Belmont slave graveyard back in the 1990s before hardly anyone was aware of it’s existence. Now it is restored and carefully maintained. I hope more communities will take pride in this.
          https://patch.com/virginia/ashburn/african-american-historical-cemetery-loudoun-desecrated

  9. Fred Costello Avatar
    Fred Costello

    These acts are inspired by the hatred that the main-stream-media has generated. Hatred of Trump has expanded to hatred of our traditional culture. The signs that “Hatred has no home here” always make me think, as I watch the destruction in Seattle, that hatred left home and is now in the streets.

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