[Vision2020] A Special Thanks to Lois Blackburn

[Not in Our Town]

>From Today's (September 13, 2004) Daily News Letters to the Editor:

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Presentation sends the wrong message 

The Moscow Chamber of Commerce both represents our community and is funded by 
the community. Not only do local businesses support the chamber with their 
dues, but our tax money is allocated to the chamber by the city of Moscow, the 
Moscow School District, the University of Idaho and other public agencies. 

On Aug. 5, Chamber Executive Director Paul Kimmell gave a leadership 
presentation to the chamber Board of Directors that included 17 pages of 
pictures and text on the leadership skills of Gen. Robert E. Lee. The 
Confederate battle flag, known as the "Southern Cross" appears in battle scenes 
on several pages of the handout and is prominently displayed on the final 
page.\~ 

Following the recent divisive struggle about the neo-confederate movement and 
its potential influence in Moscow, we are disturbed that these materials would 
be introduced into a chamber board meeting. The confederate battle flag has 
been flown over Southern state capitols as a statement against federal 
integration orders and has been used by many racist hate groups, including the 
Ku Klux Klan, as a symbol of power and racist sentiment. These facts are part 
of the flag's history. 

While acknowledging Lee is widely recognized to be one of the world's greatest 
military leaders, we find his example for the Moscow Chamber of Commerce an ill-
fit and believe the baggage the controversial confederate battle flag carries 
delivers the wrong message to the Moscow community and the world about who we 
are and whom we wish to make feel welcome here. We urge the Chamber of Commerce 
Board of Directors to make a statement to the public that the use of these 
materials in the context of the Chamber of Commerce is reprehensible. 

We urge community members to vocalize your thoughts on this serious matter. 

Lois Blackburn 

on behalf of the Moscow Civic 

Association Board of Directors 


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