[Vision2020] Moles and Mole Hills

Thu Jul 12 17:42:44 PDT 2012

Flags, of all kinds and sorts, illicit strong emotional responses from people. They are meant to. That is why they are created. So when they are presented I think great care needs to be taken. While I think that this display could have done a better job of displaying is a less prominate manner and teaching about the Confederate flag, it also could have done a lot worse.

When I was a kid, my Dad was stationed on the east coast from 85-88. I lived in Virginia. So I saw a lot of Confederate flags. In Virginia, and many parts of the South, as kids we didn't play cops and robbers, or cowboys and Indians, we played Yankees and Rebels, often on land where Civil War battles were actually fought. Some of my friends had the whole getup of Confederate solider. A replica uniform, gun, and yes, even a hat with the Confederate flag on it. In fact, some of my friends didn't have just replica buttons, pins, and insignias of confederate soldiers, but in fact had real ones handed down from their family that fought for the South in the Civil.

Having been born in Idaho, and raised all of my years in the west until 85, I felt the same way most Westerns, Northerners, and people of African descent feel now, that the Confederate flag was nothing but a symbol of slavery. So, of course I prodded my friends and others in Virginia about this feeling. Most of them told me something I had not thought about. That they felt pride in their southern heritage, and that slavery and mistreatment of blacks was a shameful part of their past. They also reminded me that under the opposing United States Flag at the time, twelve million Indians had been murdered, raped, beaten, tortured, and kicked off their land. Native Americans had actually taken up arms with the Confederacy because they believed the Union US Flag was a symbol of oppression, bigotry, and hate. Can we say they were wrong?

We all have the right to feel how we do about about a flag. They are our feelings. But none of us have the right to tell others how we must feel about a flag. The US is a wonderful nation. But we must also realize it is not perfect, and not to judge everyone else for their trespasses against others as we have trespassed too against others. 

A Southerner can feel pride in their southern roots, and culture while at the same time feeling shame for their trespasses against blacks, just as someone can feel pride in the US Flag, but also shame and humiliation for its treatment of Indians and others. 

Donovan J. Arnold

From: Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com>
To: Wayne Price <bear at moscow.com> 
Cc: Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com>; "Spettersen at latah.id.us" <Spettersen at latah.id.us>; "'tstroschein at latah.id.us" <'tstroschein at latah.id.us> 
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 5:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Moles and Mole Hills

Display of the Confederate flag, and what it represents, is WRONG regardless of what lame excuse is used to display it!

No commemoration of those of Latah County who fought in Iraq And Afghanistan (i.e. 126th Engineer Company), but, by ALL means, let's go back 150 years on the calendar for an excuse to display the Confederate Flag.

Jeesh!

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"If not us, who?
If not now, when?"

- Unknown

On Jul 12, 2012, at 15:55, Wayne Price <bear at moscow.com> wrote:

YES, you were up there, I thought you would have read the display. 
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>He settled after the Civil War in LATAH COUNTY, and is buried in VIOLA, which is also in LATAH County, enough of a link?
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>Enough of a link?
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>On Jul 12, 2012, at 3:44 PM, Tom Hansen wrote:
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>Care to explain the link between the Union officer (not from Latah County) that was held in the Confederate prison and Latah County?  This would certainly explain a conceivable reason for the display in the LATAH COUNTY Courthouse.
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>>Seeya round town, Moscow.
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>>Tom Hansen
>>Moscow, Idaho
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>>"If not us, who?
>>If not now, when?"
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>>- Unknown
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>>On Jul 12, 2012, at 15:31, Wayne Price <bear at moscow.com> wrote:
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>>Vision 2020 readers..... 
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>>>I've been following this discussion since it started this morning, and decided that before I wrote anything, I'd go up and take a look at the historic display in question to see for myself what all the fuss is about and if it's a substantial issue. I took a look, and it is, in my opinion, a tempest in a tea pot!
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>>>The focus of the display is primarily about a UNION CIVIL WAR officer that was captured by the Confederates and held at Andersonville Prison during the Civil War! The Confederate flag 
>>>is, again in my opinion, incidental to the story of someone buried in Latah County and is a war veteran. 
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>>>Much ado about NOTHING 
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>>>Wayne M. Price
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>>>On Jul 12, 2012, at 3:17 PM, Sue Hovey wrote:
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>>>Hi everybody I just talked with Jennifer Barrett. Haven't seen Tom's pictures but she thought it was part of a historical display about certain battles. She thinks  the Historical Society is responsible for the maintenance of the case. If it's a historical display from the 1860s the Confederate flag may be perfectly appropriate to the display. 
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>>>>Sent from my iPhone
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>>>>On Jul 12, 2012, at 2:54 PM, "Rosemary Huskey" <donaldrose at cpcinternet.com> wrote:
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>>>>Hi guys,
>>>>>I called the courthouse – thanks for the photos, Tom.  I spoke to the auditor’s office where I had hoped to reach Susan Petersen.  Ms. Petersen, who is out of the office is in sole charge of the display case.  No one else appears to know who or what group is responsible for the display.  I encourage all V2020 subscribers who share our concern about what is clearly a celebration of the Confederacy lodge a complaint or query (or, if you are a jackass a pat on the back) to Susan at :
>>>>>Spettersen at latah.id.us .  I also think a conversation with your country commissioner representative is in order.  Unfortunately they are not answering their central phone line at the moment. They can be reached:
>>>>>Commissioners:
>>>>>Jennifer Barrett, Chair, District I, jbarrett<image001.gif> 
>>>>>Tom Stroschein, District II, tstroschein<image001.gif> 
>>>>>Dave McGraw, District III, dmcgraw<image001.gif> 
>>>>>If you don’t know your District, send the message to Ms. Barrett.
>>>>>Rose Huskey
>>>>> 
>>>>>From:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Scott Dredge
>>>>>Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 1:59 PM
>>>>>To: thansen at moscow.com; viz
>>>>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Welcome to Confederate Latah County . . .
>>>>> 
>>>>>Tom,
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>>>>>Was there any information regarding this display.  Something like 'Donated by [insert church name of your choosing] to commemorate the greatest civilization in the history of the world where slaves and their owners shared genuine affection for each other and made God smile'?
>>>>>
>>>>>-Scott
>>>>>From: thansen at moscow.com
>>>>>Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:17:45 -0700
>>>>>To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>Subject: [Vision2020] Welcome to Confederate Latah County . . .
>>>>>
>>>>> 
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>>>>>Seeya round town, Moscow. Tom Hansen Moscow, Idaho "If not us, who? If not now, when?" - Unknown
>>>>>======================================================= List services made available by First Step Internet, serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. http://www.fsr.net/ mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com =======================================================
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>>>>List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>>>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
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>>=======================================================
>>>List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>>              http://www.fsr.net/
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>
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>List services made available by First Step Internet,
>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>              http://www.fsr.net/
>         mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>=======================================================
=======================================================
List services made available by First Step Internet,
serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
              http://www.fsr.net/
          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
=======================================================
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