VA Civil War reenactors to stand guard at Hollywood Cemetery following Confederate vandalism

CMWinkler

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Civil War reenactors to stand guard at Hollywood Cemetery following Confederate vandalism

Posted 1:13 pm, July 7, 2015, by Scott Wise


Civil War reenactors 18th Va. Company G (PHOTOS: Damion Brooks)

RICHMOND, Va. — Following vandalism reported at Confederate monuments around Richmond, and the South, a group of Civil War reenactors has planned to stand guard at Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery this weekend. In addition to the final resting places of United States presidents James Monroe and John Tyler, the cemetery is also where president of the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis and his family are buried. Hollywood Cemetery also has a large monument for 18,000 Confederate soldiers buried there.

More: http://wtvr.com/2015/07/07/hollywood-cemetery-standing-guard/
 
I really wish they'd decided to patrol dressed in modern clothing, armed with a flashlight and a cell phone. Adding the symbolism of uniforms to this already heady mix seems ill advised. Also showing up with guns of any sort is a poor idea right now. I do not approve of vandalism in any way, but the best deterrent is presence.
 
I really wish they'd decided to patrol dressed in modern clothing, armed with a flashlight and a cell phone. Adding the symbolism of uniforms to this already heady mix seems ill advised. Also showing up with guns of any sort is a poor idea right now. I do not approve of vandalism in any way, but the best deterrent is presence.
Could not agree more. Carrying a weapon probably loaded with blanks to beat all doesn't sound like the best or smartest idea. Plain cloths unarmed would be the way to go, IMO.
 
Good for them. Our family visited there this spring.
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Reenactors are NOT soldiers nor trained law enforcement. One should not get swept up in the idea that one is somehow special because he/she wears uncomfortable wool clothes and carries a reproduction musket.

I can understand watching over a site in civilian clothes with a cellphone and a flashlight (hopefully in pairs) in cooperation with local law enforcement and with the blessing of local government officials.

But in reenacting clothes?

Tragedy just waiting to happen.

Sincerely,
Unionblue
 
Hmmmm

"We are doing this because we are outraged that the ‘equality’ battle is still an issue in today’s society."

What does that mean?
 
Reenactors are NOT soldiers nor trained law enforcement. One should not get swept up in the idea that one is somehow special because he/she wears uncomfortable wool clothes and carries a reproduction musket.

I can understand watching over a site in civilian clothes with a cellphone and a flashlight (hopefully in pairs) in cooperation with local law enforcement and with the blessing of local government officials.

But in reenacting clothes?

Tragedy just waiting to happen.

Sincerely,
Unionblue
Agreed. I understand the idea of protecting a cemetery from vandals, but if someone were to attempt to vandalize the cemetery and these reenactors were to attempt to prevent it, the situation ends badly and with injury or loss of life. Just not a good idea.
 
Agreed. I understand the idea of protecting a cemetery from vandals, but if someone were to attempt to vandalize the cemetery and these reenactors were to attempt to prevent it, the situation ends badly and with injury or loss of life. Just not a good idea.
Agreed. I can see so many ways this could go wrong. I wouldn't go within 20 miles of it. Playing cop equals a bad idea. Community watch would be okay, as long as its monitoring in groups, with phones to call the police. If something were to go wrong and someone, especially a minority were to get hurt in the current social state, it would be like dropping napalm on a dry forest in the fall. If people really are tired of this and think its getting out of hand, which I do agree it is, they need to be very careful in this situation, or the end result will be the opposite of what they're looking for.
 
Hmmmm

"We are doing this because we are outraged that the ‘equality’ battle is still an issue in today’s society."

What does that mean?
Yeah, that falls squarely under "don't help." It certainly appears to be a carefully worded racist statement - if it's not intended that way I have no idea what he did mean - and adds nothing to the situation. Now is not the time for cryptic statements about race which can easily be misread.
 
i take no issue with reenactors wanting to "guard" these sites. i see it as a form of protest, but i think it will only get its point across if federal reenacting units are also involved along side of those dressed in gray, and use it as an oppotunity to educate and not do it just to make people mad. i am a federal reenactor, and i'm prepared to go to memphis to defend the grave of Forrest if that time comes. whether i agree with him, the south, or their politics of the time means nothing today. you don't desicrate a grave no matter who they are or what they did.
 
i take no issue with reenactors wanting to "guard" these sites. i see it as a form of protest, but i think it will only get its point across if federal reenacting units are also involved along side of those dressed in gray, and use it as an oppotunity to educate and not do it just to make people mad. i am a federal reenactor, and i'm prepared to go to memphis to defend the grave of Forrest if that time comes. whether i agree with him, the south, or their politics of the time means nothing today. you don't desicrate a grave no matter who they are or what they did.

I am of the opinion there are some things worth risking your life for, even to die for. My family, my wife, my daughter, my grandchildren, even my nation comes to mind.

However, I would not dress up in a Union uniform, carry a repro musket loaded with blanks to defend a graveyard at night or even to prevent the defacement of the Lincoln Memorial, if it meant putting my life at risk.

This situation desperately wants someone to use their common sense and use an actual sense of proportion.

Getting permission of the local government entities involved, securing permission of the local police, investing money in security cameras from concerned citizens, patrols of volunteers in civilian clothing with communications and in groups, more lighting of the area, but for GOD's sake, not reenactors with fake weapons and period costume!

If you want to look for a fight, just go downtown to a bar and start one and be honest that's what you want to do. If you want to protect monuments from vandals, not just for a weekend or two, take some serious, thoughtful steps that will help in the long term.

Adults should do something like that, don't you all agree?

Seriously,
Unionblue
 
Unionblue, you're right, but the problem is that the adults tasked with enforcing the law have apparently abdicated their willingness to do so.

Allie,

No, I don't think that is the problem at all.

The adults/police enforcing the law have other priorities, such as murder, theft, robberies, etc., that take precedence over monuments of stone defaced by idiots. They are a low priority and considering crimes against people, I'm glad they are.

The point is, a group of reenactors in period uniforms with repro weapons are just about as effective as having people who dress up as circus or rodeo clowns trying to 'defend' those monuments.

All I am saying, if there are groups of citizens who are serious about trying to prevent the defacement of monuments, they should use their brains and common sense and do it in the manner I have posted above.

Something about dressing up as pretend soldiers with fake weapons does not sound very adult to me, but instead sounds like folks who are swept up in emotion vice real concern about helping to solve the problem.

Sincerely,
Unionblue
 
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