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Ignorant shoppers should not win this war

Orange County residents and the Wal-Mart decision, by Michael Aubrecht

Date published: 5/21/2009

LATELY, I AM becoming more and more irritat- ed--and frankly, alarmed--at how utterly ignorant many of the residents of Orange County are. I'm speaking specifically of those outspoken residents who are rallying in the local press against preservationist groups trying to curb the construction of a Wal-Mart near the Wilderness battlefield.

They write letters to the paper and accuse the Civil War Preservation Trust and historians of spreading false information. They smugly turn up their noses at those from the "outside" who are attempting to save an important part of their county, referring to them as "carpetbaggers." Unfortunately, their witty humor is overshadowed by their lack of understanding and respect for their own backyard. The bottom line is, they don't deserve to live near such hallowed ground.

If I had my way I would grab every one of these "activists" and lead them all back to May of 1864 when Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Potomac went head-to-head against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in some of the most horrific and savage fighting of the entire Civil War. More than 10,000 men died at The Wilderness, and more than 12,000 were wounded.

Most were scarred by the terror they experienced firsthand. Many wounded men burned to death as the trees caught fire around them. We can't begin to imagine the nightmarish scenes that they witnessed. Perhaps if these pro-Wal-Mart people understood the tragic cost of human life claimed by this battle and had a better sense of the gallons of blood spilled on their soil, they would get a clue.

The truth, "Orange County Wal-Mart supporters," is that we "carpetbaggers" don't care about your shopping convenience. We care about a priceless piece of the American landscape that is far more important than you, or me, or any of our children, or their children. This land was hallowed long before we were here and it will be here long after we are all dead and gone. Frankly, your--and our--quality of life is secondary to the conservation of our nation's legacy.

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Date published: 5/21/2009

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