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Civil War trenches are preserved along |
There are special places in this world, places that should be entered only with solemnity and reverence, places that deserve a proper focus and preparation before they are experienced.
Entering a church to worship God requires proper focus and preparation beforehand.
Entering a cemetery to commune with a loved one who has gone Home requires proper focus and preparation beforehand.
And visitors to Lee Drive, as they enter the Fredericksburg battlefield--in truth, it is a cemetery without headstones--should find nothing that prevents them from the proper focus and preparation for such a special moment.
Lee Drive is not simply an old road. It is a pathway through hallowed ground, ground made special by the blood and bravery of those men in blue and gray who fought and fell there, ground well-watered with the blood of heroes, ground that is a part of the heritage of every American.
In order to enhance the sense of reverence and remembrance such ground deserves, those visitors should not be subjected to the visual pollution, increased congestion, and traffic such an intersection would bring if this proposal is adopted.
Surely there is a better way--alternative plans that won't diminish this gateway both to our city and to the very special place that is the Fredericksburg battlefield.
On behalf of all of us who understand the importance of this issue, I most respectfully request that City Council reject this proposal.
Mike Stevens
Fredericksburg
