Chesterfield County Democratic Committee 1401 Huguenot Road Midlothian, Virginia 23113 The Honorable Dorothy Jaeckle Chairwoman The Honorable Steve A. Elswick The Honorable Daniel A. Gecker The Honorable James M. Holland The Honorable Arthur S. Warren Board of Supervisors Chesterfield County Post Office Box 40 Chesterfield, Virginia 23832 August 15, 2013 Dear Madame Chair and Sirs, We write to you today about an issue of grave concern to our county and community, the placement of an oversized Confederate battle flag along the interstate in Chesterfield. While we recognize that you do not have any legal recourse and that individuals are permitted to place this flag on their private property, we ask you to stand together to condemn this action. We know this flag is very disturbing and, frankly, upsetting to a great many members of our community, both black and white, and is similarly distressing to those travelers who will drive past it on interstate 95. This flag does not show us to be a welcoming county which we know we want to be. We believe this issue is above partisanship or politics. We need to stand together as a community to say we do not want such a divisive symbol prominently displayed over the interstate. We strive in Chesterfield to be a welcoming place for all citizens who come here to live, work or play. Neither our residents’ nor our visitors’ overall view of the County should be marred by the sight of a flag that, in particular, has been associated with so much strife and distress over the years. Moreover, we know that the Board invests significant effort in recruiting first class businesses to Chesterfield. We recognize how hard you work to ensure that good jobs at good wages are available for Chesterfield residents. We invest in our school system and in our infrastructure because we know these are assets valued by business owners for their employees. Unfortunately, this flag sends just the opposite message. We don’t believe that employers will want to bring their jobs to a County whose vistas and horizon are invaded by a large, looming Confederate flag. These employers will rightly fear that the message it sends to prospective employees is not a positive one. Jobs and businesses will go elsewhere. Please take this opportunity to join with the Chesterfield community, above politics and partisanship that too often divide us, to condemn this flag and to ask the property owner and the organization, The Flaggers, to reconsider. Thank you very much for your attention to this critical issue. Sincerely, The Chesterfield County Democratic Committee
Posted on: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 00:00:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015