"Civil War History Month" would be more appropriate

To the editor,
I have been observing with dismay Governor McDonnell's resurrection of "Confederate History Month." I put that term in quotes because I sense that more was intended to come out of whatever observances that were to ensue than simply the history of the Confederate States of America. As it is, the predictable national storm of outrage and protest has burst over the governor's head, and the most likely outcome will be that existing misconceptions and prejudices will become entrenched in yet another generation of Americans.
That said, I am a strong advocate of learning the history of the American Civil War, not just Confederate history, but the history of the people and events of the Civil War era, irrespective of who or what they were or of where or when they occurred. That position sometimes draws the response of, "Why go there at all? Isn't it over and done with, dead and gone?" And the answer is emphatically "no."
Out of the white-hot crucible of the American Civil War came the nation and national values that the WWI and WWII generations subsequently exhibited to the world. The WWI and WWII generations were heroically magnificent, but the Civil War generation was truly America's Greatest Generation. Were they all noble heroes? No, there were plenty of rascals. Did they know what they were actually accomplishing? With the possible exception of geniuses like Lincoln, no, not really. Yet, here is what they accomplished.
The Civil War generation rendered irrelevant the unproductive and destabilizing challenges to national unity created by state governments threatening to secede.
The Civil War generation affirmed to the world that the states of North America were to remain united under a central government, and that their central government, organized pursuant to a constitution unique to the rest of the world, effectively served their national interests.
The Civil War generation eliminated the increasingly inefficient and nationally divisive slave labor system as an ongoing component of the American economy.
The Civil War generation dismantled an economic, social, and political system in the south controlled by a largely non-entrepreneurial planter class and cleared the way for the creation of a system that would be controlled by the south's emerging manufacturing and merchant classes.
We can benefit greatly by learning about that Greatest Generation, because among their number, we can find, follow, and possibly learn from, our 19th century counterparts. Usually they will be men and women who like us today, were doing the best they could to meet the challenges of their times. How they met their challenges is often inspiring, and always instructive. The slaves-turned-Union soldiers who returned home after the war; the doctors and nurses whose war-learned experiences and skills served the new America; the many men and women for whom the war exposed the need to found the schools, colleges and universities that subsequently helped America to become a world leader. The people and their stories are endless.
In sum, I believe Gov. McDonnell is looking in a useful direction, but his focus is much, much too narrow. We don't need a "Confederate History Month," we need something reminding Americans of this nation's Civil War heritage. And Virginia, the pivotal state in that conflict that gave birth to our nation, should indeed be the leader in sponsoring it.
Frank S. Walker, Jr.
Orange