Wal Mart's War on America

I received the following yesterday in my inbox, from Jim Campi, communications director of the Civil War Preservation Trust: "Stop the Wilderness Wal Mart!" http://www.civilwar.org/walmart08/

I'm a member of the CWPT, and have been for many years. It has done some excellent work in buying and preserving land that literally cannot be replaced--the privately owned battlefields of the Civil War. Now, I like to think of myself as a realist on things like this. We can't save every speck of land that a boy in Blue or Gray walked across, or for that matter, undo what has already been done.

But what we, the American people, can do is stop any more of it being abused simply because it is available.

In Spotsylvania County, Virginia, west and south of the town of Fredericksburg, sits the Wilderness/Chancellorsville Battlefield. In a pair of brutal battles (Chancellorsville in 1863, the Wilderness in 1864), tens of thousands of Americans were killed and wounded. In the Wilderness, the battle was fierce and confusing, as what was normally long battle lines of men standing shoulder to shoulder became more like organized human hunting. When the wounded were left by the opposing sides, and as it was a dry winter that year and the woods caught afire during the fighting, the screams of the men as they burned to death echoed throughout the woods. Veterans decades later would break into tears at the memories of the young soldiers, boys mostly, having to spend their last moments on Earth in a living hell.

On this hallowed ground, that icon of American consumerism, Wal Mart, plans to build a 141,000 square foot SuperCenter. Where you can buy such things as Twinkies for 2 cents less, disposable cups with your favorite sports hero emblazoned on the side, all while being met by the greeter making minimum wage at the front door, helped by the stock boy who makes minimum wage, and checked out by the cashier who makes minimum wage. But hey, it brings jobs, right?

Wal Mart is building on sacred, irreplaceable land, where men in blue died to defend the Union and free the slaves, and where their brothers in gray died as well.

Ooops. I shouldn't have said "Union" and "Wal Mart" in the same sentence.

Perhaps that is why they are planning on paving our heritage. Support the saving of our heritage, so that decades from now, when a Wal Mart SuperCenter is finished sucking the resources and life from a small community and has moved on to another victim, we will still have a quiet piece of land where we can bring our children and remember what the cost of freedom truly means.

Comments

[Budokan]

This is disgusting. I despise Wal-Mart.

[shengirl]

I live in the area and there is absolutely no need for a Wal Mart there-- one can drive a few miles and go to the one in Fredericksburg. Or a bit farther in the other direction and there is one in Culpeper. This is nothing more than pure greed. They just have to pave over every last foot of land and leave us nothing. This is not surprising; not too long ago Wal Mart wanted to build at Ferry Farm, where George Washington's boyhood home was recently excavated. Luckily public pressure stopped that little mis-adventure.

[bluevespagirl]

HuffPost's Pick

I remember visiting civil war battlefields in PA when I was a kid. It was amazing to read the history of our country, realizing the dream of America was worth fighting for.

The more historical land we loose to the Wal-Marts of the world, the less we know about where we came from. If we do not know where we have been, we do not know how to build our future.

If more people (especially young people) knew the true stories and could visit these historic grounds, maybe more people would be willing to stand up and defend our constitution (especially since Congress seems to forget that's their job).

Another reason I'm glad I haven't set foot in a Wal-mart in nearly 5 years.

[Missmn]

Wal Mart built a store in Hawaii over an ancient burial ground. Why do you think they care about preserving anyone's history when there is a profit to be made?

[Mexitli]

I'm sorry to learn this. No matter who we are or where we came from, our ancestors' burial grounds must be respected.

[ladydragon]

yes let them build it there ! nobody gave a crap when stuff was built over the graves of former slaves, the real people who built this country

[Robert Mackey - Huffpost Blogger]

@ladydragon: Do you have any citations or evidence? The reason I ask is that the CWPT has done a good job of saving critical battlefields where the USCT (United States Colored Troops) and other all-black units fought during the war, to include the site of Battery Wagner (as shown in the closing scenes of the movie Glory). In addition, state preservation groups in Maryland and Virginia are working hard to buy land in which slaves lived and died. So, to answer your question, people do "give a crap" and are working hard to preserve our national heritage--both good and bad--for future generations.

[shengirl]

I hate to tell you but crap is built over graves of white people, too. My husband's ancestors are now lying underneath a Walgreen's Drug store in Richmond.

[situationcritical]

Um..she said slaves, not slave owners.

[barackobama4prez]

anything to make a buck i 'spose.