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Dear Editor:

Politicians start wars, generals prosecute wars, but the common soldier fights and dies in wars.

The Confederate monument in Farmville is not dedicated to the president of the Confederacy or to famous generals, one of whom lived in Farmville. His plantation (Longwood) lent its name to the university located here. The monument has no individual names inscribed on its sides, only the battle companies for which the local soldiers fought and died.

It makes no political statement and merely honors the common soldier, including black soldiers who died alongside the white soldiers in order to protect their homes and families. Carl Eggleston assures me that there are black Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery right behind his place of business. It honors them as well.

We are trying to attract tourists to spend dollars here at stores, restaurants and hotels. According to our tourist director, the biggest draws of people are Civil War history trails and the Green Front Furniture store. The Confederate monument is the only major monument in the county that tourists come to see.

Charlottesville used to be in the top 10 places to live or retire. I just googled best places to live in U. S. News and World Report and Charlottesville was not listed in their top 125 places now. That city has paid a heavy price over statue removal there and this does not even mention the deaths caused by the battles.

The person creating this controversy should man up and be counted.

Jim Wilck

Prince Edward County Supervisor