[Vision2020] Re: Memo to Commissioner Kimmell

[Melynda Huskey]

Pat opines, in company with Ted Ryan, that Lee may have been on the losing 
side, but he still might have something to teach us--an entirely reasonable 
point of view, really.  And if we were talking about whether or not a 
history professor ought to teach about Lee, whether or not another 
documentary on Lee should be made, whether or not I ought to read a new 
biography of the man, those thoughts would be worth considering.

On the other hand, does a Civil War general (or even the president of a 
small private college in a war zone) offer a model of leadership likely to 
be useful to the Moscow business community, which is not at war, nor yet 
contemplating (so far as I know) secession?

Is a Confederate general a wise choice of role model in a town which has 
suffered months of painfully divisive public debate about slavery, the 
Confederacy, racism, and history?

Is the use of such materials evidence of good judgement on the part of a 
public official already experiencing a high degree of public scrutiny for 
his part in making decisions which benefited his church unduly, for his 
stated intention to have his decisions as County Commissioner overseen by 
his church, and for his pattern of hiring only members of his church to work 
in the Chamber offices--particularly when that church is a strongly 
pro-Confederate and pro-slavery organization?

Are the lessons of Lee's leadership likely to benefit our community so 
greatly that all these other questions pale by comparison?

Melynda Huskey



>From: "Pat Kraut" <pkraut at moscow.com>
>To: "vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Re: Memo to Commissioner Kimmell
>Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2004 22:48:58 -0700
>
>As I said...He lost yes but he did go on to lead a school. And Professor
>Hume of WSU has a great letter from him that he reads as a part of his 
>Civil
>War class. He just may have something to teach us all about going on and 
>not
>giving up just because we have lost a cause we worked hard on. He knew
>Lincoln, he was a general in the most divisive war we've had, so the things
>he wrote after are very interesting. I'k like to suggest that since we 
>don't
>know what Paul was going to say about Lee or what part of his life he felt
>was worthy of presenting in a leadership meeting that some of you might 
>have
>jumped the gun without any real information. But, you'd probably think I 
>was
>unfair.
>PK
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Ted Ryan" <coffeemonkey100 at hotmail.com>
>To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Sent: Monday, August 23, 2004 9:51 PM
>Subject: [Vision2020] Re: Memo to Commissioner Kimmell
>
>
> > Um, please explain.  I really don't follow here.  The South lost, OK, 
>yes.
> > Lee surrendered, OK, yes.  I don't know about you, but I didn't learn
> > anything new today.
> >
> > I guess this means that losers and those who surrender have nothing to
>teach
> > us?  Correct me if I am wrong, but you didn't expound much on your 
>lengthy
> > thesis.
> > I think that we would be foolish if we only used what is said by the
>victors
> > in war.  While I am not a historian (but I pretend to be one in this
>forum)
> > I do believe this would be a lousy way to study history.  In fact, there
>are
> > some that say there is often more to be learned in the studying of those
> > defeated then those victorious.
> >
> > My team lost a softball game the other day, and the strangest thing
> > happened.  I went to work the next morning and there were messages on my
> > voicemail.  I called these people back and told them I had just lost the
> > night before, why do they want to hear from me?  I mean, I lost!  How
>could
> > a person who just lost be of any value?  How could a wise person loose?
> >
> > Ted Ryan
> >
> > > Subject: [Vision2020] Memo to Commissioner Kimmell
> > > To: vision2020 at moscow.com
> > > Message-ID: <BAY9-F11cX9rcA9pfvQ0004e6ee at hotmail.com>
> > > Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
> > >
> > > Memo to Commissioner Kimmell:
> > >
> > > The South lost and Lee surrendered.
> > >
> > > Over & out.
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
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> > >
> > >
> >
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