Whistling "Dixie" II
How soon some forget. A bit over five years ago writer Mike Gibson concluded "And Stars and Bars notwithstanding, I couldn't see much connection between re-enactment's generally mild-mannered costumed historians and the hate-mongering race-baiters with which they are sometimes confused" ("Weekend Warriors" Metro Pulse, Vol. 7, No. 14).
The Confederate Memorial Day observance at Bethel cemetery did include "displaying Confederate flags, firing a 21-gun salute and playing a rousing, amplified version of 'Dixie'" as have several previous Confederate Memorial Day observances of the last decade held at Bethel Cemetery and Confederate Memorial Hall, aka "Bleak House." Certainly not all members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans are re-enactors and not all Confederate re-enactors are members of the SCV, but there is a significant overlap between the two groups locally. Two of the re-enactors on the cover of your April 10, 1997 issue were members of the seven-member firing party that fired this year's 21-gun salute. Two of the three are members of the SCV (one has since moved to Virginia) and all three have participated in Confederate Memorial Day observances prior to this year's. I am one of the re-enactors/SCV members on that cover. I do not hold office in SCV Camp 87 and, other than my participation in the firing party, was not involved with the planning or conduct of this year's ceremony.
Another of the re-enactors quoted and pictured (though not on the cover) in your 1997 story is an SCV member as well as a member of the quartet who led the singing of "Dixie" with a small PA system. (Incidentally, I and the rest of the firing party were positioned about midway between the cemetery's gate on Bethel Avenue and the PA. A leaf-blower being operated directly across the street from the gate during the ceremony seemed louder to me than did the music and speeches over the PA.) This same re-enactor/SCV member is also a member of the board of directors of the Mabry-Hazen House. He was not present at the board's Tuesday post-ceremony meeting; he was attending the funeral of a friend and had asked one of the board members alluded to in your June 6, 2002 story not bring up any motions regarding the ceremony until he could attend.
Given the format of the previous Confederate Memorial Day ceremonies held at Bethel cemetery, there was nothing out of the ordinary about this year: Confederate flags and uniforms, women in antebellum dresses, prayers, speeches, music (including "Dixie"), a 21-gun salute by re-enactors with replica 19th-century muskets, wreaths and cut flowers laid on monuments and graves. Certainly this is in keeping with Tennessee Code 15-2-101, which proclaims Confederate Decoration Day as a "day[s] of special observance" and for "the people of this state to observe the day[s]...in...suitable places with appropriate ceremonies."
Whatever Mark Siegel may believe, we did come to honor the Confederate soldiers buried there and their sacrifice for their cause. At least one member of SCV Camp 87 does have a Confederate ancestor among the 1,600 Confederates in Bethel cemetery. Whether one has any affection or admiration for the Confederacy or not, surely the soldiers who died for a cause are at least worthy of respect and remembrance. The ceremony also expressly acknowledged the 50 Union dead interred there.
There was one difference this year. A man, the husband of a Mabry-Hazen board member (but not a board member himself), and, as he repeatedly announced himself, an attorney, stood near the cemetery entrance and shouted to those entering that we had no right to be there or to conduct the ceremony. He apparently summoned police who phoned the president of Mabry-Hazen House and determined that we, indeed, did have permission to be there and to conduct the ceremony. He shouted that our flags, uniforms and guns were there to "stir up hate" and that he would "not be satisfied until there was no Confederate flag flying anywhere in the United States." This isn't second-hand. I was near the gate when he appeared, and I personally heard all of this. It was a memorable display of tolerance and celebration of diversity.
If anyone attending the ceremony behaved in the manner reported in your June 6 Ear to the Ground column (I witnessed nothing like it) then it was deplorable behavior on that person's part. Such behavior was not in any way typical of those in attendance, whether members of the SCV or the general public. In my opinion, the SCV does not have anything to apologize for in the conduct, content, or tenor of the ceremony.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, I noticed three vehicles drive along the streets bordering the cemetery, blowing their horns and shouting. One car appeared to have a posterboard sign on a door. I could not discern the shouts nor read the sign nor even tell the race of the vehicle occupants as the cars drove away. Whether these persons were supporters or detractors of Confederate Memorial Day, I don't know or care. Their actions were an affront to both the dignity of the ceremony and to the peace of the neighborhood.
Roy Schubert
Oak Ridge
KCVB Doing Its Job
I was glad to see your informative article about the new Convention Center [May 30]. However, it did seem to imply that all the KCVB has done in the last two years is book eight events at the new center, and as a result it has not been doing its job. Nothing could be further from the truth. The KCVB has actually been very busy during that same time, booking an additional 81 groups who will use other facilities generating over $74 million in new visitor dollars for Knox County, using 71,484 hotel rooms and bringing 187,282 visitors. During the same time the KCVB brought not only Honda Hoot (over $10 million added to our local economy) but also produced a new Museums of Knoxville brochure, launched major ad campaigns for historic tourism, heritage tourism, Bearfoot and Christmas in the City, completed a Strategic Marketing Survey and partnered with HGTV to promote their hometown.
Your article also stated that the new center had appeared in only one industry publication. In fact the KCVB has been responsible for 58 separate articles in industry/trade journals and publications about the new center and numerous other newspaper and magazine articles outside of the industry. If the meeting planners don't know about it then they just haven't been paying attention.
The staff of the KCVB is a hard-working group of professionals who are one of the greatest assets our community has. To imply that they have not done their job is both unfair and untrue. Selling the new Convention Center is only part of the job of the KCVB. We take that responsibility very seriously and that is why we are looking to combine the KCVB and the Sports Corp. to have an even stronger organization to attract visitors to Knoxville. Even so, selling the Convention Center will only be a part of what the new organization does—albeit a major part.
Right now the KCVB is working on 76 tentative group bookings involving 127,000 hotel room nights. Many of these groups would use the new center. It is far too early to start blaming anyone for failure when all appearances and indications are that our new Convention Center is going to be a success. In fact we believe that Knoxville is at the beginning of what is going to be a great new future with tourism, and the new Convention Center is the open door.
David W. Duncan
Vice chairman, Knox County Tourist Commission
"Strange" Yoda Defenders
I see that you have some strange readers. In your recent issue, there is a fellow named Chuck Denney who seems to have lost all emotional control because of a movie critic's review of a film (Star Wars Episode II) he has yet to see [Letters to the Editor, June 6]. He claims that "critics" have very little to do with his choices, yet [in response to the review] he freely says that your staff can't use their testicles, needs backbone replacement surgery, wastes trees by printing the Metro Pulse, and calls your articles "wimpy."
It's just a movie review! Why do people feel they need to "fight the good fight" against the terribly unimportant? If I said that I don't like Kias, for example, I don't generally expect people to start chewing me out over it. Why do some people feel they can aggressively verbally attack others because they gave an opinion on a movie?
I just wanted to let you know that you are not the only ones who find these vigilante Yoda defenders strange and unusual. Some of your readers are emotionally stable, and still think you are doing a pretty decent job.
Nicholas Laszlo
Knoxville
Capitol Laughs
Thank you Betty Bean for introducing the least-known, but best candidate for the District 7 State Senate seat [Citybeat June 20]. Kendall Wells is funny—heck, he's downright hilarious. Spend five minutes with him and he'll have you laughing. But he's more than funny; he's also informed, articulate, and committed to doing whatever he can to improve funding for education in Tennessee. Wells is a serious candidate who can make you think as well as laugh ...and doesn't Nashville need a few laughs?
Mary Ann Moon
Knoxville
More than a Comedian
I'm writing to inform your readers that Kendall Wells, the candidate running for the state Senate seat in District 7, is more than a comedian. He is deeply committed to improving funding for education in Tennessee. Other concerns include TennCare reform and the environment. Over the past year I've heard a lot of people talk about change in Nashville. Candidate Wells is about change...he offers new ideas in an unconventional but funny way. "Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious" (Brendan Gill). We desperately need someone who can capture and hold the public's attention. Much can be accomplished through commitment and humor, and I hope that all concerned voters will support Kendall Wells for state Senate.
Jean A. Derco
Knoxville
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