Walmart is Taking Over

Last month, a news conference was held in Virginia concerning the expansion of yet another Walmart store into the Wilderness battlefield area (there are already four). I have been to the battlefield, and I can attest that, to see subdivisions and strip malls go up over what I consider to be sacred ground is nauseating. The same thing is happening to many Civil War battlefields across the nation. At Brandy Station, Virginia, shopping malls are threatening to overtake the battlefield as well. To me, it is like building on top of a graveyard. In some cases, it is exactly that.

Recently, while progress was being made near Franklin, Tennessee, a Union soldier's remains were unearthed. Alarming as this might have been to the construction workers, big box stores still insist on encroaching.

I realize that it has been a very long time since the War Between the States took place, but we should nevertheless honor those soldiers, our ancestors, who fought and died in honor of their homelands. That is why it is so important to support groups such as the Civil War Preservation Trust. Last year, the CWPT prevented gambling casinos from moving into Gettysburg. Thankfully, with respect, the town and battlefield will remain hallowed ... at least, for now.