Here is some good news. At least the President of "Friends of Ft. Davidson" has her heart on our side. Please read: January 17, 2003 An Open Letter to The Public: I am the president of Friends of Fort Davidson and an Civil War reenactor. I do not reenact as a Confederate and have never owned or flown a Confederate flag. My Civil War ancestor was a Lutheran minister who did not believe Lutherans should get involved in the Civil War at all. That being said, the decision to take down a flag over a grave site containing mostly Confederate remains is just wrong. Since this decision was reached, Friends has lost its vice-president, Ron Warren, who interpreted both Union and Confederate soldiers for the fort anytime they had school groups touring. I hope Ron will reconsider, because the decision was based on political correctness. It is truly sad that political officials now provide the norms of society and dictate what is right and proper when in the past we went to our homes and churches for moral guidance. Whether this action was politically correct or not, it is morally wrong. Finally, I would point out that it is the fault of politicians such as of the ilk of Rep. Gephardt, that we have this problem in the first place. Confederates are the only foes the United States has ever vanquished who were not treated with respect. Instead they suffered years of retribution called reconstruction. We built up Japan and Germany after a war which cost the lives of 52 million people and in which slavery and genocide were issues. We have forgiven the foes of every war we have fought but this one. As a nation, we should admonish ourselves for allowing such actions as the removal of a flag from a soldier's grave and for permitting politicians to tell us what is morally right. I would hope that a compromise can be reached, but even if this decision is final, we should not take this out on the staff at Fort Davidson or at Confederate Memorial or by cancelling reenactments and living histories as some have suggested. We need to organize and demand that our government officials honor the dead and interpret history correctly or be replaced by someone who has a higher moral standard. Sincerely, Sandra L. Walther President