I plan on voting for Ed Gillipsie. However, like many other Conservatives I will do so without much enthusiasm. James Atticus Bowden’s post provides an example of why.

Here is Gillipsie’s statement on the Confederate monuments issue: https://therepublicanstandard.com/gillespie-holds-line-confederate-monuments-democrats-cash-crisis/

Here is how his statement begins.

My opponent now says that he believes decisions about historical statues are best made at the local level, but that they should be removed. I believe that decisions about historical statues are best made at the local level, but they should stay and be placed in historical context.

What Gillipsie says sounds reasonable, but give it a little thought. It is a joke.

The historical context thing is a big problem. What it amounts to is allowing the elites to tell the rest of us what to think. Who needs that? There is no end to such nonsense.

Consider. Everyone has their own opinion as to what caused the American Civil War. Why? Individual soldiers had their own motivations, not necessarily just one. So who is qualified to judge the matter? Politicians? Do we need the National Park Service to tell us what caused the Civil War? Well, thanks to Congress that’s what they think there job is, and that is what Congress wants them to do.

=> https://www.nps.gov/crmjournal/Summer2007/view1.html

Do you trust politicians to decide what we and our families should believe? Isn’t advertising is bad enough? How would you like a world filled with “historical context”, “educational context”, “politicial context”, “religious context”, and so forth instead? Aren’t we already headed that way?

The National Park Service and the other folks who maintain the lands and the monuments we want to preserve have a difficult job. It is often a pain in the neck just to keep something in its natural state or in the state it was created. When we add a requirement for indoctrination in “correct” beliefs, that is about as useful as sticking half a dozen frightened skunks in a lecture hall. It does not solve anything; it just adds a ghastly stink.

Instead of trying to please everyone, why can’t Gillipsie just stand for traditional American values? Unfortunately, when he tries to please everyone, he doesn’t. Fortunately for Gillipsie his opponent actually opposes traditional American values. Therefore, there is a good chance Gillipsie will win, but it won’t be a win for Virginia. It just won’t be as great a loss. So I will go to the polls and vote for him. He is not perfect, but he is much better than the other guy.