Editor, Gazette-Journal:

The proposed transfer of public land under the Confederate monument to private organizations threatens the national historic designation of Mathews County’s courthouse green and sets a bad precedent for the future. Who is to say other groups won’t demand that land on the historic green be deeded to them?

The courthouse belongs to all of Mathews citizens, not to any one entity to do whatever they want with it. The monument is not going anywhere. That issue has already been decided. So it seems clear to me that the underlying intent of the proposal is to have no restrictions on what can be displayed or done on or around the monument.

And county citizens would have nothing to say in the matter. This is in the heart of our community where we gather and shop, and where visitors come to enjoy our quaint “downtown” with its Farmers’ Market and special events. For many in our community and for those who visit, Confederate symbols are offensive, a source of di...