The ugly face of racism
Trouble is returning to Floyd’s annual Arts and Crafts Festival and it is trouble the local Women’s Club could have avoided.
At issue is Wytheville native Gary C. Walker, a self-proclaimed Civil War historian and self-published author of books that defend slavery. Walker’s presence at the weekend event at Floyd County High School for the past two years sparked protests from local citizens and a debate between letter writers to The Floyd Press.
A friend emailed me excerpts from one of Walker’s books, The Truth About Slavery, and it is disgusting reading — an apologist’s attempt to rewrite history to support the despicable practice of slavery.
An example:
MASTER-SLAVE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
What type of relationship was it? There were many variations and shades of those variations, but as a general rule, it developed into a parent-child relationship. The family relationship is an economic institution, which is relatively stable, well-defined, and has served all societies since recorded history. The family structure introduced from Europe in the 1600’s had changed little by the 1800’s and is still common and viable in the 1900’s.
Generally speaking the parent is responsible for the supervision and care of the children. The children must work under the rules the parents establish. The relationship is not easily terminated: the children just can’t quit or run away; the parents can’t fire the children or simply quit caring for them. The slaves were grafted into the master’s family. There were many signs of this “grafting.” There are numerous examples of true love, acts of courtesy, and heroism between the master’s family and the slave family. Terms of endearment were commonly used: “Mammy, Uncle Joe. My boy (as in son), (later just) boy.”
The master or the mistress viewed themselves as the “good parent.” They provided for the physical needs of their slave “children.”
On his web site, Walker claims to be a "highly acclaimed Civil War author" although I can’t find a single reference there to who, besides Walker, is issuing any such acclaim.
In Walker’s self-written biography, he says:
Gary had a wide variety of jobs after graduating college. He was a manager, a sales representative, and a truck driver. He worked in electronic communications, in insurance, in energy conservation, and in retail sales and service among other fields. With the great success of The War in Southwest Virginia 1861-65, Gary knew he had found his niche.
The book propelled him from obscurity. From 1985 until the present, one can often find Gary dressed in a Confederate uniform, speaking to audiences, granting interviews to radio and television and newspapers, at Civil War re-enactments, and at craft festivals autographing his books.
A search of "Gary C. Walker" on Google turns up 270 hits, but less than half link back to the author from Wytheville. Most refer to others who share the same name. This is being "propelled from obscurity?" Google "Colleen Redman," a Floyd poet and writer, and you get more hits. Google local blogger and author Fred First and you get 14,900 hits. Floyd-based blues musician Scott Perry gets 12,300 hits. Now that’s being "popelled from obscurity."
As a native Southerner and a Virginian, I’ve always had mixed emotions about the Civil War. The issue of states’ rights is still being fought today but slavery remains, as it should, a black eye on the history of this country Attempting to justify the practice by any means is, in my opinion, racism.
As I understand it, Walker told the Women’s Club of Floyd that he would understand if they did not invite him back this year but the club, for reasons that escape the bounds of rational explanation, decided to bring him back. That has prompted others in the county to consider more widespread forms of protest this year. Floyd architech Shannon Green contacted the Woman’s Club after she was told that Walker’s books are used as reference material by history professors at Virginia Tech. She quickly discovered the claim was not true and that no professors at Tech are using Walker’s books.
At a time when Floyd is trying to establish itself as a must-visit locale, being identified as a haven for those who defend slavery is the last thing any of us needs.
Good grief! If defending the practice of whites claiming ownership of blacks does not indicate a belief that one race is superior to another I don’t know what does. A defense of slavery cannot be construed as anything but racist. The attempt to sugar coat it as historical research is lame at best as others have already proven this man is no historian. As far as I’m concerned Mr. Walker’s views are racist and anyone who gives him safe harbor is promoting racism.
It is sad, truly sad, that one must resort to stereotyping in order to defend an indefensible position. I’m a lifelong Republican and my grandchildren often refer to me as a “right wing nutcase” but I am in complete agreement that this man’s writings have no place in the Floyd County arts and crafts fair.
Thomas Jefferson, in his book, “Notes on the State of Virginia,” wrote that slavery defined racism with “horric effects on both blacks and whites” and said the practice “violated the principles on which the American Revolution was based,” adding that “failure to end slavery would lead to convulsions which will probably never end but in the extermination of one or the other race.” This from a man who owned slaves.
Racism is a state of mind based in a set of core beliefs and as a Virginian who shares the shame that stems from our roots in slavery I believe that the practice of slavery in America was racism in its purest form and that any attempt to defend it if also racism.
Mr. Walker,
As one of the unfortunate ones who read your book, I’d like to take you up on your challenge. Finding erroneous statements and conclusions in the book is like shooting fish in a barrel, so I won’t be too careful with aiming: on page 195 you write “Despite the millions enslaved and the long period slavery existed in the United States, this author discovered not one single diary by a slave.” With your own words you disprove your allegation that you are a serious historian who did careful, exhaustive research while writing this book. One google click turns up three: The Diary of Adam Francis Plummer, The Diary of William B. Gould, and The Diary of Jaspar Rastus Nall.
Here’s another: you state that Frederic Douglass only wrote about other people’s experiences with slavery. This is a factual error- in “Narrative of Frederic Douglass, an American Slave”, Douglass writes at length and very movingly about his own experience, including being repeatedly whipped by a professional slave breaker. You should try reading the book.
Real historians read original source material, give detailed references, and never, ever quote from their own previous books. You are not, as you claim, a real historian. Let’s see if you can keep your word and miss the fair.
Pardon me Mr. Updike but your conclusions don’t stand close examination. Since when did the Confederate Battle Flag or Mr. Walker’s wearing of a Confederate uniform become part of the debate? No one here used either as a basis of a conclusion. The only mention of a Confederate uniform is from Mr. Walker’s own biography from his web site. The issue is what Mr. Walker wrote, not what he wears. Mr. Thompson did not call Mr. Walker a racist. He said the issue brought out the ugly face of racism. There is a difference.
My great-great-grandfather fought for the South and the Battle Flag is displayed above his photo in my home. However, my pride in my heritage does not lead me to condone his loathsome attempts to justify slavery or his rewriting of history.
Very well said Michelle but I am afraid it fell on deaf ears as it does so many times with left wing liberals.
I asked Doug to edit my remarks to comply with his request to tone down the debate and I thank him for doing so.
I fail to see how any of the debate here centered on whether or not the South was responsible for slavery. No one here blamed the South. Slavery was legal throughout the country. It was only when the issue became a focus of a national debate over states’ rights that the South chose to leave the Union.
However, by any standard from any time in history, slavery was a terrible thing. A country founded on the notion of freedom was hypocritical to allow a system that robbed a race of others of the very freedoms that we fought a Revolutionary War to protect.
The "accomodation" as you call it may have been part of a political deal by our founding fathers but that deal with the devil does not make it right or moral just as no attempt to justify it with a revision of history will sugar coat a deplorable time in our history. As I said before, Doug did not call Mr. Walker a racist. He said the issue created the "ugly face of racism." I still believe there is a difference.
That was indeed my point. Let the intellect control the emotion, not vice versa. To clarify one point: “accomodation” of slavery is not what I call it. That it the phase used in many history books regarding the Constitutional debate. All I am saying is that History is what actually occured. What actually happened becomes revisionist history every time someone writes about the events after those events occured.
Like so many who defend deplorable practices like slavery Mr. Walker came in here full of bluster and blarney and challenged the more enlightened of us to find misinformation in his book. If just one of his “facts,” he said, could be disproven he would stay away from our arts and crafts fair and peddle his untruths elsewhere.
Mr. Prokosch took that challenge, found more than one error and cited them here. So where is Mr. Walker? Where is his mea culpa? Will he be a man of his word and stay away from the arts and crafts fair or will he deliver more bluster and prove that his challenge is just another lie?
Inquiring minds want to know.
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly associations are made based on one’s own biases and once having been made are defended with every weapon available. The facts of the case at hand don’t seem to matter any more. The author of a book entitled “The Truth About Slavery” automatically becomes a “racist” since he is wearing a Confederate uniform and his books have the Battle Flag of The Army of Northern Virginia on the dust cover. The comments thus far posted seem to indicate that anyone who would read such books must also be promoting racism. Having how labeled Walker as a racist in the articles title, Mr. Thompson can begin casting derogotary remarks regarding everything concerning the books author. Mr. Walker responds following the same pattern by labeling Thompson a “radical, left-wing hate-monger”. Why should the craft of writing be excluded from a craft show because other craftsmen beleive themselves to be intellectually and morally superior?
Lets deal with the real issue here. What you THINK about something, using your BRAIN to assimilate the facts from numerous and varied sources is far superior to describing how you FEEL about something, using your EMOTIONS.
From what I have read of the above comments I realize that each and every entry is someone’s “opinion”/ Most people I know think their opinion is “right”. And yes, we are all entitled to our own. But please remember that most of the above are opinions….
I want to point out that most of us do not know the whole story regarding the Women’s Club and their allowance of Walker at the fair. I wish to ask that we don’t blame them for his presence. There may be much more going on than meets the outsiders eye, and unless you know the whole story, I say give the women’s club the benefit of the doubt and find some compassion for the dilemma they are in.
Lastly I want to question the statement…” thinking is superior to feeling”. Many times it is…but not always. “Man” and his big brain often feels superior to those of lesser intellect. But I often find that one can think something to death, and be no better off for it, and that listening to one’s heart can give greater guidance and clarity than anything else.
I have read your book Mr. Walker. One of my friends purchased it at a past arts and crafts fair and passed it around for comment. We discussed it at length and we all found it disgusting drivel that has no place at an event dedicated to arts and crafts. I am not surprised that Carol could not find it in our local library or at other area libraries. I expect our libraries to exercise discretion when it comes to the racist pap I and others encountered in your fantasy. When we finished our reading and discussion we gave your book the treatment it deserved. We took it to the barbeque pit in our back yard and burned it.
You say Doug Thompson defamed you by accusing you of racism. He didn’t defame you sir. If anything he was too gentle. Your book is obviously the work of a racist and it defames the legacy of this nation and the history of the South. As a native Southwest Virginian I am ashamed that another native of our region published such trash and I am equally ashamed that the women’s club ever allowed it to be displayed and sold in Floyd County.
After all the controversy surrounding Mr. Walker and his books, I decided to read “The Truth About Slavery” and form my own opinion. It was a poor read. Nonetheless, I persevered and finished the book. I believe slavery is a vile, inhuman, demeaning institution. Mr. Walker may have painted a much rosier picture than I believe slavery deserves, but is he really guilty of promoting racism? Racism is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “a thought or belief that one race is better than another race”. Unless I slept through it, I do not recall one instance of him denying that slavery occurred nor did he justify its existence or call for its reinstatement. If you do not want Mr. Walker to appear at this year’s Arts and Crafts Festival, take him up on his challenge and quit the name calling. It’s unproductive and juvenile. If it is not worth your time to accept his challenge, I suggest you go ahead with your plans to attend the Arts and Crafts Festival and enjoy yourself. The great part about our country is that you do not have to like Mr. Walker or his books and you certainly do not have to buy them!
To set the record straight, I was told by a friend on the School Board that the Women’s Club thought Mr. Walker’s books must carry some authority as they have been used as references by Virginia Tech professors in their classes. I soon thereafter contacted two different representatives of the Women’s Club, who made it clear to me that this was not the case. They took the time to answer my questions and listen to my concerns about Mr. Walker’s ongoing presence at the Arts and Crafts Fair. I respect and appreciate that they were also forthcoming with their own viewpoints and concerns about the issue. I would recommend that anyone who has concerns should go ahead and contact a member of the Women’s Club for further information.
In the past month, and with great difficulty, I have managed to finally read The Truth About Slavery and find Mr. Thompson’s review of the book to be more than accurate. Mr. Walker has a lot of personal axes to grind, not only with the loss of the great institution of slavery, but with Quakers in particular, “Blacks”, and Northerners, in that order. One of his concluding premises was that if the slaves had truly had a problem with slavery, surely they would have revolted…thus proving Mr. Walker’s hypothesis that the “evils of slavery” were rare occurrences or stories contrived by slaves for money or attention or, last but not least, stories by slaves with bad memories.
I truly believe that if more of the members of the Women’s Club and fellow crafters had read this book, Mr. Walker would have been taken up on his offer not to return, and they would not have missed their golden opportunity to put this matter to rest. I only hope that they continue to try and resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
Shannon Green
Mr. Walker’s challenge seems to be put forth for the benefit of the same audience who needs some palatable rationale for their own racist views. If his response to Mr. Thompson is any indication of the kind of thoughtful consideration he’s given to the issue of slavery there’s no point in discussing its merit. It’s not worth the paper it’s written on.
Concerning the ridiculous assertion that you were defamed on this website:
Mr. Walker, being humiliated and ashamed of your own actions, while understandable in this case, doesn’t make Mr. Thompson guilty of defamation. You’ve not been defamed sir, you’ve been punk’d. I’d be ashamed too.
As if that wasn’t enough, you have to insult everyone’s intelligence by falling back on the old straw-man routine. Unfortunately the “radical, left-wing, hate-monger” thang doesn’t even begin to hold water. Seriously, you might as well have accused Mr. Thompson of being an African-American; anybody who agrees with you would probably believe that one too.
As a proponent of free speech, I welcome your response; perhaps Mr. Thompson isn’t giving you a fair shake here. You are lucky in that his claims “against” you shouldn’t be too hard to disprove. Perhaps you can provide some links that will objectively acknowledge the value of your work. Furthermore, since you feel you’ve been defamed, you might even go so far as to unearth a couple of those “hundreds of reviews” you mention. That oughta go a long way in putting us “radical, left-wing, hatemongerin” killjoys in our place.
1. It is an arts and crafts fair. Bottom line.
2. I went back and read the excerpt and it goes back and forth from past tense to present tense. So you may need an editor there.
3. I cannot believe you say that the relationship between slave and master was one of family. Maybe for the very few lucky ones. Another bottom line: that doesn’t make it okay. They didn’t belong there in the first place.
Mr. Thompson,
You seem to be an unhappy person.
I will pray for you to find peace and harmony in your life.
Oh brother, here come the anonymous hit-and-run artists with their lame defense of slavery and the traditions of the old South.
T-Bird, if you can’t find anything offensive in the excerpt posted I can only conclude that you are one of those who drive around with a rebel flag in your back window and support the outlandish conclusions of Mr. Walker. Or maybe you are Mr. Walker himself. It is hard to tell when you hide your identity which I find a typlcal cowardly attitude for those who defend the horrible practice of slavery.
If you are the first, as you claim, “to call a skunk a skunk” why are you afraid to use your name?
Mr. Walker, your bombastic outburst is just the kind of hyperbole that one would expect from someone who has been caught with his pants down and his ignorance hanging out for all the world to see. Here in Floyd we look behind the man and aren’t impressed by bluster.
It doesn’t take much research to find out more about Doug Thompson’s credentials. You claim to be good at research so you might have started by clicking on the “about” button and reading about his background. That way you would have discovered that he’s a retired journalist who made a career out of exposing frauds and phonies. He got his start in journalism as a young man in Prince Edward County, Virginia, when he exposed some people I suspect you understand all too well — the Ku Klux Klan. I attended the lecture he gave at the Floyd library a couple of years ago where he showed pictures from covering Klan activities in Franklin County while working for The Roanoke Times in the 1960s and his talk provided many insights into the existence of racism in this area. I also doubt that someone who worked for three conservative Republican members of Congress qualifies as a “radical left-wing hatemonger.” If this is an example of your research I can understand why your other works lack credibility. I’ll take Doug’s word over yours any day of the week.
I’m a native Floyd Countian whose great-great grandfather fought for the South in the Civil War but sir I cannot share or condone your warped view of slavery in this country.
I checked the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library and found they do not carry a copy of “The Truth About Slavery” or any of your other books. Neither does the Roanoke Library or the library at Virginia Tech, the school that you clai uses your book at a historical reference, a claim which a local resident has since disproven. Seems to me that if your book was what you claim it is then it would be something that libraries would be clamoring to include in their collections. The fact that is is not tells me that your book is crap and a work of fiction.
I suggest you peddle your lies elsewhere Mr. Walker. You may be able to con and intimidate some of the ladies of the women’s club but many of us here in Floyd County recognize you for what you are.
Where are these "hundreds of reviews" of your self-published and self-promoted book? A search of Google turns up no such reviews. Neither does a search of Lexus-Nexus? The only place I find your book mentioned, besides your own web site, are on some white-supremacist web sites, which is what I expect from a tome that preaches a racist view of slavery. If, as you claim, you have sold "thousands" of books and there are so many believers why do no reviews appear in any legitimate publication? Why is there no mention of your work in a single, serious journal of American history? Why hasn’t this book, which you claim sold "thousands" of copies, never appeared on a single best-seller list? Amazon lists the book as ranking 3,060,026 in sales and does not list a single review by a publication or a customer even though the book was published 11 years ago. By comparison, Floyd County author Fred First’s book, Slow Road Home, was just published nine months ago and ranks 225,444 in sales and has reviews from publications and customers. Amazon says your book is no longer available through them. (In Amazon’s rankings, lower number indicate better sellers. According to Amazon a ranking of 1 million or more indicates a book that doesn’t sell.)
Your book is a collection of undocumented suppositions. No credible sources, just vague references to other discredited authors who share a disproven view of a sordid bit of American history.
I stand by what I wrote and I don’t apologize to those who promote the despicable practice of slavery.
What has happened to free speech most media and writers speak about? If a person finds it offensive then don’t stop at it. I find some of the other crafter’s offensive, some of the “alternative lifestyle”. Let it be a booth about homosexuality and let someone try and get it taken out and they would crucify them. So, lets have a little fairness about it all. Let Him set up as it is history and part of our past. If we push it away and forget it who is to say it would not happen again. I think you people need a life.
Thanks for listening.
There is a big difference between free speech and hate speech and I truly believe that what we are talking about here is hate. Slavery was an affront to the freedom that is the foundation of this nation. Putting a hatemonger in an arts and crafts show is an insult to this county and its people.
I think the free speech issue is actually a non issue. No one has said the author has no right to espouse these views or write these books. The Woman’s Club has a right to choose who gets a booth at their show and many think they made a poor decision (or non-decision). Having a booth at a festival is not a right. Additionally, this is a craft festival, not a booksellers convention or festival for apologists for slavery. Walker could be denied a booth on that basis alone.
While I understand the old saw about “I may not know art but I know what I like” I cannot understand how an apologist’s tirade in favor of slavery can possibly quality as an “art” or a “craft.” Anytbody can self-publish a book. From what I have been told the annual arts and crafts fair at the high school is an event to highlight the artists and craftsmen and craftswomen of the area. Gary Walker is none of these things so why is he a part of the event?
The lady from the women’s club says she does not know any racists in her organization. If so, the women’s club needs to prove that by not allowing their event to be used as a showcase for racism. By allowing this man to use their show to spread his bigoted views they give such views a level of respectability that he does not deserve.
My advice to Mr. Walker is to take his views and his books to the next Klan rally at Burnt Chimney. His revisionist history will most certainly be welcome there but it should never be welcome here.
You defamed me on your website. I have thousands of my book, The Truth about Slavery, in circulation and have received hundreds of reviews.
Not one review, except yours, has accused me of racism. Are many thousands of readers wrong and only you right? What makes you an authority? How many books have you written on the subject? You pulled a few sentences, out of context, and tried to prove racism.
What I wrote, in or out of context, is true, and there are thousands of facts and conclusions in the book. I do not know you and do not wish to defame you as you have done to me, but your untrue, vicious comments lead me to ask you the following question: Are you a radical, left-wing, hate-monger?
You don’t want me to be part of the Floyd Arts and Craft Show; then accept my challenge. I will not appear at the show if you can prove that I have made even one error in fact or conclusion in my book. The proof must be from creditable and recognized source work.
If you can not prove that I have made such an error, then you write an apology to me on your website, apologize to the Floyd Women’s Club which you have so up set and to the people of Floyd for all the problems you have caused them. I will be waiting to see if you have the integrity to try to correct the great harm you have done to so many people.
I’ve read your example/excerpt of this fella’s writing and checked-out his webpage through the link you provided. I have yet to read his defense of slavery or any racist commentary. I’d be the first to call a skunk a skunk… just as soon as I actually see his stripes. So post something else of his that concretely establishes that he is a racist or wants to reinstitute slavery so I can decide for myself what he is.
Spirited debate is one thing but things are getting a little overheated. I’ve had to delete some comments that have clearly crossed the line and name calling accomplishes nothing. I’ve also deleted a number of comments from people using fake names or multiple "handles" from the same email and IP addresses. It is an old trick used by those who want to "stack the deck" in an online debate.
This is an emotional issue but let’s not let our emotions get the better of us.
I don’t think I reached any conclusion with my commentary. What I said was “thinking is superior to feeling”. I never suggested to anyone what to think or what not to think. I merely stated that one should weigh all evidence before reaching an unalterable poistion. Mr. Walker did not write the article entitled “The Ugly Face of Racism”, Mr. Thomspon did.
I applaud both your respect for your Confederate Heritage as I do my own. Forming one’s own opinion based on all available data rather than having it forced upon you is a large part of that same heritage.
I for one will not judge 19th century events using 21st century standards, but if I did, The United States would be responsible for the institution of slavery, not just the southern states. A close examination of the events surrounding the debates of our founding fathers indicates there would have been no union without the accomodation of the institution of slavery.
The women’s club member who posted her explanation of the club’s action is missing an important point: It was stated earlier that the club invited Mr. Walker back after he offered to not return this year. This negates the club’s argument that they are just a passive host for Mr. Walker. By inviting him back after he offered to not return they became a willing accomplice to what he writes and espouses. Any claim of free speech is invalid because it is obvious that the club wanted him back and did not care if their action offended the community they serve.
Tell me something Jo. Before you judge a person, why don’t you sit down and talk with them and learn something about them? I have done that with Doug Thompson and I find him a soft-spoken, gentle person who is quite happy and at peace with himself. I have had the pleasure of meeting both he and his lovely wife. I have witnessed first hand the care and compassion he brings to his writing and his photography as well as the concern he shows for our community.
Perhaps the question we all should ask is why does his desire to bring this deplorable situation to public scrutiny make you unhappy? Are you perhaps a member of the women’s club of Floyd or is it because you support the revised history as written by Mr. Walker?
It would be easier to judge where you are coming from if you were to use your full name or tell us more about yourself and who you might represent but I suppose that is asking too much. Those who defend bigotry, racism and hatred like to hide, often under a white sheet, and stand in a field illuminated by a burning cross.
After having read the previous posts regarding Mr. Walker’s participation in the Floyd Arts and Crafts Festival, I was happy to see Mr. Thompson finally ask those making ad hominem attacks upon the character of those posting comments and especially regarding the character of Mr. Walker, to “tone down the rhetoric”. Mr. Thompson and those who have joined him in their haste to verbally lynch Mr. Walker for daring to challenge their preconceived notions of the old institution of slavery as it existed in the South, need to be reminded of some things. First, Mr. Walker is not the first, nor will he be the last to challenge conventional wisdom on controversial subjects. Before we begin burning their books and assassinating their character, perhaps we need to be certain that there is no kernal of truth from which we might better understand something. In reading Mr. Thompson’s post of the excerpt in Gary Walker’s, “The Truth About Slavery” , I believe Mr. Walker is attempting to shed light on the fact that, despite the hardships and cruelties that occurred and that our media “experts” repeatedly hold up before the public as “the norm”, many instances of real affection did occur between whites and blacks.
I have in my library two books that Mr. Thompson, and anyone else wanting a clearer understanding of slavery would profit from. I offer my comments here to expose the ugly human tendency to arrogantly denounce those who challenge our thinking on issues we refuse to examine ourselves. The first was written by Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, Mr. Robert William Fogel and Stanley L. Engerman, entitled “Time On The Cross”. Historian John Kenneth Galbraith wrote of it, “Detailed, absorbing and exceedingly controversial. I wouldn’t think that any person who pretends to knowledge of the time and region could possibly ignore it.”
I would also like to recommend Eugene D. Genovese’s “Roll, Jordan, Roll – The World The Slaves Made”. Both works support Mr. Walker’s recognition that the American people are grossly ignorant of the complexities that were a part of the institution.
I suspect that the fine women in the local Women’s Club, that have come to know something of Mr. Gary Walker, personally, over the years, know that he is not the sinister character that he’s been made out to be. I certainly trust their judgement and admire their courage to not allow a vocal few to “politicize” their event. The only “trouble” that I can see related to this annual Floyd event, stems from those who want to flout their elevated sense of moral superiority. I am reminded of a quote that appears to apply here;
“Today Political correctness has replaced the old witch trials”. How apt.
The Floyd Press did a real whitewash job on this controversy this morning. Talk about trying to sweep things under the rug. They made it sound like all this is just one man upset over the presence of Mr. Walker at the arts and crafts fair.
I know a lot of people who are extremely upset with the womens club over allowing the man to peddle his racist revisionist history under the phony guise of “art.” The author of that story needs to get out and learn more about what happens in the community. My husband and I plan to cancel our subscription to the Press.
Mr. Walker is not being “prejudged” by anyone. He has written books that express his view on slavery and that view can only be described as racist. He discusses a historically racist practice in a manner that keeps racism alive today.
Mr. Walker would have us believe that the practice of slavery was beneficial for the slave, his master, and the South. That the relationship between slave and master was a happy one. That the absence of slave uprisings can only mean that slaves were satisfied with their situation. Apparently there is something attractive about working from sun up to sun down for no money and living in squalor.
As an African-American I find Mr. Walker’s work highly offensive. Clearly he knows nothing of the Black experience and should not label himself an expert or historian on the subject. I, and other African-Americans in Floyd, wonder why he is invited to the Arts & Crafts Fair. Does the ladies club hold dear those vendors with poorly edited, self-published books that mangle the history of African-Americans in order to make White southerners look good?
I’ll pass on the Arts & Crafts Fair again this year. And I’ll “get over it” when Mr. Walker and like minded individuals finally come to terms with the fact that their ancestors lost a war that enabled my ancestors, who were slaves, to become free.
I can not believe the prejudgements and hate on this subject. My husbands ancestors the Coles and the Vests, all were Confederate soldiers. We are proud of their service, that does not make us racist anymore then it does Mr. Walker because one does not agree with his book. There are thousands of books on this subject and not one of us will all agree on them. When did this craft show become so judgemental,and the notice sent Mr. Walker from the vendor chairman is indeed threatening. Now theres a dress code? Ligten up people, get over it. Mr. Walker is a decent man. The problem seems to be with those among you who want to start trouble and grumble over something that is entirely needless. It is not racism to discuss the past.
I will believe your claim that Mr. Walker is an honorable man if he honors his promise to not attend the arts and crafts fair if anyone can prove just one “fact” in his book to be wrong. The challenge was taken and more than one of his “facts” disproven. If he is the man of honor that you claim then let him prove it by staying out of Floyd County during the arts and crafts fair. A true man of his word would keep his pledge.
The question of Mr. Walker’s credentials as a historian are no longer an issue. Mr. Prokosch has proven he is not. As one who has read two of Mr. Walker’s books, I can also testify that he is not a writer. His books are filled with misspellings and errors in grammar, a problem we often find with self-published authors who lack the services of an editor or a firm grasp of the English language.
Therefore, we can also discard the question of any artistic quality. Self-published, error-prone prose does not pass the test. Perhaps the women’s club of Floyd can resolve the issue with a rule that vanity publishers need not apply.
Is it not odd, Ms. Schroeder, that you preach tolerance for those who support the intolerance of slavery and castigate those who oppose such oppression? Is it not odd that you defend racism and criticize those who oppose it? What you advocate is hypocrisy, Ms. Schroeder. If you want a definition of intolerance, I suggest you look in a mirror. If shining the light of exposure on the presence of racism in our community offends you then you need to be offended. If this community was so tight knit before Mr. Thompson and others brought this deplorable situation to light then someone needed to untie the knot. I, for one, am glad he did.
There are a lot of things that “burn my biscuits”. Among them, people who stand on a soap box and preach tolerance loudly and passionately through a megaphone of self-righteousness, yet have zero tolerance for anyone who dares to voice an opinion contrary to their own.
I am not a huge fan of President Clinton, but he did say one thing that I have never forgotten. He said, “Just as war is freedom’s cost, disagreement is freedom’s privilege.” We have the right to disagree. Everyone has an opinion. They are subjective. If you pit your opinion against the opinion of another, it will always end in a stalemate. Each party will inevitably believe passionately in their own opinion and both sides will always think that they are enlightening the other side by merely opening their mouth. The same can be said of name calling. At the end of the day, you’re right back to square one. It gets you nowhere. Just like this disagreement or discussion or debate or whatever you want to call it is getting us nowhere.
After 53 comments, many of which have been over the top, rude, and disrespectful, it is entirely clear to me that no one is going to emerge from this debate a “winner”. It doesn’t matter which side of the fence you are sitting on, everyone is going to lose something. Up until Mr. Thompson posted a diatribe designed to enrage the masses and initiate the verbal lynching of a self-published Civil War author and self-proclaimed historian most of us had never even heard of, we were a community. We live, work, and worship together. Are we going to let this issue divide us? Or, are we going to agree to disagree and be done with it?
If I understand your reasoning Ms. Schroeder it is that the fault lies with Mr. Thompson for bringing this situation to light. You apparently believe the women’s club shares no responsibility for bringing Mr. Walker into your midst and that they have no responsbility for not having the backbone to do something about it when his presence disrupted the fabric of your community.
Shame on you Ms. Shroeder for an intolerant double standard. Would you be to tolerant if skinheads wanted to march in your Christmas parade and display a swastika? Would you stand idly by if an anti-Semite painted a portrait of Adolph Hitler and wanted to sell it at the arts and craft fair? Would you allow a follower of Robert Mapplethorpe to display photos of sado-masochism and human bondage at the fair? How about pornography featuring students at Floyd County High School?
How far does your absolute support of “artistic” freedom go Ms. Schroeder? I’d like to know. If you support the right of one man to exploit slavery then surely you support the right of others to exploit pornography, genocide or anti-Semitism. Your hypocrisy is that you support the right of a person to have objectionable opinions while you oppose the right of others to object to those opinions. Your brother-in-law may say your character is not the issue here. I say it is your character, and the character of others who allowed this situation to fester for so many years, that is the central issue.
Is it not ironic that Floyd, generally recognized as one of the more tolerant areas of Southwestern Virginia, threatens to ruin that reputation because of the stupidity of the women’s club? Wake up ladies! Racism, as preached by this man, has no place at your event! I, for one, will not patronize your event if Mr. Walker is present and I will encourage my friends to stay away as well. Shame on you!
How comical to hear people talk about how “tolerant” Floyd Co is, and then rant and rave about a person’s free speech. Same ol’ same ol’ with you. Diversity is fine as long as the people involved pass your test.All of America must have “tolerance” for any and all things you like BUT if you don’t like it, you have no “tolerance”. Please explain the difference to this born and raised Virginian.
Thank you, Doug, for setting the record straight. I remember sitting in the audience a couple of years ago when you presented a retrospective of your photojournalism images. I saw the emotion in your face when you talked about those days as a young man in Prince Edward County and I felt your pain as you described covering racial prejudice throughout the nation. I remember thinking “this is a man who has witnessed history through the lens of his camera” and reliving that history through your eyes increased my knowledge of the injustices of the world.
It is easy for wannabe historians to sit in their easy chairs and use their computers to visit web sites that pander to their particular point of view and then recycle that propaganda from those sites as “research” and “historical fact.” My ancestors, I’m ashamed to admit, owned slaves and the diary of my great-great-grandmother reveals much about the horrible treatment of the human chattel that we so callously used to build this country. I suspect Mr. Walker is one of those who claims the Halocaust didn’t occur. I am appalled at the womens club of Floyd’s pathetic attempt to rationalize bringing this man to our community. I, for one, will not patronize their fair or any other event sponsored by their organization.
After re-reading what I had previously wrote, I think I need to clarify a few things because I am obviously being misinterpreted.
1. I had previously stated my position on slavery, and did not feel the need to repeat it. However, I think several people missed it and I probably need to say it again. I believe that slavery is a vile, inhuman, demeaning institution. The mere thought of owning another person is repugnant to me.
2. I read Mr. Walker’s book several months ago when Rob’s letter to the Editor was published. In my opinion, Mr. Walker attempted to take the complex issue of slavery and write about it from the mindset of the time in which it occurred. Unfortunately, Mr. Walker’s book suffers from bad grammar, questionable sources, too much opinion, and not enough fact. This is due in part to the desire of Mr. Walker to ignore all credible sources that do not portray the South in a favorable light. In short, it makes a mockery out of the title of his book, but I do not consider that in itself enough to label him a racist.
3. Do I endorse his book? No. Will I buy it for stocking stuffers? Absolutely not, but I can tolerate it. Like and tolerate are opposites. If I liked it, I wouldn’t have to tolerate it. Do you see the difference? We live in a free country. I get to decide for myself what I like and what I merely tolerate. Do I have to tolerate it in silence? Absolutely not.
4. Mr. Prokosh and a small handful of others are the only ones who have read the book and are debating this issue on its merits in a calm, clear, concise manner. I applaud their efforts. Everyone else is engaging in character assassination and gorilla warfare.
5. In Mr. Walker’s bio, he claims he was “propelled from obscurity” by the success of one of his books. This is a claim Mr. Thompson considers false – a position I agree with, but believe me, after all the attention that has been brought to this matter by this blog, this blog could very well be the springboard from which he does get “propelled from obscurity”.
6. Mr. Thompson played it smart. His initial posting was designed to cause shock and outrage. Without shock and outrage, no one would have been stirred enough to debate.
7. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone has expressed their opinion. If you don’t believe me, start at the beginning. Everyone is passionate about their opinion. Nothing is going to change their opinion. Every angle of this issue has been debated. With nothing left to debate, people are on the attack. This is a lose-lose situation. Things have gotten ugly and totally out of hand. It needs to either take a more respectful tone or stop altogether because when the smoke clears, we are all going to have to co-exist.
Michelle, I appreciate your clarification on the issue and I agree with you that emotion has overcome reason in some of the commentary posted here.
Racism is an emotional issue for many, myself included. I have been fighting it with my writing and photography for 49 years. When I read Gary Walker’s book I was shocked by its lack of depth and angered by its attempt to pass undocumented opinion off as historical fact. I’ve seen far too much of that in my profession, including the 23 years that Amy and I spent inWashington .
I subscribe to Finley Peter Dunne’s observation that it is the role of a journalist "to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." This blog exists primarily as a catalyst for community discussion. I raised the issue because I felt it needed to be raised.
When I was a second grader at Floyd Elementary School I remember asking my mother why local restaurants had a "whites only" sign on their doors and why a friend of mine who happened to be black had to go to school in a dreary, substandard building over in New Town while I went to the nice brick school house. She instilled into me an understanding that just because that was the way things were did not make the situation right.
You are welcome to your opinion that I set out to invoke shock and outrage. I disagree. It is a difference of opinion — nothing more, nothing less. I feel the shock and outrage that followed emerged because others inFloyd County shared my feeling that this situation could have been avoided if the women’s club had shown a little more sensitivity to the diversity of our community. That also is our opinion versus the opinion of others.
As a journalist I am always sensitive to the issue of free speech but I cannot agree that Gary Walker’s presence at the fair is a free speech issue. Private organizations make decisions all the time on what they do or do not want as part of events they sponsor. I doubt the club would allow a photographer like Bob Shell of Radford to display his photographs of sado-masochism. Such "art" would be deemed inappropriate for community standards although there may be others who consider such photography as art. That question, of course, is moot because Shell is in prison.
No one from the women’s club has addressed the claim that the club insisted Mr. Walker return after he offered to skip the event because of past controversies. If it is true that the club invited him back after he offered to not return then the club, in my opinion, stopped being a passive sponsor and become a willing advocate of the man’s position on slavery. It if is not true the club needs to clear up that issue.
Also at issue is Gary Walker’s credibility. You and I agree that his book is unsourced opinion. Yet he passes it off as serious historical research. He claims to be a successful author who has sold "thousands" of books that have received "hundreds" of glowing reviews. Requests that he document these claims have brought silence. I searched the Nexus database going back to 1996, the year he published The Truth About Slavery and could not find a single article in any publication dedicated to reviewing books. I also could not find a single article about any of his books in any publication that dealt with American history or educational research.
In his only response here, Gary Walker said:
Chris Prokosch, in a detailed response, said:
Having read not only The Truth About Slavery but also other books by Gary Walker I could devote the rest of this year to listing, and documenting, his many errors in fact but why bother? His silence raises the question of whether or not he is a man of his word and, if he appears in the county next weekend, he will prove he is not.
Like all of us, Gary Walker is entitled to his opinion and his right to express it but passing opinion and speculation off as historical research is misleading at best and possibly fraudulent when examined in more detail. My goal from the beginning was to exposeWalker for what I believe he is: a false historian.
The Floyd Women’s Club has the right to include whomever they want in their event and I hope that the discussion here will allow readers who attend the event to make an informed decision about visiting, or avoiding, Gary Walker’s display.
I’m a native Floyd Countian and I’m shocked, saddened and sickened by the actions of the woman’s club. Why on earth would they bring such a person into our midst? My ancestors fought in the Civil War but I cannot condone or accept the ravings of Mr. Walker and others of his ilk. Let him stay in Wytheville. Extremists like this should not be welcome in Floyd County.
I must say, two things come to mind. It is hard for me to say that I am a supporter of free speech and still find it so reprehensible that someone with views such as Mr. Walker’s are still accepted by enough people that there has not been a movement to ask him to perhaps not attend the craft fair. When I read the excerpt of his writings above I wonder how many people give credence to this man. I think the real point that he fails or refuses to see is that in the parent-child relationship, the child needs guidance from one that is more knowledgeable. The child needs this guidance as he is not yet equipped to navigate through life on his own. This implication, that the color of a person make them more apt to be in the role of guardian or child is racist. Though we have free speech, I think we would do well to remember that this does not change the fact that some things are morale certainties. I believe that racism is a detriment to morality.
Further, in response to the member of the Women’s Club, I would say that in many instances, silence or inaction can be seen as support. It all comes down to what the Women’s club would like to portray as their view. In a situation like this, I feel to be neutral shows as support. I think the statement below is naïve in its stance:
“It is not a juried show. The only criteria for entry has been if the item was made by the seller. If the answer was yes, then the application was accepted. There was no “vote” by the membership to let this individual in the show.”
The point is that if a person submitted some other obscene or objectionable material, I doubt it would continue to be welcomed the next year. So why is it in this case? She is saying that they do not vote to include it but the real matter should be, shouldn’t they vote to exclude it?
All these years later- still a thorny situation.You’re right Floyd is more a laid back gentle folksy place..sad
If slavery was that good, how come Gary Walker hasn’t volunteered to become one?
I am a member of the Floyd County Woman’s Club and am proud of the work that is done by this organization. I have never observed a single instance of racism by this organization or it’s members.
The arts and crafts festival is put together by an all volunteer group of dedicated women, several who have been doing this work for over 20 years- with no fanfare or expectation of “thank you”. It is not a juried show. The only criteria for entry has been if the item was made by the seller. If the answer was yes, then the application was accepted. There was no “vote” by the membership to let this individual in the show.
It is a shame that this individual’s book of revisionist history is casting a cloud over the Woman’s Club and the important work that is done each year. I also think it is a shame that the controversy is bringing the individual additional exposure.
I am not on the Board of the Woman’s Club nor on the committee that organizes the arts and crafts event and I have no authority to speak for either group. This is my own testimonial for the character of the women I know, and the work that is done by this group each year. I know the leadership of the Floyd County Woman’s Club to be kind, intelligent, hard working, and well meaning women. I trust that they will resove this problem to the satisfaction of most. The work of the members of the Floyd County Woman’s Club has contributed over $20,000 a year to worthy Floyd County causes. Please slow the rush to judgement. Thanks for listening.
A response posted to this discussion (and I use the term loosely here) has crossed the line. I know Ms. Schroeder. She is my sister-in-law. In my opinion, her character is not up for debate.
Ms. Schroeder does indeed preach tolerance for those who support the intolerance of slavery–otherwise known as tolerating those who are anti-slavery. To that I cannot disagree. In fact, if you knew Ms. Schroeder you would know she is more than tolerant of those people, she adamantly agrees with them. Then again, that’s not what you meant, is it? You meant that she preaches tolerance for those who support slavery. That may also be true. See you don’t “tolerate” the things you like. Tolerating is putting up with the things you don’t like. I read Human Events. I enjoy Human Events. I “tolerate” smutty publications like Hustler for instance as an inevitable byproduct of free speech. In America we have the right to have our say no matter how disgusting or deplorable others find it. That, I believe, was Ms. Schroeder’s opinion. The attack on her character which included such terms as “hypocrisy” and “intolerance” is grossly unfair. She cares deeply for her community and did not want to see it ripped apart by debate. You don’t want to go a round with me over Ms. Schroeder’s character–it is beyond debate.
Erin Gottschalk
homeowner–Annapolis, Maryland
With all due respect, Michelle Schroeder’s character is an issue when she chooses to enter a debate on such a sensitive subject. She accused Doug of posting “a diatribe designed to enrage the masses and initiate the verbal lynching of a self-published Civil War author and self-proclaimed historian most of us had never even heard of,” adding that until he brought this situatiomn to light “we were a community.” She obviously prefers a community that looks the other way when something objectionable comes into our midst. She obviously would prefer that Floyd be passive when it comes to standing up for human dignity. She obviously wants a community that sweeps the shameful history of slavery under the rug.
I am glad that Doug Thompson, Rob Neukirch, Shannon, Greene and so many others here have stood up to this kind of passive racism. I am pround to count myself as one of their supporters in this cause. And I am ashamed that those like Michaelle Shroeder prefer to look the other way and pretend things like this just don’t happen in our “close-knit” community. Her actions tell me all that I wish to know about her “character.”
even though Floyd is diverse for a small town, there are still a lot of racist people here. Most of them are older, conservative, very “religious” people that pile into the church every Sunday. It is really sad that there are a lot of ignorant people out there, but they are out there…and they are here in Floyd County as well.
You would be surprised, well, maybe not, but a lot of people are probably welcoming this man to the festival. At least, it looks like the “Woman’s Club” is.
In response to Mr. Thompson and several posters:
Mr. Doug Thompson admittedly wrote that he has not read Mr. Walkers book. Stating he had only read excerpts e-mailed to him by a friend.
This surprises me. How can anyone make such wide sweeping remarks with out knowing what they are talking about? I would have thought Mr. Thompson would have spent his time reading Mr. Walkers book; “The Truth About Slavery and the Coming War” rather than spending so much time googling Mr. Walker. Or picking up the phone and calling Mr. Walker to find out if he is a racist or not.
Which happens to bring up another question. In his article Mr. Thompson spent some time trying to dispel Mr. Walkers claims of being a “highly acclaimed Civil War author” but at the same time never mentioned the expertise that allows Mr. Thompson the right to say what is racist and what isn’t.
Several of the responders to Mr. Thompson’s article also condemns Mr. Walker’s book with out ever reading it. They are also condemning the Woman’s Club of Floyd for allowing Mr. Walker to sell his books at the festival. It’s a shame so many allow them selves to be enraged by the rants and raves of a man who doesn’t know what he’s talking about. They even go so far as attacking an organization which is devoted to doing good in the community.
As one lady who is a member of the Woman’s Club of Floyd stated; “several who have been doing this work for over 20 years- with no fanfare or expectation of “thank you”.
Well, Miss Kamala, I, for one, say thank you for all your work. It’s the type of work real Southern Ladies do. It’s part of our heritage and Southern culture. It’s one of the many things that makes the community a nice place to live. But like so many other cases, there are those who won’t get off their duff and help. Instead they had rather spend their time telling you what you should and shouldn’t do.
Lets take a look at Mr. Walker’s book. Like all books it’s up to the reader to agree or disagree, but how does one know with out reading the book? The book in question, “The Truth About Slavery and the Coming War” contrary to what Mr. Thompson wants you to believe is not a revisionist view of slavery. I know……. I’ve read the book.
Mr. Walker doesn’t condone slavery. He’s not trying to bring it back. He’s not trying to insult anyone who’s ancestor might have been a slave.
He’s just reporting what he’s researched concerning slavery. With chapters such as: Economics Related to Slavery, Slavery and Religion, Statute and Case Law Related to Slavery, An European View, A Northern View, A Northwestern View, A Free Black Southern View, A Southern view, A View From Slavery, and Slavery and the Coming War.
And for the benefit of Mr. Thompson who might not understand the title of the last chapter “Slavery and the Coming War” it is discussing the civil war, not some modern day race war. I wanted to clarify that because I know your to busy checking into Mr. Walker’s back ground and won’t take the time to read what your writing, complaining and protesting about.
Mr. Thompson in his hast to condemn Mr. Walker also for got to mention the other books Mr. Walker has written. “Hunters Raid Through the Virginia Valley;” ” Civil War Tales” one and two. “The War in Southwest Virginia 1861-1865,” “A General History of the Civil War, The Southern Point of View,” “Son of the South” (a novel) A children’s confederate coloring book and of course the book in question about slavery.
Keep in mind that Mr. Walker will have all his books there for sale. Not just the one about slavery.
I wonder? How many books has Mr. Thompson wrote about racism…… or anything else for that matter?
I also have to wonder how much more Mr. Walker must know about the civil war and life in general during that time period seeing how he’s spent so many “years” researching and writing eight books about it. Not to mention all the historical organizations that have him as a guess speaker.
How long has Mr. Thompson studied racism? Or the subject of slavery?
And while on that subject, Mr. Thompson stated;
“Floyd architect Shannon Green contacted the Woman’s Club after she was told that Walker’s books are used as reference material by history professors at Virginia Tech. She quickly discovered the claim was not true and that no professors at Tech are using Walker’s books.”
Shannon Green was “TOLD” ? By whom? In a court of law that’s “hear say.” Out side the court room it’s nothing but gossip. Instead of picking up the phone and calling Mr. Walker…… she took the time and trouble to contact Va. Tech? Who did she speak to there?
Maybe Mr. Walker’s books are not being used as reference material? I don’t know. But I do know that I’ve watched Va. Tech professor James I. (Bud) Robertson and also historian Shelby Foote speak on TV (the history channel) and Mr. Walker’s books were sitting on the book shelf behind them. One would think that if they have the book they’ve at least read it.
Mr. Thompson wrote; “That has prompted others in the county to consider more widespread forms of protest this year.”
May I ask, just what is it that you are protesting?
Do you think Mr. Walker’s book is derogatory toward blacks? How do you know if you haven’t read it? Has any black person that’s read it complained? Mr. Walker has given the book to blacks and they haven’t come back complaining or protested. If I’m not mistaken he gave one to Rev. Green of Roanoke. For those that don’t know, Rev. Green was five time president of the local NAACP chapter in Roanoke. If Rev. Green didn’t complain, why are you?
For years Mr. Walker has been going all over the South selling his books at events just like the one to be held in Floyd and there has been no complaints of racism. Could it be Mr. Thompson is wiser than all those people, all over the south, at all those events? Does he specialize in racism and therefore recognize it when others don’t? Has he experienced it first hand? Or is he just the kind of man who will attack the author of a book with out reading the book or even talking to the author personally? Is he a social expert? Literary genius? Or zealous nut searching for a cause to champion?
Are you protesting the Floyd County Woman’s Club? Because those fine ladies are allowing a man to sell his books at their event? The key here is “sell his books.” Not spread racist propaganda. They’re history books, not political. What is there to fear from history? The truth? These ladies should be applauded not protested. Not only are they doing something good for Floyd, they are also providing equal rights. Why would some one want to ruin their day with a protest based on unfounded claims of racism?
If you must protest, don’t buy the book. What’s the old saying? “I might not like what you say, but I’ll defend your right to say it.”
For those who are so eager to jump on Mr. Thompson’s band wagon I can only suggest you learn the facts for yourself, not hear say, before you find yourself a member of his lynch mob attacking one Christian man and a bunch of nice ladies. Take the time to meet Mr. Walker. Judge him for yourself. Read his book. To Mr. Thompson’s surprise, you don’t even have to purchase it. You’ll find a copy in the Floyd library. But don’t tell him, he’ll want to remove that next. Maybe have a book burning like the nazi’s held in Germany.
But what ever you do, base your decision on facts. The truth. Not just on what you’ve been told. Especially when the person making the claims doesn’t know what the heck he’s talking about.
Floyd County property owner,
Robert Yates Howlett
(540) 309-1814
Your suppositions, Mr. Howlett, are as poorly-researched as Mr. Walker’s books. I said a friend emailed me some excerpts from the book. I didn’t say I hadn’t read the book. I have. In fact, I’ve read several of Mr. Walker’s purported "books" and found them sloppily-researched, overflowing with grammatical and spelling errors and rife with undocumented claims and wild suppositions. My opinion about it and its author stands: Gary Walker is not a historian or a researcher or even a writer. He’s just another prejudiced Southern apologist who tries — poorly — to defend an indefensible position.
I’ve been dealing with racism since I was 10 years old — 49 years ago. That’s when, as a youngster in Prince Edward County, Virginia, I watched the Klan-controlled school board and county supervisors close the public schools rather than integrate. I watched friends of mine whose only crime was being born with a different color skin locked out of the education system because of racism. I saw them become slaves of prejudice, Mr. Howlett, and it turned my stomach.
That’s how I got interested in journalism, a fact you could easily discovered if you had taken the time to just check the about section of this web site. I wrote for the local paper about being a youngster in a racist community. I crept up on a Klan rally one night and photographed the cowards in their white sheets. After we left Farmville and moved back to the family home near Willis, I wrote about racism in Floyd County while working for The Floyd Press in high school and later while writing for The Roanoke Times from 1965-69.
I have more than a dozen awards from the Virginia Press Association, the Illinois Press Association, the Associated Press Managing Editors and other groups hanging on my wall and several of them came from writing about and photographing the ugly reality of racism in this country. I’ve seen racism first hand in the riots that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King and I’ve covered it as a journalist on the dust of Selma, Alabama, the back roads of Mississippi and the streets of Washington, DC.
As a Southerner, I’ve watched with horror as other natives of the South try to use "tradition" to justify a warped view of a deplorable period in our history. I’ve watched apologists like Gary Walker twist the facts too many times. Historical revisionists don’t fool me Mr. Howlett because I’ve dealt with them for nearly five decades.
What do I know about racism? A lot. I’ve lived around it, observed it, researched it and covered it as a journalist for more than 40 years.
So don’t pretend you can lecture me about racism, slavery or the South, Mr. Howlett. I’m a Southerner who takes no pride in the racism and bigotry that still dominates too much of the this nation. I’m an American with a sense of my country’s history and a shame that comes from knowing that this nation was founded on the belief that only white men could be free. I’m a journalist who researches my subjects before writing about them.
Gary Walker is welcome to his opinion and to write all the vanity-published books he wants but to try and pass those books off as serious historical research is laughable at best. His vain attempts try and document his claims by using his previous undocumented works as reference material is an old trick. He claims to have "hundreds" of glowing reviews of his book but he has failed to answer the challenge to produce even one. He claims to have "thousands" of readers but not one of his books has ever appeared on a single best seller list from any source.
I’m a journalist, Mr. Howlett. I deal in facts. I leave the fantasies and illusions of the "glories" of the old South to historical revisionists.
–Doug Thompson
Also a property owner in Floyd County, Carrroll County and quite a few other places as well.
I am sorry Peggy but I cannot agree that Mr. Walker is a decent man. A decent man does not call those who disagree with him a “radical left-wing hate monger.” A decent man does not try to pass off pro-slavery rhetoric as “historical research.” A decent man does not claim his books are used as “teaching references” when they are not.
And a “decent man” would keep his word after making a pledge to stay away if anyone could find errors in his book. Errors were found. If he shows up in Floyd this weekend he will prove to everyone that he is not a “decent man.”
Amen Carol. So far Mr. Walker has not shown us a single trait that would qualify him as a decent man. He engages in name calling, issues a challenge and then goes silent when that challenge is angered. Decent men don’t act like that.
Give ‘em hell Doug! It is high time someone stood up for what’s right and faced down the hyprocrisy of using the phony excuse of tradition to justify bigotry.
Mr. Howlett,
I don’t have alot of time this morning to re-read your post or put my words together. But I did read your post and a couple of things immediately came to mind.
First, you addressed all of your comments to Doug Thompson, but he is just one of many who feel uncomfortable or passionate about Mr. Walker selling his book at the Craft Fair. He just happens to have this blogging medium where he and others can express their feelings. Many of us do not have an outlet to express ourselves and Doug is appreciated for opening his blog to anyone who would like to write.
Secondly, most folks I know are not “against” the women’s club but against Mr. Walkers interpretation of slavery.
Thirdly, statements like “If I’m not mistaken he gave one to Rev. Green of Roanoke”, and then go on to tell us
how acclaimed Rev. Green is, shows me that you are grasping at straws and don’t really know what you’re talking about.
Lastly, you mention that Walker has sold his book all over the south and never before has he had any complaints. Well, that just reaffirms to me how special Floyd is. We are a community that thinks, acts and stands up for each other and that which is good for all.
Have a good day.
Rio Semione
(not a property owner anywhere but still a viable member of my community)
For those of us that may have had a hard time finding a copy of Gary Walker’s book (not sold in stores, and not at any library in the region- I called), here are a few gems. Judge for yourself, as he describes slavery as “an institution blessed by every religion men have followed. In all countries of the world; an institution supported by the political systems of the world, and law and tradition.” p. 140, The Truth About Slavery
On what he repeatedly refers to as “the boat trip”: “It was in the best economic interests of the captain to deliver more slaves alive and in good physical condition. A healthy slave is a more valuable slave.” ibid, p.137. Shuffleboard on the deck?
On why slaves were so well treated: “The slave gave the household the modern equivalent of a brand new Cadillac car in the driveway. As a brand new car receives extra attention by the owner, so did the slave. Who would damage their most important status symbol?” ibid, p.34. Frequent waxings were common.
On the cozy sexual relations between master and slave, “It does not appear that direct confrontation of sexual matters was a major problem, because of the motivational tools available to the master. The female object of the master’s desire could usually be persuaded to submit without a major confrontation.” ibid, p.27 Ah, the good old days.
And, my personal favorite, the “truth” about the slavery “lifestyle”: “Before 1865 slavery wasn’t foreign; it was common. It was a way of life. Like any way of life it had its negatives and its positives. On the negative side there was a lack of freedom of choice, lack of opportunity to succeed or fail, and lack of personal responsibility. On the positive side there was no fear of unemployment, no lack of food, clothing, shelter, medical care, no need for long term planning, no need to save for a daughter’s wedding or one’s retirement, no need for agonizing over business decisions, and less accountability for the errors that all human’s (sic) make.” ibid, p.194. Sounds pretty good, no?
If someone wanted a booth at the fair to sell their handmade pornography, or to promote Neo Naziism or suicide bombing, the School Board and the Woman’s Club would find a way to prevent them. This is not a free speech issue, it’s a community values issue. Do Mr. Walker’s views reflect the values of our community? I hope not.
Another carpetbagging hatemonger.
Boy Ms. Bishop, you certainly have a lot of pent-up frustration. Have you tried yoga?
Ms. Bishop and Mr. Carlson my response was aimed at both sides, not just one. But, thank-you to you both for so eloquently proving my point. We need to move on.
Once again Doug you do your community proud by shining the spotlight of public attention on an important matter. Any plans I had to attend that event are now history. I will not support any activity that endorses racism.
My God, what is the woman’s club thinking? This man has no place at an arts and crafts fair?
Floyd County seemingly has animosity towards anything regarding Southwest Virginia’s Confederate birthright. It’s a depressing state of which our nation has arrived at when individuals are discouraged from honoring, or even acknowledging their namesake for political correctness, and for fear of offending. Heaven forbid someone be offended by the display of any Confederate symbolism, while on the other hand, it seems only proper that proud descendents be ridiculed and disgraced.
Indeed, slavery was a dark time in our nation’s history. However, sadly enough, slaves were brought to this great country of ours under the American flag, not the Confederate flag, and long before “Cotton is King” was even whispered. One thing the Southern men and boys on the front lines knew beyond a shadow of a doubt was the President of the United States had raised troops to invade his own country. Whether it was right or wrong is open to one’s own interpretation. Regardless, many felt their homes and families were in danger, and they would do whatever it took to defend the only home many had ever known. That should be admirable despite any background, creed, or race.
Thank you for writing such an insightful response. In my opinion, you have just set a wonderful example. I wholeheartedly agree with 95% of your assessment. The other 5%, is as you said “a difference of opinion — nothing more, nothing less”. I hope others will follow your lead and respect the right of others to voice their opinion, as well as the right of others to disagree with it, without going for the jugular.