School board to vote on name change for Stuart High School next week
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| Advocates of a name change for Stuart High School at a school board meeting in June. |
The Fairfax County School Board agreed at a work session July 17 to proceed with a vote on changing the name of JEB Stuart High School at its July 27 meeting, although there was much discussion about whether a decision should be delayed.
According to an observer, “there seems to be a growing consensus that the name has to change.” There is also recognition among the board members, however, that there needs to be a compromise about what the new name should be and that a decision on whether the name should be changed or not should reflect more than a simple majority of board members.
Compelling need
Board members did not agree to the wording of a draft resolution proposed by Sandy Evans (Mason) and plan to draft a new resolution before the July 27 board meeting.
The draft resolution states that “there is a compelling need to change the name of JEB Stuart High School to one that better reflects Fairfax County values and diversity and one in keeping with the One Fairfax Resolution.” [One Fairfax, adopted by the school board and Board of Supervisors a year ago, calls for a racial and social equity policy to underlie all county services.]
The draft resolution states that the compelling need is based on these factors: “the name’s clear and overarching association with the Confederate cause”; the fact that many foundational principles of the Confederacy run counter to the values of diversity, inclusion, and equity that are fundamental to the mission” of FCPS; and that “the namesake does not have another principal legacy or contribution to the community.”
Only two board members, Elizabeth Schultz (Springfield) and Tamara Derenak Kaufax (Lee), said outright they would not support a resolution to change the school name. Aside from Evans, board chair Jane Strauss (Dranesville), Pat Hynes (Hunter Mill), Dalia Palchik (Providence), and Ryan McElveen (at large) said they support a name change.
Karen Corbett Sanders (Mount Vernon), Megan McLaughlin (Braddock), and Thomas Wilson (Sully) indicated they could support a name change if there is a compromise and there is a strong majority. McLaughlin, Schultz, and Wilson also appeared to favor delaying a vote.
Another Stuart?
One of the compromises suggested at the work session was to drop “JEB” and retain the name Stuart in honor of the entire Stuart family. According to proponents of that option, JEB Stuart’s family also included heroes in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812, senators, and judges.
Another alternative presented at the meeting was to retain the name Stuart, but have the school named for Gilbert Stuart, the early American artist best known for his portraits of George Washington and other presidents. This Stuart is from Rhode Island, however, and doesn’t have a connection to Virginia.
Those in favor of keeping the Stuart name argued it would be a cost-saving measure, as the school wouldn’t have to replace athletic or band uniforms.
Cost issues
When board members asked Bill Curran, FCPS director of activities and athletic programs, about the potential cost of a name change, he wasn’t able to produce any cost estimates in writing and said he didn’t know how much it would cost to replace signs in the building.
Those opposed to a name change had previously cited estimates as high as $750,000 to $1 million – but that would include $250,000 for spirit wear, optional athletic accessories, and personal property. Most of those expenses would be covered by booster clubs, however.
According to a previous estimates from the FCPS facilities department, all signs inside and outside the building could be replaced for $23,500. Other costs – which are already in the FCPS or budget or in the booster club’s fundraising plan – total $654,500. No one from the facilities department was at the school board work session.
In fact, there has been a lack of communication throughout the whole process, a community member said. And there hasn’t been an effort to find an objective third party to affirm or dispute the historical claims presented by name change opponents.
The ad hoc committee established by the school board a year ago to consider a name change failed to reach a consensus and instead of submitting a unified proposal, split into two factions – one supporting a name change and one opposing it.
Meanwhile teachers continue to leave the school. Do the people in the photo realize how idiotic they appear?
According to FCPS the number of teachers who left JEB Stuart HS this year is the "lowest number in memory."
I'm not surprised in the least. Principal Penny Gros (one 'S') has changed things dramatically for the better over the past two years. Our daughter's junior/senior year experiences were vastly better than what we saw freshman/sophomore year.
Actually, it was reported that 47 teachers and staff left JEB Stuart in the last year at a shocking 65% above the national average.
Maybe it is the hate filled school environment created by the intolerant name changers, or it could be the stagnant teacher salaries and cock roach and rat infestations that one million dollars could help solve.
4:21 Anon–your anger is stronger than any logical connection between the assortment of assertions in your post. 65% above average in what metric? Where was it reported? Can you find one faculty member who says the name change discussion has had an impact on the school environment, much less created a "hate filled" one? And has anyone suggested this will cost a million dollars? Or that such money not spent on name change will go directly into salaries or pest management? Wow–that's a lot to unpack. Or maybe you're just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.
The fcps staff stated it will cost more than $700,000 dollars, and this does not include the tens of thousands of dollars wasted already by school officials on the name change nonsense, as well as the estimated 300,000in new spirit wear by students and families, of which 50% live in poverty.
Meanwhile, name changers lied lied lied and said that it would only cost 22,000 dollars.
As for the other bunk you stated it's all there. 47 teachers left in the last year, at a level 65% above the national level.
Name changers just waste money and could care less about the harmful impact to the community. Maybe you are happy about it, but it disgusts the rest of us.
These "activists" have no business spending even one dollar on this name change just so they can feel good. There are many more pressing needs that should be met first to actually help educate these kids. It's a very self-aggrandizing thing they are doing. Not really about the kids or improving education.
The name change is needed, as well as an end to glorifying the confederacy and all the racism which goes along with it. A majority of today's generation of students agree with this as well. Unfortunately, there are those dead set against the name change who are spreading misinformation about the cost of this, as well as the white supremacist past associated with this part of the country…
Actually, you are completely wrong.
A poll was taken last year in 2016 of students at JEB Stuart and 90% of the students were found to either like the current name or see no compelling need to change the name.
Most want the million dollars of money from frivolous name changes spent to fix the toilets and rat and cock roach infestation they witness frequently on the campus.
Since even our current president polls in the mid 30% range these days, I don't believe that 90% figure for a minute–would love to see any evidence of the methodology that backs it up. But since the $1 million seems made up, too, I won't hold my breath.
The 2016 student poll showing 87% of the students either liking jeb stuart name or not seeing a compelling need to change. All this was in the subcomittee report and reported to the school board.
As dor, the one million dollarit was fcsb staff that came up with the $700,000 figure to change the school name.
Plus it has been estimated by boosters and others that it will cost students and parents $300,000 to replace existing spirit wear. Coupled with 50% of the students living in poverty, this is pretty heartless of the name changers to burden the poor with a bogus and unneeded name change that few people want.
And this does not even include the tens of thousands of dollars wasted over the past year on school meetings, analysis, lawyers, police, school board time.
What's even sadder is the dishonest name changers said it would only cost $22,000. Very sad they would resort to decieving the public.
The defenders of keeping the school's name are delusional. It will change; the only question is when and whether the current School Board wants to be the ones who do so or go down in history as timid defenders of institutional racism who listened to numerous students, parents and community members explain how the name was prejudicial and harmful and then ignored them.
Racism is a bunch of ignorant liberal white people going into a school comprised of 75% latino, asian, Arab, and black and calling them derogatory names and threatening them into silence if they don't support the unwanted name change.
Many African American students and community members do not support the name change, and it is racist to misrepresent their views.
4:30, I see you were on quite the rant the other day. (Also 4:21, 4:26.) You make a lot of assertions. You don't back them up with any support, except to throw around unsubstantiated numbers hoping they sound authoritative.
Four states in the Union fought to retain slavery during the civil war (Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri).
The war was fought over Union verses secession. Stuart was just a soldier who fought for his State of Virginia.
Who was morally superior when the Union soldiers from the northern slave state of Maryland fought against Jeb and Virginia?
Please read and study american history and think beyond some naacp hate propaganda.
Contrary to the above comments (written by the same person?), today's generation of students agrees with the name change – and, more importantly, to stop glorifying the confederacy and the white supremacy which is part of the "lost cause". The moral cost of keeping the name is far greater than the financial costs of re-designing the school and replacing uniforms (which would need replacing at some point regardless). It is my understanding that private donations would offset a portion of these costs.
So you think it is better to put money to change the name of a failing school versus going to support the students in the failing school. Changing the name will solve all their problems.
David. Sorry, you are very wrong. 90% of JEB Stuart students surveyed reject a name change.
Look at the whole 7 white liberals that are upset about the name. Better act fast.
LOL
The preceding poster likes the Keeper narrative that only "white liberals" favor the name change. Hard to reconcile, though, with recent testimony in favor of the name change by the black president of the Black Student Union at Stuart, the Hispanic student body president, and many other students, parents and community members of color. When the keepers deliberately spread so much misinformation, the School Board's obligation to do the right thing and change the name becomes even clearer.
Why is there a Black Student Union at all? Isn't that exactly what the NAACP wants? Keep us all divided to build their members and fill their coffers.
Many African Americans in the school and community are against the school name change, and erasing history.
90% of the student population was polled last year and found to like the current name or see no compelling need to change the name.
They also have complained to the school board about being bullied, threatened, and intimidated into changing the school name for just disagreeing.
So much for tolerance.
"The FCSB draft resolution states that “there is a compelling need to change the name of JEB Stuart High School to one that better reflects Fairfax County values and diversity and one in keeping with the One Fairfax Resolution.” [One Fairfax, adopted by the school board and Board of Supervisors a year ago, calls for a racial and social equity policy to underlie all county services.]"
Yale University's Witt Committee similarly outlines four principles that should guide any consideration of renaming: (1) whether the namesake’s principal legacy fundamentally conflicts with the university’s mission; (2) whether that principal legacy was contested during the namesake’s lifetime; (3) the reasons the university honored that person; and (4) whether the building so named plays a substantial role in forming community at Yale.
How does the lost cause factor into remembering a Virginian who died to protect his homeland? Also the word moral cost is not really a sound argument. Anon 11:08 is pretty silly. Just go and look at the reports the only ones appearing to spread misinformation are the changers if you look at the keepers research it actually looks like sound academic work.
What was JEB Stuart protecting "his homeland" from?
Was he fighting to protect the 490,800 Africans living in VA at the time? No. Was he fighting to protect the 1.1 million free people? No. He was fighting on behalf of the 52,000 slaveowners and their rights, the rights of 3% of the population in VA, to continue to make money off their slaves' and the slave trade in VA.
The keepers reports are made up of personal attacks on the proponents for the name change and individual school board members, not any research at all. You should read them.
I would appreciate if you did not use the name of my birthplace and homeland for political reasons. This is about the Virginians who saw an army at their doorstep and decided to fight it. People concentrate to heavily on the souths reason for seceding and ignore then fact that President Lincoln himself said his reason for attacking the south was to preserve the union and not to end slavery. So in short he saw an army assembling at the doorstep of his home state and joined the cause that was made up of more Virginians then non-Virginians I know its hard for someone as close minded as yourself to try and understand what people in the past went though while still trying to understand from the person form the pasts point of view and not their own. You are viewing the past totally from a modern point of view which is a very basic way to look at the past.
I have read them, do you dispute the emails clearly showing that individual schools board members had a large hand in supporting the name change crowd or an outside agency (the NAACP). I'm under the impression they are not suppose to be that directly involved in something as political because their focus should be on improving the schools no? Keep talking down to me its pretty cute how you try to manipulate the masses with name calling. Personal attacks on politicians are par for the course anyways and school board members seem to be equally politicians and administrators so its expected anyways.
For reference I went to Jeb I know the problems that school has I have heard they have only gotten worse and don't believe that pouring fresh litter into the litter box will cover up whats underneath for long.
I appreciate constructive criticism, and would like to share some of my own for you, Anonymous.
JEB Stuart joined the Confederate Army a few weeks before Virginia legally ratified the vote to secede, but he had already resigned his commission in the US Army when he did. No one was at his doorstep. The south was amassing arms months before April 1861, readying to kill Americans, Virginians, anyone who opposed them, to preserve slavery through secession. This is why the south fought the war. This is what JEB Stuart and the Confederacy stand for.
I'm going to assume Anon 1:52, 2:04, and 2:06 is the same person, since all three messages are equally incomprehensible. The school board isn't to be political? They're elected by citizens; that's the definition of political; they're not administrators at all. "JEB Stuart was protecting his homeland"…which had chosen to secede from the Union over the issue of slavery. Stop whitewashing–yeah, that's *exactly* the word–history. NAACP as an outside "agency"–well, it is an organization made up of citizens who, like all citizens, have voice in governmental decisions (despite JEB's best efforts, it could be added). "Name calling"? Mason District's comment above seems remarkably restrained, topical, and hardly personal.
I do always enjoy those who tell us that we are viewing the past from a modern point of view. Yes, I suppose we are. As was the FCPS board in the 1950s, when they chose to honor JEB Stuart–in the context of Brown v. Board of Ed. and Virginia's Massive Resistance (another questionable legacy of your 'homeland'). But while you want to dismiss these as "modern" concerns, you seem to have forgotten that Stuart and his fellow rebels were fighting against their own contemporaries who also found their actions and intentions abhorrent.
It's said history is written by the victors. Except for the Civil War, where the losers have been clinging to that lost cause for a century and a half. Time to let go, to move on, and to honor today's students from our diverse community with a school name they can all feel proud of. I know my Anglo daughter, a member of the class of 2017, does not enter adulthood with any pride about the current name, nor do many of her classmates of all backgrounds–even as they greatly appreciate the school and the strides it has made over the past several years.
Well put another anon and mason district
I graduated from Stuart more than 30 years ago, and can tell you that even when I was a tiny freshman, I certainly knew the school's name was out of date, and that the time to HONOR J.E.B. Stuart was long gone. Remember him? Yes, we should; in the history books, at the museums, and actual landmarks.
Those who wish to argue about the cost of this need to take that fight to the fools who don't want to fund our schools sufficiently in the first place. I am most certainly not among them.
Apparently you never studied the civil war and do not know 4 union states in the north fought to preserve slavery under the US Constitution. Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri.
The civil war was about whether to preserve the Union or allow it to break in pieces through secession.
Lincoln even overturned orders early in the war of zealous generals who tried to emancipate slaves in the south.
Even the emancipation proclamation was an act ion of war aimed at disrupting the South's miliary effort and economy, and applied only to southern slave states (not the 4 slave states of the north).
Virginia was a peaceful state and voted to reject secession. It was only after the firing of Fort Sumter when Lincoln asked for 75,000 troops from all the other states that virginia seceded.
And this was after the virginia governor refused to fight and kill people who from their point of view just wanted to be left alone.
The virginia assembly then voted for secession. It was then that JEB Stuart resigned from the US Army, as he was bound to duty by his state.
Had he stayed in the US Army he would have been forced to fight against, and even kill his family and neighbors in Virginia.
He was not involved in the political decisions as officers are forbidden to politicking.
JEB Stuart was a magnifent soldier before the war in the US Army, and one of the best Cavalry officers and soldiers in America history, and studied around the world (including JEB's famous ruses used by Eisenhower during D-Day in WWII, liberating Europe,and saving millions of untold lives.)
The Constitutionality of Secession was settled by war. After the war, Lincoln asked the war torn nation to heal wounds and demonstrate "Malice toward None."
Name changers like to desecrate the honored dead sokdier who died doing their duty, and demonstrate "Malice toward JEB."
Lol the contemporaries of the J.E.B. had great respect for him many were his friends and the personal attack comment was implying I didn't read the reports when I had said I did therefore calling me a liar. Also the NAACP is going into a school where white people are a minority to take divide a community. Abe Lincoln himself would not likely had liked the way name changers are behaving because it was known that he was not a fan of abolitionists because how divisive they were. But hey if you get off to the illusion of actually making progress then I hope it helps you sleep at night 🙂
Dif anon does your daughter realize she would not really be considered a part of the stuart alumni ? (Not that many people really care). The alumni will have to start from scratch with the new name.
12:51–I presume you're referring to the alumni association that has threatened to disband/disassociate/dis-something or other if the name has changed. If that's their wish, they should do it. Another organization will grow in its place, hopefully with a different mission and objectives.
But that alumni association doesn't hold the authority to determine who is or isn't an alumnus/alumna of the institution. By definition, any graduate is a part of the alumni–even if they disagree with some alumni association's self-important claim to be the gatekeeper. Maybe you, or some of those association leaders need to go back to school themselves, to relearn what some basic Latin-derived English words mean.
Four states in the Union fought to preserve slavery in their states under the US Constitution (Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland, and Missouri), and had it until after the war was over.
The war was fought over Union and disunion. ISouthern states already had slavery and fought for something more, independence from the grubby greedy northerners.
In 1861, secession was unsettled constitutional law. It was not settled in the courts until 1868.
Lincoln only emancipated the slaves in the south, 2 years into the war and not in his 4 union states that fought to preserve slavery.
He also emancipated the slaves as a war act to weaken the south economy and ability to fight the war, as well as appeal to the the right-wing of his coalition supporters which included restless abolishionists.
I have been a citizen here for 30 years, and I have active students in the FCPS school system. The school system needs more money going towards other things in the county than a silly name change. Not even worth thinking twice about the name of Jeb Stuart. Our county has more things to worry about than this.
Virginia– particularly Northern Virginia — was ravaged throughout the war so I'm pretty sure his and his neighbors' perceived enemy was indeed on the doorstep.
Also, all agree today that slavery was/is immoral as did some folks back then. What was not agreed upon, and to this day is still not agreed upon, is the extent to which the federal govt has the right to tell states/citizens what to do. Slavery surely was the underlying issue but the argument was and still is a complex and intellectual one– shown by the Lincoln Douglas debates. John Brown was anti-slavery but was viewed as an extreme and crazy radical by all sides. To simplify these issues so crudely without perspective is likely indicative of the quality of education currently occurring at the school and the deline of reason. The Democrat party supported slavery and segregation and still has the same name today. Where are the calls to rename this party? Why arent all former slaveholders removed from all monuments?
Oh–so close! You made some good points, but have missed the teensy fact that the two parties switched platforms between the 1860s and the 1930s. Drop the "decline of education" B.S.–at least until you've schooled yourself.
Educate thyself, Einstein.
One more point about the name change: How exactly was JEB Stuart "defending his homeland" when he participated in the invasion of Pennsylvania that culminated in the Battle of Gettysburg?
There are several reasons why the name change is a good idea. The biggest to me is that JEB Stuart took up arms against the United States. (Remember, he was part of a large force that invaded Pennsylvania.) If you want to spend your own money to put a memorial to him on your own property, that is fine with me. But public property is not the place to memorialize someone who took up arms against the United States. It's time for this name to be changed.
His homeland was his state of Virginia, which is how the US was codified in the US Constitution.
When Virginia seceded only after Lincoln ordered 75,000 soldiers (including from Virginia who prior to that request rejected secession).
The day after virginia formally seceded, Lincoln and the North invaded Northern Virginia (including Alexandria and Arlington).
Had JEB Stuart stayed in the US Army he faced a good chance of having to fight against and kill his own family and friends and neighbors. His loyalty and duty was to his state of Virginia, just like almost everyone else at that time.
The invasion of the north was a reaction to virginia bring invaded first, and they calculated that the north might give them their independence.
It would have worked but Lincoln responded by using his war powers to emancipate the slaves only in the south (but not in the north were it was still allowed). He did this to weaken the south, but also appeal to his abolitionists in the north who comprised of most of the volunteers. It was at this point Lincoln expanded the war aims to ending slavery, as once the slaves in the south were freed they would not be forced to return to the south if the north wins.
Study history, not erase it.
George Mason had 10's of more slaves than JEB Stuart, who is said to have had 2 he inherited from his family. Where is the liberal outrage? Oh wait the school has a liberal president now so that is ok. Hypocrisy knows no bounds.
As one that Anon would surely label a "liberal", I'm always amused by these all-or-nothing strawman arguments from those who think WE liberals are unable to handle nuance.
This issue has nothing to do with GMU–much less who the current GMU president is. Yes, Mason owned slaves. Washington, Madison, Jefferson, too. And history is certainly reevaluating their legacy in that light–especially Jefferson, who had a sexual relationship with one of those slaves.
But there are no serious suggestions to rename local schools named after them. So, what's different about them vis a vis JEB Stuart, Anon 10:07 wants to know. Each of the others are remembered for other accomplishments, not their slave-holding status. What, other than taking up arms to defend slavery, is Stuart remembered for? That is the ONE reason history remembers him at all. (I'm sure Anon will tell us about Stuart's exploits in the battles of Kansas in the years preceding the Civil War. That is not what he is remembered for, nor is it why a Virginia school carries his name.)
Nuance and context do make a difference, Anon.
JEB Stuart was the son of a congressman who gave up his cushy life to serve his country in the US Army. He graduated from the US Military Academy, fought to protect abolitionists from roughians, defended settlers against hostile indians, was wounded saving the life of a future army general, designed and recieved a patent for a novel invention, and led the assault on the terrorist John Brown at Harpers Ferry.
During the civil war he was the most successful cavalry officer for either side and his military genius and daring was respected by friend and foe, such that he is studied by serious military schools throughout the world, including Eisenhower who employed JEB inspired ruses and tactics during D-day to help liberate Europe and save millions of lives.
By the way, what have you accomplished with your life?
Wow–for an anonymous conversation, that last question got personal, didn't it? I've accomplished nothing to justify naming a school after me; to that I hold no illusion. Then again, that's really not the question, is it now?
Here's what I have accomplished: I don't cling fast to the illusion that all of the greatness ascribed to Gen. Stuart somehow ameliorates the cause for which he fought. Or the cause of segregation for which his name was appropriated in the 1950s. So I've got that going for me.
But do keep up your hero worship of Stuart–I'm sure he'll come back into fashion any day now.
So, the school board decided to honor JEB Stuart for camping on an obscure hill and painting a few tree trunks to look like cannons? And no one considered it significant that this tribute coincided with the Commonwealth's massive resistance campaign? Yeah, right. I'm not optimistic enough to believe that the states rights gang could have resisted emulating Gen. Stuart by taking a symbolic potshot at the federals. Furthermore, although some of the founding fathers were slaveholders like Stuart, they were also in the nation building business. That certainly wasn't Stuart's m.o. It was Stuart's good fortune to have fallen before his declining fortunes on the battlefield caught up with him. So, from my perspective, there's no compelling reason to keep his name on a public school tasked with educating an large diverse student body.
It has been proven that the false claim is lie that JEB Stuart High School was named as part of mass resistence to desegregation in the public schools.
The meeting minutes of the 1958 school board clearly state the new schools were to be named after famous Virginians. Subsequently they named the schools from this period after Virginians James Madison, JEB Stuart, Robert E Lee, and George C. Marshall.
Its embarrassing to learn that the the name changers and school board were completely unaware that the great cavalry general and soldier JEB Stuart had his military headquarters at Munson Hill and adjacent to the school deliberately named after him. It's also embarrassing that to learn that they did not know that JEB Stuart's advance action was after the First Battle of Bull Run, which was an unexpected confederate route, which threatened the US Capital, as JEB set up batteries, military posts, and defenses only six miles from the white house and capitol building, as the world waited to see whether they would attack, retreat, or peace would be attained as skirmishes occurred almost daily on the front.
Ultimately JEB Stuart created a ruse so effective that Mcclellan hesitated to attack, which allowed the Confederates to build better defenses later used in the second battle of bull run and another union defeat.
JEB Stuart's noted heroics before the civil war were eclipsed by his accomplishments during the civil war where he earned the respect of all.
Even the obituaries in the northern newspapers praised him and gave him the highest honors.
As for the civil war, the decision on the legality of Secession was settled on the battlefield which the union won, which also in the process freed the slaves of the south and propelled a constitutional amendment after the war to ban slavery.
At wars end president Lincoln asked for full reconciliation and malice towards none.
Unfortunately, school name changers are full of malice and ignorant of history, which they want to extend by erasing it.
Just keeping the name "Stuart" seems reasonable. If they must change it, though, they should change it to something like Lake Barcroft, which is the lake the school is near. Schools don't have to be named after people.
Why not rename the school Sandy Evans and they can make the school mascot a snowflake.
White guilt transient government bureaucrats (swamp workers)are in denial that the north also benefited and was a willing participant in the slave trade. That is until it was no longer economically important at which time they chose to take the moral high ground. Symbolism over substance in action once more as changing the name will not keep one teacher from leaving, lead to one less gang related expulsion or raise one test score.
The only sensible thing that's been said in this whole discussion
The name must be changed. How would the community and SB feel about swastikas being the symbol on schools. It's history. No, you would not so why keep a name or even part of the Stuart name. It upholds and glorifies slavery and the confederacy. Thanks to the group photo of extremely enlightened individuals. One history told. One forgotten. Purposely. I understand one consideration would be to change the name to a prominent African American female whose last name is Stewart. If not her, then Thurgood Marshall who lives in the district. This is strange that we have to fight this hard to correct the terrible legacy of slavery. Have we not learned anything! Some talk of cost. If we don't change the name, we will pay a heavy cost of strife and upheaval. It doesn't have to be this way.
It doesn't "glorify slavery" nothing glories slavery much less "upholds" slavery. The civil war ended slavery for the United States; it also further bonded this nation as one.
"Extremely enlightened"…..calling anyone who doesn't agree a white supremacist is not an argument; it's a battering ram and an insult.
Thurgood Marshall didn't send his kids to Stuart, they were in an elite private school, his choice and that is fine, he never stepped foot in the school.
If you own a cell phone or just about any small electronic device, or bought one for your kids, you've been supporting slavery. That's no secret….
To: Anonymous7/22/17, 10:07 AM & Anonymous7/20/17, 7:17 PM
How irresponsible to compare Confederates to Nazis. Confederates didn't engage in genocide or destroying antiquities. In fact, your assertion to culturally cleanse Virginia history is along the Nazi line of thinking.
Both of you…
Take a Civil War refresher course and learn Virginia's role. Then take a Fairfax County history course and learn how the men who named JEB Stuart High School also publicly fought Massive Resistance and led Fairfax to become the FIRST county in the state to fully integrate.
Lies and hyperbole add nothing to a thoughtful discussion about Virginia and Fairfax legacies. Lie and hyperbole do nothing to educate. If anything, this debate shows how little history our citizens really know.
What's offensive and racist groups like black lives matter and naacp coming in from out of state and injecting their hate and divisiveness in an established community comprised of 75% minorities and a model for ethnic integration.
A student poll taken at JEB Stuart High School in 2016 found that 90% of the students preferred the current name or did not see a compelling reason to change. Most prefer spending the one million dollars for wasteful name changes on students, instead of eradicating history.
As for the Confederates and slavery, you might as well banned the flags of maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and Delaware who were northern states who fought to preserve slavery as allowed under the US Constitution.
Seems like book burning is your thing. We prefer book learning.
Liberal PC playbook, page 10 paragraph 3: When all else fails compare the other side to Adolph Hitler (emoji eyeroll).
The issues behind the name change are far, far deeper. School Board members have usurped the voice of the Stuart Pyramid communities that rejected the name change and are forcing their personal political agenda on us. They aligned with the NAACP to help bully the students and communities into submission. The students are resolute. 90% of those surveyed reject a change. The community said NO. Respect them.
The process used to deliberate a name change violated R. 8170.7, the renaming regulation. The terminology in the regulation is not defined and therefore can be manipulated to fit specific situations instead of providing guidance for all county schools. This is a HUGE defect and might even not pass judicial scrutiny.
Our school board is elected on a non-partisan ballot. Sure, SB members are endorsed by parties, but once elected their Code of Conduct says they leave personal and special interests out of their deliberations. FOIA evidence shows Sandy Evans and Pat Hynes, in particular, have violated their oaths of office to be impartial as well as the special interest clause of the FCSB Code of Conduct.
Here's a link to the FOIA evidence.
https://goo.gl/cserZN
See for yourself how some SB members work behind the scenes to undermine their constituents.
Change the name to Mason Moron HS. What are we going to do about Lee Highway and all the other confederacy names that billboard our community? All of this confederacy advertisement should be eliminated and not celebrated. The question is how do we find a way to erase these names but remember the terrible deeds that was done during slavery? I suspect that Germany does not have a Hitler HS or a Hitler Highway. Slavery may have not been genocide but it was an assault on humanity and any celebratory memorials of the deeds done by confederates should be removed. I am for naming it after a good Stuart. That keeps the name but removes the evil spirit behind JEB.
I repeat my earlier statement and shame on you for continuing to conjure up the heinous Nazis.
You seem to want to ignore the fact that Northern slave states were fighting Southern slave states during the Civil War. So, why do you accuse only the Confederacy of "an assault on humanity?" Go back to school and learn your Civil War history. Slavery was embraced by the North and the South simultaneously.
From my previous post…just to remind you.
How irresponsible to compare Confederates to Nazis. Confederates didn't engage in genocide or destroying antiquities. In fact, your assertion to culturally cleanse Virginia history is along the Nazi line of thinking.
Take a Civil War refresher course and learn Virginia's role. Then take a Fairfax County history course and learn how the men who named JEB Stuart High School also publicly fought Massive Resistance and led Fairfax to become the FIRST county in the state to fully integrate.
Lies and hyperbole add nothing to a thoughtful discussion about Virginia and Fairfax legacies. Lie and hyperbole do nothing to educate. If anything, this debate shows how little history our citizens really know.
Your clueless, they don't celebrate slave holders in the northern states. Slavery in the south was simple economics for the agricultural south, particularly for the harvesting of cotton. It was a crime on humanity that an entire race was victimized by a Confederacy that had lost its moral compass.
You are making false assertions. Four states in the Union fought to preserve slavery during the civil war under the US Constitution (Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland, and Missouri).
Are you going to ban their state names and flags, too? Please try to learn history and not hate.