Why did the NAACP let the Yankees die?

A little more than two years ago, the county next to me became a battle ground in the Great Confederate Purge of 2015.  Last year, in the final battle, the County Commissioners of Talbot ruled the Confederate monument known as the Talbot Boys would remain on the court house grounds.

They also provided that a space would be reserved for the other side of the story.  A monument honoring the Talbot citizens who fought for the Union that would be similar in size to the existing Talbot Boys monument could be erected to tell the full story of Talbot's involvement in the Civil War.  The monument, however, would need to be erected by private citizens who raised the money and who enlisted the artist to sculpt the monument.  Like the county did for Talbot Boys a hundred years ago, the county was not going to foot the bill for a new memorial honoring Yankee veterans.

A little more than a year after the Council's final decision, the forces wanting to tear down the monument has made no apparent effort to build a Yankee monument.  The forces that opposed the tearing down of the Talbot Boys has made no apparent effort to build a Yankee monument.

I'm tired of waiting for these so-called movers and shakers of our community to do something, so I wrote the Talbot County Commissioners to see if there's anything a drunk redneck with a dollar in his pocket can do.  Some might think community building and healing old wounds is accomplished through demolition and forgetting, but I think it's accomplished by building and never forgetting.

Below is the letter I sent to the Talbot County Commissioners tonight, and so, yes, this will be another ongoing story.

Dear Esteemed Members of the Talbot County Commission:

First, let me thank you for your wise decision a bit over a year ago to leave the Talbot Boys statue standing.  I had written you in support of leaving the statue on more than one occasion.  Thank you for listening, not only to me, but everyone, and making a wise decision.

After your final decision, you had left open the opportunity to erect a monument similar in size to the existing Talbot Boys monument to honor the many Talbot young men who served on the Union side of the Civil War.  I have patiently been monitoring the Save Our Statue and the NAACP of Talbot groups that were most vocal in their push for or against the monument in hopes one of them would take the Commission up on their open allowance for the dedication of an equal monument for the Yankee soldiers.  As of this writing, I fail to see any indication of an effort to raise money for a monument in honor of the Yankee veterans by either group nor anyone else.

This oversight of Talbot County to honor the Yankee veterans for over a hundred years is a slap in the face to every veteran past, present, and future.  Since the folks who were incensed at Talbot honoring Confederate soldiers haven't taken you up on the offer to erect a Yankee monument and the folks who fought to honor veterans, even the Confederate ones, haven't taken you up on honoring our Yankee veterans, I reckon someone needs to step up to the plate.

Are you aware of any organization who may at least be in the planning stages for a Yankee monument?  If not, what would I need to do to get the ball rolling?  I'm just one guy working a full time job, leaving me with little time and only a dollar in my pocket, but maybe if there's something I can do to get the movers and shakers of our communities off their butts, we can finally properly honor those forgotten veterans of the Civil War.

Regards,

[real name edited for privacy]

TL;DR folks:
A Confederate monument was threatened to be torn down.  After hearing all sides a County Council voted to keep it.  They also compromised and allowed for a second, Yankee monument to be built.  The forces wanting to demolish the Confederate one in the name of "healing old wounds and building a community" has moved on to other rage of the day issues rather than build a Yankee monument. 

The whole Talbot Boys saga:
A month's journey circles back to the Talbot County Commisioners
Maybe Union soldiers aren't welcomed in Talbot County
On the road to irrelevancy
NAACP and Mr. Potter fighting to tear down the Vietnam War Memorial
Only time will reveal the true motives of Talbot Boys detractors
Final thoughts on the Talbot Boys

No to trash-talking our veterans
The Great Confederate Purge of 2015
The insolence of youth
An open letter to Talbot County
The first secession from the United States, 2015
Letter to the House in SC
The cultural cleansing

For your listening pleasure:

Posted by Five Drunk Rednecks