VA Gov. McDonnell declares Confederate History Month

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has issued a proclamation declaring April to be “Confederate History Month.” This is the first time in eight years that a VA governor has released such a proclamation – the state’s two previous Democratic governors chose not to dedicate a month to celebrating a history of racism.
Gov. McDonnell, a Republican, received a request to commemorate the month from the Sons of Confederate Veterans, an all male group of descendants of Confederate soldiers which has been associated with the neo-Confederate movement. So I guess McDonnell knows who his base is.
This celebration of the defense of slavery adds to Gov. McDonnell’s bigotry résumé: you may remember his Master’s thesis in which he argued working women and feminists are “detrimental” to the family. He also criticized “cohabitators, homosexuals, fornicators,” and contraception.
Daily Kos has some choice quotes from the proclamation along with suggestions for edits:

“WHEREAS, it is important for all Virginians to reflect upon our Commonwealth’s shared history, to understand the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens during the period of the Civil War, and to recognize how our history has led to our present;”
It seems that the part about trying to understand the sacrifices of centuries of enslaved people on their soil was omitted from the final draft.

Unsurprisingly, the proclamation is drawing criticism and has been condemned by the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and the NAACP:

“Governor McDonnell’s proclamation was offensive and offered a disturbing revision of the Civil War and the brutal era that followed,” said Del. Kenneth Cooper Alexander (D-Norfolk), chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus. “Virginia has worked hard to move beyond the very things for which Governor McDonnell seems nostalgic.”

You can contact Gov. McDonnell’s office to let him know pandering to racists is unacceptable here.