According to our organizational by-laws, the Friends of Resaca Battlefield, Inc., was formed in May 1996 in order to "make efforts to identify, preserve, educate, secure, and protect the historic War Between the States (1861-1865) resources in and around the community of Resaca, Ga., or connected with the Battle of Resaca for the purpose of increasing educational awareness and public support of our historical heritage."
Given the fact that the State of Georgia made a legitimate, completely funded offer to purchase the property currently owned by Scott Fletcher five months PRIOR to Mr. Fletcher's acquisition, we are concerned for its preservation and protection.
Given the fact that Governor Barnes' e-mail system has been so overwhelmed by the volume of messages demanding that the aforementioned property be preserved and protected that his office requests no more e-mails be sent, we believe that our organization's concerns are widespread.
Given the fact that numerous major newspapers in the state of Georgia have written editorials encouraging the State to secure this property for future generations, we feel we are justified in our mission statement.
We wish to publicly express our support for the State in the final efforts now underway to secure this property for what is clearly being demonstrated as a national public interest.
We further wish to encourage Governor Barnes and all state officials concerned to be unyielding in their pursuit of this matter.
We encourage the use of any and all legal measures necessary to guarantee that the best interests of the state's well-established policy of historical preservation be upheld.
We, the Friends of Resaca Battlefield, Inc., pledge to do everything in our power to educate and inform the public regarding this matter and to facilitate the communication of the growing support for the Battlefield Park at Resaca for which the State of Georgia offered almost $3 million on Jan. 28, 1998, an offer that was never officially declined.
A government that fails to preserve its history has no heritage. Without heritage, there is no solid foundation for society to exist.
No individual has the right to deny the public the preservation of history when that public expresses the will of remembrance.
Once the things of history are gone, they are lost forever, and the value of ourselves as a people is left to the wanton musings of assorted speculators.
Copyright © 1999, The Calhoun Times
