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To the Editor:

While I am hesitant to dignify the letter with defamatory and untrue accusations of racism and a white supremacy mindset you recently published in reference to the Urquhart-Gillette Camp Sons of Confederate Veterans [“Bloodlines flow with blood-soaked truths of racism, white supremacy,” June 10, 2020, The Tidewater News], I feel it is my duty to respond. Those allegations come with absolutely no proof or verification; that is because none exist. Our Camp’s Banner displayed at all events we attend state clearly what the S.C.V and our Camp is, it says: The Sons of Confederate Veterans is an International, Integrated, History Preservation Organization Opposed to All Hate Groups.

S.C.V members will be expelled if they join or associate with any known hate group.

There are racists of every race including African Americans and since the writer of the defamatory letter is African American, I am sure he can not truthfully say he knows of no fellow African American that is a racist.

The Urquhart-Gillette Camp of the S.C.V studies history and preserves the graves and artifacts of the past and unlike some, we do not attempt to judge the people of the distant past with our 21st century hindsight, including those who participated in the horrible institution of slavery. Every S.C.V member strives to teach that institution was an abomination and that the entire world would have been better throughout its history had no slavery ever existed. As we all know it existed everywhere on the planet at some point.

It is inferred there is a Confederate Monument and no other monument in Courtland because of racism. The Confederate Monument to the Dead was erected entirely with private funds and we believe that any other group should have the same right to erect their own monument as long as it also utilizes private funds.

In closing, it should be known that anyone making serious published accusations against the Urquhart-Camp should be prepared to prove those allegations in a court of law.

Volpe Boykin

Commander, Urquhart-Gillette Camp

Sons of Confederate Veterans

Carrsville