Think preservation is a lost cause? Better think again!

Date published: 4/12/2005

Every so often a letter is published that articulates precisely what so many believe but cannot effectively put into words. Andrew Petersen's recent letter is an example, and our community and our country very much need to hear and to heed his wise counsel and warning ["Future generations lose history to commerce," April 3].

Mr. Petersen is correct in his assertion that the character of a community can be identified by what its citizens choose to protect, what they choose to hand on to future generations. He is correct in his assertion that some things, once destroyed, can never be replaced. He is not correct, though, in his assertion that "everything is for sale."

For those of us working so hard to preserve and to protect both natural treasures like the Rappahannock River (a gift from God) and the sacred soil of our Civil War battlefields (consecrated by the blood of the bravest of our forebears), our passion for and dedication to fighting this good fight are not for sale.

We know that there are some things that money cannot buy. We know, too, that our preservation efforts leave a legacy that future generations will honor and appreciate.

But we cannot do it alone. Those who understand what is being lost by the "profit over protection, convenience over conservation" philosophy that's mentioned in Mr. Petersen's letter must stop spectating, must get up and get involved.

If you don't like what you see happening around you, don't get mad--get active. Join Friends of the Rappahannock, join Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, add your voice and hands and heart to the effort.

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can do only a little. Do what you can.

You might think that one person, when a thousand are needed to make things change, is not enough. But you are wrong. One committed person can attract a thousand others, and it is important for you to be that person.

Together, we can make a difference!

Mike Stevens

Fredericksburg

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Date published: 4/12/2005