Moonshine legacy not something to brag about

Moonshine legacy not something to brag about

Publisher - Theus Media Group

Our publication received a recent letter to the editor comment on June 22 referring to an ongoing series the Hometown Journal (local free weekly) is running called "The Moonshine Series" (excerpts from a six-part historical account of the founding of Baker County according to local historian Mrs. L. Smallwood.)

Mr. Thomas Richmond III of Glen St. Mary wrote:

"Enough already, when will this county stop reveling in the sins or our forefathers by glorifying the history of bootleggers and so-called moon-shiners? Surely not a proud history that should be told over and over again to our youth and our future generations to come. Ms. Smallwood, this is not something to be proud of, your people and the people of this county were criminals. Where is the pride in that?

Moonshine is and never was to be celebrated. How is it that something done in the cloak of night and the thickest wood, while under the constant worry of being raided by Federal Marshals be something to be proud of? Especially when prohibition had been over for years and these kinsmen of yours were still deep in the woods producing toxic drink just to avoid paying the taxes levied on legal liquor sales.

What is the difference between your proud heritage and that of the modern day meth-lab our law enforcement agents are discovering deep in the secrecy of the woods, held up in some dilapidated single wide? Who will celebrate these criminals and their illegal manufacturing of street drugs? How is this really any different? Crime is crime, teaching our future generations situational ethics of this type is robbing them of what is called a sense of common decency.

Please Ms. Smallwood, shelve your six books on the history of this felonious time period of this county and start striving to instill characteristics that are more becoming of a respectable and honorable code. It is now that our children and young adults need leaders in our communities to be upstanding and honorable bearers of the truth and the law. If the law is wrong or does not bode well with your liking, we as American’s have a legal system in which to address these indifferences. Breaking the laws of our land and then reveling in the actions of our criminal past is not what our founding fathers had in mind. Your sense of what is good, honorable, and worth sharing with future generations is reprehensible."       

Thom. Richmond III

I have to agree with Mr. Richmond in the sense that crime is crime. I’m not sure how else to say it, but to somehow romanticize the past to cover up the reality that crimes were being committed does not take away from the truth that these activities were indeed criminal. The comparison to the modern day meth lab, albeit a more heinous activity in my book, the truth of the matter - it is still a criminal act and therefore the comparison is legitimate, but harsh.

As for the constant retelling of the same accounts, I’m not sure is the best use of our time. There must have been something else more honorable about this county’s past that we may choose to remember. I know first hand that our heritage is what shapes who we are today as a people, but this segment of our history is not worthy in my opinion of being held in such high esteem.

Yes, sure it took place here and in many other parts of the country, point noted, now move on.