Take action to support Lord Fairfax name

In his presentation to the Rappahannock BOS last week, Ron Maxwell brilliantly refuted Mike Wenger’s claim in a recent Rappahannock News commentary that Lord Fairfax had, “le no signi cant contributions to the political development of colonial Virginia” [Feb. 25, 2021]. At that same meeting, LFCC President Kim Blosser said that, in part, the college’s students of today, and potential future students, have very little in common with Lord Fairfax, the man.

Who were the historians consulted in the rebranding process? They apparently missed or ignored the fact that Ron Maxwell recounted that day: “Lord Fairfax should be fondly remembered … for the education he provided the Father of our Country. Is this not the purpose and calling for educators … to educate? To connect the youth with their past, with the learning and experience of their ancestors and their heritage so that they will have a firm foundation on which to build the future?”

Mr. Maxwell hit at the heart of the college’s recommendation that the name be changed partially because today’s students “are more diverse” and the name needs to be changed to reach them. By sharing his extensive library with the young George Washington and others, Lord Fairfax illustrated his belief in the importance of knowledge and education in their lives. That is the perfect foundation to continue and build upon the college’s marketing about the importance of education to its diverse population of students.

Another thought to consider was an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on July 7, 2020, by Malik Kaylan from Bristol, England. While addressing the abolishing of historical elements, Mr. Kaylan asked readers to consider that, “no country or culture’s historical record is spotless. The question is whether, at each stage of evolution, the balance of good over bad was sufficiently decisive to build a civilization that advances humanity generally.”

In addition to the letter the BOS members stated they would send to the college board and Chancellor expressing their desire to keep the Lord Fairfax name, I sent my own email stating the same and why, as I’ve expressed here. I hope that others reading this will do the same as soon as possible. Let’s keep our valuable history alive. Most agree that education is vital for all to thrive, and that means the whole of it, not selected segments currently in favor. The writer lives outside of Washington