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Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Youngest Son and I just watched a historic moment (on a livestream news broadcast). The city of Richmond, Virginia, our state’s capital, has removed the statue of Stonewall Jackson from its pedestal at the intersection of Monument Avenue and Arthur Ashe Boulevard.

Finally.

The crowd grew as the afternoon went on and anticipation built. A thunderstorm rolled through Richmond just as workers were finishing up removing the pins that held the statue on the base. The sky opened and the rain poured down, but the crowd didn’t mind. The chants and cheers kept coming. And then, slowly, the crane lifted Jackson and his horse up, up, and away. And the rain kept coming.

The statue ended up resting safely on the ground right as the 5 o’clock news went on the air. A young reported interviewed a bystander, who spoke eloquently about his emotions and then suggested that the rain had come to cleanse the pain from the crowd and from the city–the former capital of the Confederacy.

And that empty space on Monument Avenue? Our nation has so many heroes, and Richmond has so many artists–I believe finding a replacement should be easy. I know a few Virginia Commonwealth University art school graduates who could come up with some preliminary sketches…

Today’s drink is my version of the Stormy Weather cocktail.

In a shaker filled with ice, combine 1 1/2 ounces red wine, 1 1/2 ounces dark rum, 1/2 ounce lime juice, 1/4 ounce maple syrup, and 2 dashes bitters (I used spiced cherry bitters). Shake well, and strain into a tall glass with fresh ice. Top with 2 ounces ginger beer and stir.