I was delighted to see the Nov. 25 Metro article “In Va. county torn over Confederate statue, voters reject divisive politics.”

I have been spending summer vacations — from childhood into adulthood — in Mathews County for more than 50 years. The town of Mathews has always been a friendly, idyllic small town by the Chesapeake Bay, but ugly political signs appeared in the past few years.

Civility seemed lacking — all because of a Confederate statue in the center of town. The political negativity and mean-spiritedness ushered in by the last election seemed to hinder any civil discourse.

I am thankful for the true good-heartedness of those who gathered in the political action group Mathews Citizens for the Common Good, the people who chose discussion over division, responsibility over racism, integrity over self-interest. They represent the Mathews I know, where neighbors help each other, share recipes for chow-chow and crab cakes, check on the elderly, fish and worship together. It is a town that is home to a historic Black church (First Baptist, founded in 1865) and the high school state championship in girls softball (2023)! It is a town that has one of the best small libraries in the country (2005 National Medal for Library Services), and where quality arts, antiques and eateries now prevail.

It is a town where I hope the Confederate soldier statue will be moved just yards away beside the historic Tompkins Cottage (1815), still in the town square, because remembering our history is important. Then, the many artists of the county can create a statue of a beautiful blue heron to replace it — so the central message of this beautiful coastal county, with more than 200 miles of shoreline, will be one of creation’s beauty, not a divisive, ugly time in American history.

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