Two vendors at the Virginia Gun Collectors Association Gun Show shared their knowledge of gun history, the Civil War and Confederate monuments the day after the March for Our Lives drew thousands of protesters a short drive away.
Paul Goss and his partner, Christy Forman, sit behind a table littered with historical weapons, battlefield brochures and business cards inside the commercial exhibits building at the Prince William County Fairgrounds, talking to firearm enthusiasts. Goss speaks quietly, with a thick southern accent, when he talks about his family’s history. His great-great-great grandfather was a Confederate soldier in the regiment that shot Stonewall Jackson, but he only stumbled upon the connection after doing some research.
Often playing Stonewall Jackson in living history reenactments, Goss shows affection for the controversial monuments that stand throughout the South. Many monuments in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama and Louisiana have been vandalized, defaced and destroyed by protesters who argue they honor slavery.
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“Leave the monuments alone,” Goss said. “They’re not hurting anyone.”
According to the Civil War Trust, J.E.B Stuart, a friend of Robert E. Lee, was a Confederate States Army General during the Civil War. Stuart successfully led his regiment in the First Battle of Bull Run in Manassas, Virginia on July 21, 1861.
A sad expression crosses Goss’ his face as he describes his role in a Virginia school’s name change from J.E.B Stuart High School to Justice High School. Because he showed up to talk to students wearing a full Confederate uniform, they called him a Nazi.
“Stuart’s only sin was that he fought for the South,” Goss said. “You have to look at history in context, not cherry pick to support an argument.”
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Goss, a proud gun owner and member of the NRA, and Foreman are dissatisfied with media coverage of the gun debate. Although he thinks the March for Our Lives is senseless, he does not oppose raising the minimum age to purchase a gun.
“If they put more historians on the news, there would be a more rational discussion,” Forman said.
“You can’t discuss anything with anyone,” Goss said. “I’ve tried to.”