Perhaps the Loudoun County Museum and its priceless collections really aren't worth a single dime of public money. Perhaps the past is, after all, not only a different country, but a country unworthy of attention. Perhaps the lives, and stories, and hand-me-down artifacts of its all too easily forgotten inhabitants are, indeed, meaningless, even worthless.

"Heritage?" Perhaps that too is a silly notion, kept barely alive by old soldiers and hopeless romantics still touched, despite themselves, by the 19th century notion of Chamberlain's deathless shadows and some mighty presence that lingers on hallowed ground to consecrate it "for the vision place of souls."

How quaint.

Perhaps the Loudoun County Museum, and its priceless collections really aren't worth a single dime of public money...much less the $63,000 requested by its Directors to continue operations and preserve those artifacts for yet another year.

Perhaps Supervisor Ken Reid was right all along to suggest that the County's Historic District Review Committee be joined by someone who had not only bulldozed an historic house, but had fought tooth and nail to remove Waterford's official designation as an historic treasure.

Perhaps Eugene Delgaudio was right to suggest that giving the Museum's Board more time to try to raise money was folly.

We don't think so.

But what do we know? Silly folks that we are, we believe that the people of Loudoun should insist that their money be spent on preserving the county's history.

We think there should be significant and ongoing public investment in libraries, museums, parks, and the preservation of the history of those who shaped, for better or worse, who we are today.

For us it is an unavoidable debt, owed to those who came before us, to those who will follow us, and to ourselves.

The Board of Supervisors should fund the Loudoun County Museum.