​Kincardine councillor adds further points about courage and the recognition of women

Re: “Tale of Betrayal or Courage - daughter of Great Barrington made history that nearly was forgotten”

I have read with interest the latest installment in a series of letters to the editor from Mr. David Secord, regarding the permanent removal of the second Secord Monument from public property.

I do not speak on behalf of council or the Municipality of Kincardine.

I can appreciate the temptation to employ comparisons to Laura Secord, and I agree with Mr. Secord’s commentary on the male-dominated telling of history and the lack of recognition of the role of women in our societies. Yet, I would suggest that Mr. Secord has unwittingly committed a variance of that exploitation by using a selective comparison to a woman’s experience in order to elevate the actions of a man.

In 1813, during the War of 1812 (1812-1815), Laura Secord took actions in defence of her homeland in response to an American invasion of Upper Canada.

In the period 1862–1864, during the American Civil War (1861-1865), Solomon Secord (a British Subject) provided health care to a military organization, led by racists, devoted to securing a political cleavage of the United States that would preserve and expand the right to enslave millions of human beings (four million per the 1860 U.S. Census). 

The link below provides access to the references on which I base this statement:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TwcjPbnkOobQ-nWAlZpNQ_Kupvsc2vYXfRaStF_-_Jg/edit?gid=1349721686#gid=1349721686

It is timely that in this month in 1863, having been captured by Union forces at the Battle of Gettysburg, Solomon Secord was being processed as a prisoner. Notably by the end of September of that year, military records document his escape and return to Confederate forces.

Over the past 10 months or so, Mr. Secord has made several references to clear conditions attached to the creation and placement of the second monument and legal ramifications of altering its arrangement. I would be much appreciated if he could provide the documents recording these conditions as I’d like to add them to my records.

Some final points about courage and the recognition of women:

Mr. Secord could reflect on the fact that of the seven members of council who elected to permanently remove the second monument from public property, four were women and among them long-time residents of this community. They did so confident in the expectation that there would be substantial blow back from a segment of the community, particularly composed of those unwilling to come to terms with history, and notably from men. That, I would suggest to Mr. Secord, is courage.

At the time of the vote, there were only eight members of council, as councillor Doug Kennedy had passed away.

Lastly, on Mr. Secord’s next visit to the area I would suggest getting a copy of the cemetery records for the Secord family plot at the Kincardine Cemetery and paying it a visit. Based on the values that he has espoused in his letter, I would suggest that there are some matters down there that merit his attention.

Respectfully,
Mike Hinchberger
Councillor at Large
Municipality of Kincardine