It been almost a year to the day that I have felt inclined to write, but after watching the headline of today I feeling like maybe I should express myself a little.
It seems that the horrible act by one individual in Charlestown has turned a nation's attention to the Confederate Battle Flag flying in South Carolina's Capital. News Channels today are full of experts explaining how the Southern Flag represents hatred and racism. They then explain how 1,264,000 men died in an effort to clear up the issue of slavery in Civil War.
Read that number again: ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR THOUSAND men. Each side sustained roughly the same amount of casualties.
So these experts are basically telling us that 620,000 southern boys charged bravely to their deaths in order to keep a race enslaved. Given that only about 6% of southerners owned slaves at the peak of slavery, it seems odd to me that that more than half a million boys would offer their lives defending a practice that was restricted to the uber rich. To my way of thinking most of those boys died defending their homes and families from an aggressive army from the north. Defending their fields from being salted, defending their livestock from being killed, defending their homes and towns from being burnt.
So for the experts that have never walked through "The Cedars" or down the Union line at "The Hornet's Nest" I disagree with your assessment of why those boys fought the war. I and also disagree that the Confederate Battle Flag is a symbol of hatred and racism. For most all true southern people the flag is a reminder of those ancestors that died in defense of the homeland.
However, the shame of the situation is that it only takes a few bad apples to ruin the bunch. It is absolutely undeniable that for years now a radical element has perverted that battle flag. The point is most easily highlighted by the shootings in Charlestown. Dylann Roof, clearly is a sick and misguided individual with hate in his soul. I don't think it would be unfair judgement to go as far as calling his soul evil.
Due to the fact that so many radicals and racist seemed to have adopted the Confederate Battle flag, I can understand how so many people view differently than I might. It is too often the case; a silent majority allows vocal extremist to taint a symbol or (more importantly) an idea. As evidence, I give you hundreds of thousands of peaceful muslims that have been grouped unfairly with ISIS and terrorist. How many Mexican people have gone through the legal process of immigration only to find that most all people assume they are illegals? The same is true now with southerns; those of us who respect our history are not necessarily card carrying members of the Klu Klux Klan.
My point in a nutshell is this: Let us be understanding of those people that see the Confederate flag as a symbol of hate and racism. I can't believe that the boys who carried it proudly into war would want to be used in this perverse way. I think the correct course of action it to take it down and place it in a museum that will treat it with the proper reverence and respect. Maybe by doing so we can lessen the hatred that so many have for it, and begin to educate again on it's true meaning. I think thats what the boys that carried would want.
Here are a few other thoughts:
1. The picture that brought all of this contivery to light shows Dylann Roof wearing a Golds Gym shirt. I think maybe we should start a campaign to have these removed from the nation's dress code.
2. Our neighbors to the west have no plans on abandoning the flag. So go job Alabama and Mississippi
4. This is not good for any of us. Anyone displaying this or anything like it should have their ass kicked
My point in a nutshell is this: Let us be understanding of those people that see the Confederate flag as a symbol of hate and racism. I can't believe that the boys who carried it proudly into war would want to be used in this perverse way. I think the correct course of action it to take it down and place it in a museum that will treat it with the proper reverence and respect. Maybe by doing so we can lessen the hatred that so many have for it, and begin to educate again on it's true meaning. I think thats what the boys that carried would want.
Here are a few other thoughts:
1. The picture that brought all of this contivery to light shows Dylann Roof wearing a Golds Gym shirt. I think maybe we should start a campaign to have these removed from the nation's dress code.
2. Our neighbors to the west have no plans on abandoning the flag. So go job Alabama and Mississippi
3. The flag in question never flew above the sovereign nation of the Confederate States of America. Instead this one did.
