Comments

May 15, 2006 at 5:15 pm

(1) Billy Bearden says:

God Commands us “Honor Thy Mother and Father”, and this is just one method in doing so.

Their bravery, their sacrifices, their contributions to our society must be acknowledged and remembered.

While some people refuse to understand why people pay respects to their GGGrandfathers on special days set aside for such, ALL Veterans deserve support.

May 15, 2006 at 5:19 pm

(2) Don Duvall says:

Their history is rich. It’s also not as our children are being taught. It’s worth while to find out for yourselves. Thanks for bringing it up.

May 21, 2006 at 8:32 pm

(3) King Mongo says:

Talk about non-sequiters. What are these previous posters talking about? Memorial Day and Veterans Day both already cover the “sacrifice” of veterans/soldiers/whatever. A specific holiday for Confederate dead suggests that they’re not part of the larger body of American dead–which is, of course, the way most people would want it, since the basis for their sacrifice was a firm belief in the foulest expression of racism: slavery.

I’d really be interested in finding out what was behind the platitudinate comments from the previous posters. It’s like the ad-lib’ed garbage off of fortune cookies. Don’t talk about about generalities; be specific. Why must the Confederate soldiers be singled out? Why not just “honor” them on Memorial Day? Are they supposed to be better than all the other dead soldiers or something? Blah blah God, blah blah rich history, blah blah blah. Let’s hear a good reason that doesn’t involve empty platitudes.

May 23, 2006 at 3:23 pm

(4) Jim Ross says:

The reason they are “singled out” as you say is that during that war they were not part of the United States, but were the Confederate States of America with, their own President, government and army. Even though you may not agree with their reasons for breaking away, they felt what they were doing was right and honorable. That time of their life meant a lot to them and may be the reason for celebrating their fallen separately from the rest of the United States. My main point is that they were not part of the United States at that time.

May 24, 2006 at 10:14 am

(5) Billy Bearden says:

Dear King Mongo,

Using your logic, I should just ignore my mother on Mother’s Day, cause I already pay her attention on her Birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas, plus I can tell my wife to take a flying leap on our anniversary and her Birthday, because I shower her with love and affection on Valentines Day.

Southern states set up Confederate Memorial Day in the late 1800’s. What we now know as Memorial Day was originally called Decoration day that applied to Union Troops http://www.usmemorialday.org/order11.html , so the southernors created special days to honor her sons.

It wasn’t until 1958 when US Congress bestowed full US Veteran rights on Confederate Veterans

But even though Veterans from both sides now share the same standing under color of law, the Confederate Troops are ignored by the VFW & American Legion when they hold parades and build memorial markers, so the special Confederate Memorial Days are still utilized by the SCV & UDC to honor the Southern Veteran.

Of course we honor their service and sacrifice as our GGGrandfathers and uncles.

But, going back to your 1st paragraph, you say “since the basis for their sacrifice was a firm belief in the foulest expression of racism: slavery.”

History shows us that the 1st official slave owner in America was Anthony Johnson, who was a wealthy black man, and in 1655, he was granted by a court of law the ‘lifetime servtitude’ of John Casor, who was a black man.

Slavery was legal and accepted for more than 140 years before there was “United States” and then slavery was legal and accepted under the US Constitution for more than 80 years.

Slavery continued in the North when the Confederate States were formed in 1861 in states like Maryland, New Jersey, Missouri, Kentcky, Delaware, and West Virginia.

Slavery was NOT stopped by the Emancipation Proclamation, as it EXEMPTED those areas under Union control, and applied to where Lincoln held no power - plus it wasn’t written until 2 years into the war (that Lincoln himself started)

Slavery did not end in the United States until 8 months AFTER Lincoln died - December 1865

So truth be told, sir, the Union is your ’slavery boogieman’ not our Confederates.

June 2, 2006 at 10:25 pm

(6) Homer A. says:

Most people don”t realize that ever time
they speak there mind is on parade.
I stoped believing in Santa Clause,the
Easter Bunny,The Tooth Fairy,etc a long
time ago.
All battles ever fought have been over
who wields the power & WEALTH of other
people.
Learn about the secret of JEKYL Island
and how a few politians sold America very early in the 1900″s.

June 20, 2006 at 1:57 pm

(7) vair says:

brilliant blog! www.ejwyoming.com

January 17, 2007 at 2:47 am

(8) Dr. Jack Karns says:

Dear King Mongo:

The Confederacy recognized the need to honor their War dead long before the North. So, what’s the harm in the continuing of this tradition which pre-dates anything the North did to legislatively recognize soldiers of the GAR or of future wars?

Are you that narrow minded?

May 25, 2008 at 8:58 am

(9) Tommy Simmons says:

Northern Historians have done a great job as has the liberal news media these past 60 or 70 years concerning the reasons for going to War with the South in the war bewteen the States. My father was born in 1920, neither he nor myself were ever taught the truth. We were taught of the Northern book authors would have us to believe. But prior generations beginning with my grandfather who was born in 1896, did learn the truth because it was being taught in smaller one room schools, by teachers whose parents witnessed the War between the States. Truth is Lincoln was a believer in slavery himself. he wanted no blacks at his funeral; jefeerson Davis had an adopted black son that he loved dearly-as did the entire Davis family,but Union troops kidnapped this young boy and his wear abouts has nevr been determined. The War was about greed, about money and wealth, and the power struggle that began as early as the 1820’s when Northern poiticians convinced Congress to place high tariffs on Southern goods, mainly cotton. Slavery was everywhere, including slave servants in the homes of wealthy northern industrious. Northern businesses feared the south had the power to become a much larger economical region. Linclon as a Senator in Illinois was instrumental from the beginning in seeing to it that the rail industry kept it’s focus in building mainly northern railways that could capitalize when the time came to use slave labor in westward expansion to the midwest. Northern buinessman bribed U.S. Senators to favor their plans of protecting their already illegal slave trade. It was very profitable to slave trade and the north had to keep this industry alive in order to survive. Because of this, it’s proof that the War Between the States wasn’t just about slavery, it was about power, money and greed. And this went on and on for years and years. The South was primarily an agricultural entity. The North and it’s illegal slave trade to Great Britain, Cuba, Brazil needed the slaves to prosper, just as did southern farmers need the labor. All the slaves came from the North.
It was eligal after 1825 to trade in the slave industry, but wealthy nothern businessman and U.S. Senators, protected this underground slave business because itwas profitable. Lincoln was part of it and also bribed by these northern industrialist. His $5,000 fee in 1848 as an attorney over a railroad routing disput, would make O.J. Simpson’s Johnny Cockrans’s fees looked simple. After this settlment Lincoln was wealthy and famous and went on years later as Senator and President. Go back and follow his past and see what this man did, and you will understand, the real reason the War was fought.Power, greed, and money were the reasons. It’s obsurd to potray the South as racist and hiding behind slavery.The North made money off of SELLING slaves to the South and points eleswhere. Jefferson Davis will have been 200 years old in a few more days here June 3. Richmond, Virginia celebrates this occassion on June 7th here, unveiling a statue of Davis and his adopted black son. In his day, President Jefferson Davis was known throughout the country as the most authoritarian on the American Constitution. Held prisoner by the North, he never admitted any wrong doing. He never went to trial. The North knew they would loose the case if he did. They knew they were wrong by invading the South. To this day this case has never been heard. Many months after Jefferson Davis died, thousands and thousands came out onto the streets across the South to witness the train that brought him to Richmond for his final resting place.Like Davis, southern Confedrate Veterans protected their homes, their families, and their State.
What would be more important? In the case of Virginia, the state was older than the nation.
Lee and his men did the smae thing, they prtected their families, their homes and their state. We’d all do the same today.