To qualify it ... I'm a born and bred white American Yankee originally a poor country boy from Pennsylvania. I actually had a relative who fought for the North. That being said, I've always had an affinity for the Confederate flag. Most likely because when I went to school, the Civil War was taught as a battle between those who favored States Rights over those who wanted a strong Federal government. The whole slavery issue was only a small part of that. And me, from what I learned, leaned more towards the States rights side of the argument, thus, I've always seen it as a symbol of that and not particularly a racial deal at all.
I don't consider myself a racist ... to me, all people are basically the same. I've said it a million times, but my thoughts on that are that no matter what your color or background, your religion or lack thereof ... there are the good, the bad, and the ugly among all. I've lived and worked among many people of every description and I've always found this to be true. When ya go off into the race or religion thing you're just generalizing ... stereotyping ... and that's not the real world we live in. It's as simple as that.
To me, the Confederate flag in all it's various iterations is a historical element of what made the America we live in today. Yes, the South lost, however that doesn't mean that it can't be a historical artifact worthy of a place in our society. It's part of who we all are, no matter what side you chose to support. Thus I believe it, and all the statues of Confederate heroes, the Columbus' of the world and Thomas Jefferson's all have a place and should be remembered. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, as is the common response that makes the most sense to me.
Exactly! But somehow over the years everyone has come to believe and children are taught in school that The Civil War was basically all because of slavery. I imagine if you were to take a poll from random passersby on the street that 9 out of 10 people would say The Civil War was over slavery and they would have nothing further to add.
And the whole slavery thing was a Lincoln thing, which if I recall correctly, he wasn't comfortable with that whole emancipation proclamation himself. There were political reasons behind it that had more to do with raising more troops and just screwin' with the South - LOL, than freeing the slaves. The war itself really revolved around States Rights v. Federal Supremacy. Of course in our day and age of largely leftist political activists in control the education system, bottom to top, reality goes out the window in favor of agendas.
History shouldn't be messed with. Whether we like it or not ... there are lessons to be learned there.
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