Consider that I never met my great-grandfather, who fought in the Civil War. In fact, he died nearly 40 years before I was born.Consider that I don’t think slavery is acceptable, nor that the South was right about slavery.So WHY do so many southerners, most of us having no real connection to those events of long ago, nor sympathy with the position on slavery, feel such affinity toward the Confederate Flag? And at the same time feel such hostility toward those who would want to remove the flag?I’m serious when I ask this question. I really do not know why it matters to me, unless it is because I have somehow taken it to be a slap at the South, etc.
I think you hit on the answer in your question. I think it does represent the South. I think the South still carries the scars of being invaded by its own countrymen, having its economy decimated for nearly 100 years in some kind of retribution for having been invaded, etc… It might not have been you, but you carry the collective memory whether you like it or not (not Jungian in the metaphysical sense mind you, but in the cultural sense, through stories you probably heard as a child). I just went on a trip to New York with my family (had a great time, lots of really interesting and nice people there as anywhere in America, but not as nice as the South). As we walked through Central Park we came up on the big golden statue of Sherman. I said to my family, who wants to take a picture next to the murderer? It just came out, oh well, no apology, its just part of our collective memory to this day (like you said it hasn’t been that many generations yet, my great-grandfather was born during the war, and both sides of my family came up poor for generations after due to reconstruction).
Because we are the only region to have resisted Federal tyranny to the point of trying to form a new country, and having had to resist invasion in that effort. We were not engaged in rebellion, but in a struggle as States to
Sort of like the way some African American people today feel about slavery, right? Granted, but that wasn’t the question, and no I won’t carry some white-guilt for it. Slavery was a human sin, carried on by all races.btw, I’ve never flown one and the only ones I’ve ever owned were attached to a pretty cool orange car. Some people do fly them out of some racial hate, but I’ve seen the same groups flying the American flag. But overall, I’ve always thought of it as a sign of solidarity with the southern states.
Very well said. I think it applies to me as well. I’m willing to change the flag to something else (how about a gun?) as long as people see it as a sign of rebellion to an over-reaching government and a superiority-complex of a bunch of people who have inherited generations of family wealth as opposed to those of us who had everything burned just a generation or two before us.
I’m not sure I can see myself waving a gun instead of a flag.
I was born, raised and still live a few miles south of Chickamauga battlefield.I climbed on the cannons as a small boy. (A rite of passage)I pass through it often.I refuse to forget or belittle the sacrifices made there by both sides.I am a Southerner, my ancestors fought and died for their country.If some don’t like it.Tough________________Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church
The simple answer is that there are some of us who know with absolute certainty that the South was right in its cause. It was within its Constitutional rights to secede from the Union in protest of the breech of the rights that Constitutionally belonged to them. The flag stands as a symbol of the South that fought for the preservation of the Constitution while the North foolishly fought to divest themselves of Constitutional rights.
Was our cause REALLY about Constitutional issues…or was it, ultimately, the fact that the South wanted to retain slavery?
Yes it was about Constitutional issues and yes slavery was a side issue and not a cause of the war.There are various claims about the percentage of Southerners who actually owned slaves. Whatever the actual number, it was a very, very low number. Those who did not own slaves lived at an economic level not far above a slave. You will never ever be able, by any means you may be apt to devise, to convince me that poor white people were willing to leave their families to put their lives on the line for the cause of slavery and nothing more.My great, great grandfather left his North Georgia farm to join the 38th GA Infantry. He spent the whole time of the war fighting with what was Stonewall Jackson’s army division. His attitude toward slavery was demonstrated in his refusal to take a slave woman into his possession when his own father insisted that the do so. It would seem that his family was indeed a part of the small portion that did hold slaves; but He wanted nothing to do with it. Yet, when the war started, he joined multitudes of others like him who strove to preserve the Constitution as delivered by his ancestors.
Economic domination was the North’s motive, pure and simple. The south did not need the north. The North’s economy started collapsing with the secession of just 7 States of the lower south. The upper south did not secede until Lincoln called for troops________________
Aaron, you already know that slavery existed in the North….even as the War Between the States was going on. C’mon man! There had to be other some other factors that led to war. I am not suggesting slavery was not an issue that led to the war…because that would be untrue. But the idea that the abolition of slavery was what the war was about is incorrect________________
Yep! Just like all other wars; money is always the bottom pure root motive. Somebody dies, somebody else gets rich. But we deviate from the question asked.
Several of the Southern states seceded because of slavery, others because of the aggressive footing of the Federal government in response to secession, so slavery was a big part of the reason for secession (its in the declaration given by several states if you care to read them).However, secession, not slavery was the cause of the war. Lincoln’s own words spell it out clearly.