After two Islamist terrorists attacked the offices of the French publication Charlie Hebdo, killing twelve and injuring eleven, many Americans and nearly all journalists spoke up in defense of free speech. Some people, and incredibly even a few in the media, moderated their support for this foundational value by suggesting that the satirical magazine may have gone “too far”— but those voices were rare. Mass rallies and marches followed the tragedy in a statement of solidarity. The message was clear: Freedom of speech and expression is so important to the concept of liberty, we will defend it—even if we don’t agree with the message expressed. To show images of the Prophet Mohammad as a depraved lunatic or Jesus Christ bathed in an artist’s urine, are all acceptable expressions of art or political commentary worthy of protection.
Just a few short months ago, it was the sentiment of Americans that: Freedom of expression is sacred, as they aligned with Evelyn Beatrice Hall in saying, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
But, perhaps they meant to continue…”Just don’t dare display the Confederate Flag or print or utter the ‘N’” word” (unless you are, in some way, anointed royalty).
“But the Confederate flag is symbol of racism. It is a painful reminder of slavery in America, and the oppression of African Americans,” say those insisting in this latest wave of politically correct “symbolic cleansing.”
I’m not easily influenced by impassioned or mob-driven movements. I loathe faddish thinking, particularly when it is based upon ideas disconnected from fact and truth. So, aside from the blatant hypocrisy here, let’s consider the question: Does the Confederate flag truly represent what the mob claims, or is their criticism based upon something else—like their own opinions, impressions, or ignorance?
First off, the flag usually being identified as “The Confederate Flag” is really only the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia. There were actually a series of different flags for the Confederacy, each one unique to a specific period.
Now, as for what the flags actually represented in terms of its history: They represented the Confederate States of America (CSA), a collection of eleven Southern states that included Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi. These states seceded from the Union in 1860-1861.
The catalyst for secession was the election of Abraham Lincoln as president, who promised not to allow slavery to expand into new territories that had yet to become states.
While slavery was a pivotal issue in the secession and subsequent Civil War, the division was much more about economics than about morality at the time. And this is key point to remember when we start talking about removing symbols in some effort to re-write history. As late as 1850, slavery still existed to some degree in the North, although not anywhere near the levels that id did in the South. But this had much more to do with the climate and economy than morality. Cotton and tobacco didn’t grow well in the Northern States, so they failed to develop any large-scale agricultural industry that benefited from using slaves—so instead, they benefited from them indirectly.
Entrepreneurs, bankers and Northern slave traders were among the institution’s staunchest defenders prior to the war. In fact, between 1859 and 1860, two ships sailed to Africa every month from New York to purchase slaves. Northerners also profited greatly from slavery through the cotton trade. Entire cities in the North were created around textile mills that manufactured cloth made from cotton—cotton that had been picked by slaves in the South. In 1861, more than two billion pounds of cotton cloth was produced, much of it sold and shipped to Great Britain by New York merchants.
While slavery played a major role in the split between North and South, to a large degree, the secession of the South and the subsequent Civil War was also because of trade and tariff differences and a growing resentment felt by Southerners for what they perceived to be a largely hypocritical North—states that had been enriched by the slave industry to a large degree that now threatened to restrain future growth of the South’s industrial base.
Aside from the political and military history concerning the Civil War, it is important to realize that attitudes and standards of morality were different then. As difficult as it is for us today to accept, slavery has existed throughout history, often based upon racial differences. As distasteful as it sounds, many fellow human beings were then considered “creatures.” Both by law and cultural perspective, African slaves and likewise Native Americans, were then considered “inferior” beings.
What any rational person today would consider racism, was the prevalent attitude in both the South and North prior to the Civil War. In fact, Lincoln himself, in a Senate debate with Stephen Douglas in 1858 said, “I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races,” he went on to say that he opposed blacks having the right to vote, to hold office or serve on juries or inter-marry with whites.
Likewise, in an effort to prevent the Civil War, president-elect, Lincoln even supported a Constitutional Amendment (The Corwin Amendment) which would have permanently established slavery as a legal institution, if only the South agreed to remain in the Union. The amendment passed both houses of Congress and was signed by then lame duck President James Buchanan. Even so, the Southern States declined to rejoin the Union, citing other grievances with the federal government in Washington. (Technically, the amendment is still pending!)
Lincoln only became “The Great Emancipator” when it became militarily and political expedient—freedom for the slaves was merely a byproduct of emancipation, not the goal of it.
Furthermore, prior to the Civil War, the Supreme Court ruled in the landmark Dred Scott case that African Americans had no claim to freedom or citizenship and since slaves were private property, Congress did not have the power to regulate slavery in the territories and could not revoke a slave owner’s rights. This ruling served to bolster the South’s position and only helped to move the nation closer to division.
So, in the context of history, were those who considered African Americans “something less than human beings” evil, racists? The answer is yes… if they were aware and understood then what we accept today as the truth about human equality. But I don’t think that’s the case. Many then likely found reassurance in the Dred Scott decision of their belief that some people were of less value—less human—than others.
Indeed, could not the same argument be made today, for example, of those who deny the equal humanity of a fetus, knowing that it has unique DNA? Are today’s “pro-choice” advocates really modern day “Confederates” hiding behind yet another ugly decision of the Supreme Court?
The legacy of the Confederacy and Southern culture isn’t just about slavery any more than women and reproductive rights is just about abortion.
We live in a different time and have the benefit of progress. We should consider our history and learn from it, but none of us can reach back into time with a claim of full understanding to render judgment and now selectively punish those no longer here to explain their actions.
And in terms of our history and slavery, if a Confederate flag is regarded solely as a symbol of bigotry and hatred, how then shall we judge the American Flag?
After the shooting massacre of innocent Christians in a historic Charleston church early this summer the arbiters of what is acceptable in our national Narrative decided the blame for this act of mass murder should be laid upon The Confederate Battle Flag.
And I couldn’t help noticing the story I grew up with – “Brother against Brother” – had been replaced by “Righteous Northerners against black raping, slave-owning, gibbering monsters.”
How this happened in one generation is quite incredible.
Film directors, politicians – both Democrat and Republican – , professional sports and every major corporate retail chain from Wal-Mart to SEARS now all promulgate this received view.
As the Old South fades away – the respect, honor and tolerance the New South once held for its past rapidly evaporates down the Memory Hole.
The symbols installed by the Southern states in the early 1960s to honor and commemorate the gallantry of their ancestors on the Centennial of the Civil War have, half a century later, mutated into objects of abject loathing!
And the collective forces of groupthink appear to have triumphed over legacy, respect and history itself.
How did The Narrative of The Old South change in just a few generations?
A thousand years ago – when kids still read newspapers – I read the Sunday Funnies and the daily comic-strips and enjoyed reading a local favorite illustrated by the late Morrie Turner – WEE PALS.
The star of WEE PALS was a black lad and the character’s name was “Nipper.” Nipper ran around with a Confederate Battle Flag, wore a grey Civil War kepi and had a dog named General Lee. As a child reading this comic-strip I didn’t see anything significant about this – and as an adult I looked back on it as harmless fun.
At the time Robert E. Lee was considered one of the greatest men in American history – his reputation as a man of impeccable character, strategic genius and as a Christian gentleman was unmatched. A few days after my 10th birthday, the President of the United States, Gerald Ford, stated “As a soldier, General Lee left his mark on military strategy. As a man, he stood as the symbol of valor and of duty. As an educator, he appealed to reason and learning to achieve understanding and to build a stronger nation. The course he chose after the war became a symbol to all those who had marched with him in the bitter years towards Appomattox.” Naming your dog (or your car) “General Lee” may have been whimsical but it was by no means considered bigoted even by the most rabid Left-Wing ideologues from Greenwich Village to Haight-Ashbury!
It was a time when someone black wearing a Confederate uniform would not have even been considered strange for it was known before the Memory Hole swept it away that blacks fought for the South as well.
Who knew a black man who wore Confederate grey or waved the Confederate Battle Flag would ever be murdered for doing so?
As Anthony Hervey was – this past week – in Mississippi?
I graduated from newspaper comic-strips to self-contained comic-books and found – at that time – an apolitical posture ascribed to warriors of the Confederacy within those pages as well: an emphasis on honor, valor and stoic resolution. Even in the face of defeat. Or while fighting for a “Lost Cause.”
For example: the character of Jonah Hex was so popular in WEIRD WESTERN TALES by the time I started reading his adventures he was starring in his own comic book. Hex was a Bounty Hunter and Civil War veteran who continued to wear his Confederate grey proudly and without any shame and it was clear at the time Jonah Hex was the hero. Not the villain.
THE HAUNTED TANK – appearing in another comic book – contained the monthly World War II adventures of a M3 Light Tank and its crew – haunted by the ghost of the Confederate cavalry General J.E.B. Stuart. The tank commander was the only character who could see and hear the ghost – but the ghost’s warnings, advice and direction were heeded by the commander – ensuring the survival of The Haunted Tank each time it made contact with the enemy. Of course The Haunted Tank always carried The Confederate Battle Flag on its radio antenna into battle in each and every issue.
I also remember watching Granny on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES saving her Confederate money because she was convinced the South was going to rise again. Granny called Sherman’s March, “Sherman’s Retreat to the Sea” and was adamant Jefferson Davis was still the president!
I can’t recall anyone being outraged, insulted or getting bent out of shape over Granny’s displaced patriotism – no one objected.
Like Nipper’s infatuation with the Old South – America found Granny’s idiosyncrasy amusing. And no one was complaining.
Towards the end of my Junior High school years one of the most popular programs on television was THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, about a couple of southern moonshine-running cousins who drove a 1969 Dodge Challenger not only named after General Lee but sporting the Confederate Battle Flag on the roof as well. It even had a horn which played the notes from the first stanza of “Dixie.” To America – this was a car which epitomized the Old South and no one thought of it as remotely offensive.
The great American vocalist, Johnny Cash, even sang a song about the heroic car!
The only establishment figure with any moral standing or intellect on the entire television program was the sheriff from neighboring Chickasaw County – who also happened to be black.
And then there are the films I grew up watching; none of which possessed a scintilla of controversy during that era. I remember seeing GONE WITH THE WIND when it was aired on television for the first time. That movie in particular was rarer to see than CITIZEN KANE, THE WIZARD OF OZ and CASABLANCA combined! So I remember it being an “important” film and was interested in seeing it.
As a young man I wasn’t too impressed with the various romances which occurred, nor was I interested in many of the interpersonal relationships. Other than the Burning of Atlanta there wasn’t much action to speak of either. It was a Civil War movie with no battles! The film was simply seen as a portrayal of an earlier era – lost to the winds of war and social upheaval – never to be seen again. Period.
Through maturity and a better understanding of history though of course I now find GONE WITH THE WIND to be a classic film. And understand why it endures.
Besides GONE WITH THE WIND the other two films which stand out in my mind as having pro-Confederate heroes as the stars was John Wayne’s THE SEARCHERS and Clint Eastwood’s THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES.
John Wayne’s Ethan Edwards and Clint Eastwood’s Josey Wales are both Confederate veterans who have lost everything in the war and attempt to make a new life in the West. At the end of THE SEARCHERS it doesn’t look good for John Wayne, but at the end of Clint Eastwood’s movie there appears to be some hope for his character. Today – both characters would be viewed by audiences as irredeemable scoundrels worthy of no more sympathy than a Red Army commissar, a Waffen SS storm trooper or an Al Qaida jihadist.
Musical tributes are likely to cascade down into the Memory Hole also – seeing as how they’ve been stamped: POLITICALLY INCORRECT.
The Band – and even that quintessential liberal Joan Baez – could never sing “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” today. They would be shouted off the stage of public opinion. How dare anyone sympathize with the miseries of the conquered Old South? Heresy! Let him and her both be anathema!
And the genre of Southern Rock – THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND, ZZ TOP, CONFEDERATE RAILROAD, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS, LYNYRD SKYNYRD – would obviously never see the light of day today either, nor would Outlaw Country have ever surfaced. Even Yankees from as far north as Michigan, from Ted Nugent to Kid Rock, have praised the Southern Sound. No more.
From comic books to television, from movies to music – the Old South and its symbolism was everywhere in American culture when I was growing up.
A friend of mine who belongs to The Sons of the Confederate Veterans explained to me what happened.
After black Americans secured their rights in the Civil Rights Act in the early 60s – and made further advances with the establishment of Affirmative Action in the early 70s all of their battles were won.
The Ku Klux Klan was gone, Jim Crow was gone, segregation was gone and legal institutional discrimination was gone. We had black athletic stars, black comedy stars, black singing stars, black television stars, black movie stars, black admirals, black generals and black politicians everywhere. We’ve had black CEOs, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Doctors, Bakers and Candlestick Makers my entire life! The Race Hustlers who earn their living needed to find a new way to raise funds.
If something wasn’t done Jesse Jackson, Morris Dees and Al Sharpton might have had to search for a legitimate source of income.
A scapegoat needed to be found. An object to focus a “Two-Minute Hate” was desperately needed.
Eric Hoffer famously wrote “Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.”
The racket needed cash. And the Race Hustlers were desperately in need of something to be offended by.
Then in the early 90s the Light Bulb flashed above their heads – the Confederate Battle Flag was everywhere in the culture so it must be demonized and cast into the outer darkness, along with all respectful remembrances of Southern heritage! This same tactic worked for the Jacobins during the French Revolution (erasing and demonizing history) so this tactic would be a surefire moneymaker!
Follow Saul Alinsky’s RULES FOR RADICALS Number Eight!
Americans in general and minorities specifically just needed to be “re-educated” so their previously benign attitudes could be stoked into burning outrage and offense.
Remember: This was a time before catchphrases such as “soft bigotry,” “white privilege,” and “Eurocentric” were integrated into the common lexicon.
As the late Joseph Sobran wrote, “The forces of organized touchiness never sleep.”
Enter Senator Carol Mosely-Braun of Illinois, the first black and female United States Senator. When a routine renewal of the flag of the Confederacy – the then hallowed and now infamous “Stars & Bars” – came up for patent renewal for the United Daughters of the Confederacy the Senator had a case of the vapors, clutched her pearls and made the decision to be offended. Senator Mosely-Braun was hailed as a heroine for standing up to the patriarchal and insensitive good old boys in the Senate, and the Social Justice Warriors, Cultural Marxists and Race Hustlers have been – like Sherman through Atlanta – on a scorched earth Long March ever since.
It wasn’t very long ago when the U.S. Postal Service issued a 20 stamp panel to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the end of the Civil War. Some of the stamps honored Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and even the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis.
Of course 20 years ago – prior to our collective enlightenment, evolvement and fundamental transformation – people lined up at their local Post Office not to chant slogans about the celebration of “Hate” but to actually purchase the stamps!
So when it was revealed The Charleston Church Shooter had a picture taken waving The Confederate Battle Flag – who was surprised the Cultural Purge would soon follow?
Now the Old South and its symbols are nowhere to be seen in sports, television, comic-books, music, movies or – if California Congressman Jared Huffman has anything to say about it – even at Confederate gravesites.
Stonewall Jackson is considered more of a monster than Che Guevera!
And Nathan Bedford Forrest has been sentenced to posthumous execution.
When I visited my first Civil War battlefield at Fredericksburg, Virginia – a couple of years ago – I was touched by the heartfelt tributes given to the combatants on each side and am now frankly ashamed a Congressman from my state would introduce a bill so vindictive as to deprive half of the American warriors who fought there a simple tribute so small as to simply honor their graves with a small representation of the flag under which they fought and died.
Is it possible someone can be that nasty and spiteful 150 years later? To the Social Justice Warriors there are no bounds.
The West accused the Taliban of being barbaric when they destroyed the Buddhas of Bamiyan. ISIS is condemned when they have also engaged in the wanton destruction of ancient relics of antiquity.
The jihadist logic is simple though: any object or symbol which offends their notions of propriety or which they consider blasphemous must be purged. How are California politicians like Jared Huffman any different? What Huffman is doing is way beyond party lines – his is the fanaticism of the True Believer, dedicated to wiping out the last vestige of the past. Any resemblance to the Taliban or ISIS is unfortunately not coincidental.
Of course with the mania for erasing America’s past we are now witnessing other events. The traditional Jefferson-Jackson dinner held by Democrats has already been renamed in Connecticut. Since Jefferson owned slaves and Jackson fought Indians they are destined for the Memory Hole also.
Soon not only will the name “Redskins” be on the list of words which need to be banned but “Washington” as well – for the exact same reasons leaders in sports, corporations and the political arena are besmirching the names of Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee.
Cultural Marxism is never satisfied.
As a first generation American and a native Californian I should have no interest in what is currently happening. As a matter of fact, being a Civil War buff going back to childhood I always rooted for the Union when following the exploits of the Civil War. But as I have written: the culture I was raised in still acknowledged and respected the warriors of the Confederacy. So even though I did not favor their side I understood their arguments (if it was solely about slavery they could have saved their blood and treasure and simply ratified The Corwin Amendment) and I have never liked cultural purges, state bullying or “struggle sessions” – especially those which seek to erase history or besmirch the good names of those long since dead.
True: it is easy to be self-righteous, pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for standing up and being brave when it comes to symbols of a cause which was defeated over 150 years ago.
And it’s even easier when you’re not from the South nor have any ties to the South in particular or indeed America in general. Demographics TRULY Is Destiny.
The Cultural Marxist’s lust for creating unnecessary laws is endless and their appetite is never sated. Their relentless efforts to abrogate and annihilate a Politically Incorrect past is as boundless and eternal as their hate for all tradition, which G.K. Chesterton wisely characterized as “The Democracy of the Dead.”
Is it any surprise when these are the same people constantly engaged in unwanted intervention in our everyday lives, dictating to us what type of cars we can drive, what type of firearms we can own, what we can do with our property, what type of health insurance we’re allowed to buy, how to discipline our children, what kind of light bulbs we can own – what we can inhale (tobacco – no! marijuana – yes!), what we can eat and drink and what type of bags we can carry our groceries home in? Don’t we know we shouldn’t have towns, schools and plazas named after generals whom THEY deem politically unacceptable? What’s wrong with us?
The result of all of this? Our rich history becomes an insubstantial puerility. No wonder American children are bored to tears when it comes to their history today.
Meanwhile – the actual purpose of being elected? The reason voters put you in office? Accomplishing something substantial? That’s a little more difficult. So the crusades against the Politically Incorrect past will continue.
And it’s clear the pretext handed to the Cultural Marxists by the Charleston Church Shooter will be used not only to stamp out anything which honors the Old South but everything and anything in our nation’s collective past -including the Old West.
This is where my interest is piqued because I know the New West has my state targeted as well. The flag of the California Republic is already being soaked into the venom of hate in some quarters. I can see our reverence for the Old West following the same path. Witness how Junipero Serra, John Fremont and Leland Stanford’s once impeccable reputations have all systematically been slandered. We all know where this is headed.
Just as the romance of the Old South is demolished through deconstruction – The Narrative of the Old West is on the verge of being considered beyond the pale as well. The recent incarnation of The Lone Ranger put out by the Cultural Marxists who have hijacked Walt Disney Studios is a perfect example of what’s in store.
As the Soviets used to say, “The future is certain, it is only the past that is in doubt.”
The Charleston Church Shooters massacre set off a national hysteria which has burned through this country like a wildfire unlike anything seen since our last moral panic. When the calls begin to start banning our national flag, the flag of the United States of America – perhaps then responsible adults may rise up and be heard again. We can only hope.
And pray.
“Political Correctness is tyranny with manners.” ~ Charlton Heston
“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.” ~ George Orwell, 1984
The word racist is just a way for the political leaders to gain votes bye keeping hate between American people. Remember you are not white, black, brown, yellow, or red. You are American . Stand up and fight the politicians who are keeping the hate between American people. And God Bless us all