Confederacy, Slavery, and History

It has been an interesting year already for history. In Texas some conservatives are trying to blight parts out. And in other areas of the South we see a similar attitude.

It used to almost cute, in place like the Beverly Hillbillies, the War of Northern Aggression.  Aw, they don't know history.  Cute.

It isn't cute any longer. And it sure as hell is not acceptable.

Virgina, in the wake of attacks on gay rights. Slapped the US of A, African Americans, and history across the face with a declaration of Confederate History Month, something the previous Dem governors refused to do. But when Reps rule VA, they let it all hang out. If that wasn't insulting and dumb enough, they didn't bother to mention the slave issue. And when called on it took some time before realizing the trouble brewing. But the idea they came up with was first slavery was no big deal, then they said it was and kinda acknowledged it.

Then the governor of Mississippi stepped in and into it. He defended blowing off slavery and the suffering. And then he to did a proclamation declaring April Confederate History Month. And he to just ignored slavery as an issue. And as noted to deny slaveries significance is impossible for this governor. In looking at Mississippi's declaration session, it specifically states slavery as a key reason they decided to act. They were nice enough to record that which they were to defend. How nice.

That is what the confederacy was about. The South spent 50 years threatening session time and again, and almost doing it more than once (And the story of Pres. Jackson facing down a senator from South Carolina over this and making him blink is just great.). It always came back to slavery. Another state joins, they might not be a slave state. OH NO! Remember history class? The confederacy. It is what it was. As are its symbols. The confederate flag stands for a defense of slave economics, for KKK night rides, and Jim Crow laws. (Sorry if that ruins Dukes of Hazzard or anything, it is just the facts.)

The history of the South is largely built on the backs of a people that yearned to be free from its mark. That is a history lesson too much of the South and far far too much of conservatism refuses to learn or consider.