Gov. Bob McDonnell's decision is shameful. If you're going to declare April as "Confederate History Month" to commemorate, "... the Commonwealth's shared history, to understand the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens during the period of the Civil War, and to recognize how our history has led to our present;" then have the courage and character to embrace the full truth, not hide from or censor it. This is not about being "PC."
What lesson are we teaching children when we tell them that it's OK to pick and choose the facts they want to believe, and ignore the ones that might be ugly, painful or we might even disagree with?
Reduce...
The shame is in the proclamation's failure to acknowledge the full range of the truth about the Civil War and Virginia's role in it. What about the sacrifices of whites who were part of the underground railroad and helped slaves escape to the North, or those who did not support the Confederacy, or the African slaves who actually fought on the side of the Confederacy? If we are going to celebrate and honor sacrifice, let us also celebrate the progress we have made since the Civil War, which should be a source of pride for every American, just as we must acknowledge the work that remains to be done.
For me this is very personal. My father, who is African American, is from Virginia. The Finney name comes from the man who once owned my family as slaves. My mother, Mildred Lee, is the great, great, great niece of Robert E. Lee, or "the General," as he is referred to by my family. I am therefore the great, great, great, great niece of General Lee. That is my American story, a mixed race heritage that I am proud of, just as Virginia, the South and our country has a mixed history.
Rather than fall prey to the mindless politics of "either, or", we must stop being afraid of the truth and acknowledge all of it. Denying one part is like denying a part of ourselves and it does a disservice to our country's rich history and to the people who have worked hard to help make America a great country.
Follow Karen Finney on Twitter: www.twitter.com/finneyk
Jeff Schweitzer: The Confederacy: Kill the Myth Once and For All
Waving the American flag while fiercely defending the effort to tear that flag down is untenable. Make a choice; be a proud American or a proud Confederate. You cannot possibly be both.
Robert Mackey: "Confederate" Heritage? The Suppression of Truth and the Misuse of History
If Governor McDonnell wants to promote the Civil War in Virginia, I say more power to him. Let him call it "Civil War Heritage Month" and let it address the plight of the slaves, and the atrocity of post-Reconstruction civil rights violations in Virginia.
McDonnell is showing a different side of himself than what he showed us in the campaign. His commercials were not unlike those of Paul Wellstone when he ran for Senator from Minnesota. Just a regular guy, who would govern with competence and not be one of those culture warriors at Tea Bag parties. Had he shown his true face, the race would have been much tighter.
His Democratic opponent didn't have a lot going for him, and when McDonnell's vile "thesis" he wrote at Pat Robertson's clown college became public, McDonnell said he had changed in the 20 years since.
He can't be voted out. Va Govs serve one 4 - year term. A recall would have to be done for things way more serious.
Whatever race Barack Obama "claims", he is considered black in the South. He wouldn't have been allowed to sleep in Richmond,s best hotel or eat in it's finest restaurant in the Jim Crow era. In the South, even one black ancestor makes you black. Sally Hemings was only 25% black and 75% white, but 100% slave!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winfield_Scott
Scott was Chief of Staff of the US Army at the outbreak of the Civil War. He formulated the Anaconda Strategy that was used by Union forces to Defeat the Confederacy and Preserve the Union.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaconda_Plan
He was the most hated man in Virginia at the time because he upheld his oath to Preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and remained loyal to the Federal government. How deliciously ironic that the ONE Virginian who had the greatest impact on the outcome of the war ISN'T mentioned because he brought the dreams of the Confederacy crashing down arond their ears.
must love Gov. McDonnell!
I'm boycotting that state-
Sigh, we used to be so normal.
5
In the American South, many whites are not only NOT ashamed of the attempt by the Confederacy to perpetuate slavery, they have fond memories of white supremacy and proudly fly the Confederate Battle Flag to this day.
Of course, Nazi genocide is a far more horrific thing than slavery -- but only as a matter of degree.
Still, it is unimaginable that a German official would fondly commemorate the Nazi era -- and no American official should likewise honor the traitors of the Confederacy.
However, the Nazi era didn't come close to what happened during slavery and what resulted from slavery. As recently as this week CNN just ran a story about a WW1 African American war veteran being burned alive. http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/06/isadore.banks.cold.case/index.html?hpt=C1. More than 200,000,000 Africans died during the middle passages of Africans to enslavement. Those who didn't die were cursed not to have died because they were subjected to some of the worse crimes against humanity ever perpetrated upon humans. What the Nazis did lasted a few years. What Americans and many other countries did to Africans lasted well over 400 years. Even Africa today because of what the Europeans did in the not too long ago past is causing most of the conflicts there today. The Rwandan chaos is totally because of the Germans and Belgians. Well over 2 million people have been killed by people who have no differences other than class. A facade created by commercialization by Europeans. The Confederate attitude of many Europeans all around the world has haunted African people everywhere.
The study of war and history is one thing--and it's a good thing. But I don't think it's healthy to glorify war. And this Re-enactor stuff goes WAY too far. Perhaps indicative of people with way too much time on their hands. IDK.
I don't feel like celebrating racism, slavery, inequality, bigotry and criminality. The White South didn't build the nation: their fine buildings and farms were built by African-American slaves, who then became economic slaves under repressive Jim Crow. They remain unfree under rethuglican rule.
We may be facing an insurrection by those who hate American values. Pretending this isn't happening will only embolden the seditious and traitorous American Right.
I'm shocked that this idiot governor would honor the Confederate Army - hey.... yes, we honor our ancestors, but let's see... they tried to BACK OUT of being Americans because they didn't want to have to reduce their wealth!!! Wait... were they Republicans? Patriotic when it benefits them? All tea-bagging if it doesn't?
What a laugh? I have never forgotten our shameful history. In fact, one day my husband was talking to our granddaughter (jr.h) about that period of our history and her only response, was tears running down her face. So people of Virginia, you have an idiot for Governor, vote him out!
Maybe I'm too married to my roots as a Yankee, but it is stunning to me that an elected official in the USA would use his office to honor the Confederacy. Wasn't that a group of treasonous rebel States who tried to secede from the United States, taking up arms against our Union, declaring us to be their sworn enemy and leading us into the bloodiest and costliest war in our nation's history? Isn't Virginia proud to be part of that Union? Shouldn't Virginian's be thankful that America forgave them and welcomed them back into the Union? Isn't that what you should be celebrating?
From my Yankee perspective, the Governor of any State in the Union asking Americans to "understand the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens during the period of the Civil War" is tantamount to asking us to "understand the sacrifices of the al Qaeda leaders, soldiers and citizens during the period of the Iraq War." If you want to commemmorate the fact that the Confederacy surrendered at Appomattox courthouse on April 9, 1865, how about declaring April "Preservation of the Union" Month? For example, Germany signed the Armistice on November 11, 1918. But we don't declare November to be "Axis History Month." Rather we celebrate Veterans Day.
Here's a thought. How about celebrating the United States of America? You know, the country whose flag hangs in your office, and whose Constitution you swore to uphold?
This transplanted northerner is seeing the confederate flags too..... The only thing I think we can do is not spend any money where we see these flags. And drive straight through virginia without a meal break whenever we must get to the northeast states.
Any overt sign of our disagreement could lead to a confrontation with a bully with a gun.....
I am crying for America and hoping we don't repeat the errors of the Germans.......
Most of us realized that we still had a long way to go before we achieved a country where every child learns and believes we're all "created equal." It's tragic, though, when elected leaders exacerbate the divisions which limit our potential and thereby distract us from making the synergistic progress that would help re-establish the USA as a model for others to emulate.
Perhaps if he'd paid more attention to the famous "house divided" speech McDonnell might have carried out his duty to all the citizens of his state more honorably, rather than catering to a vocal minority.