So, of course, he recently apologized to a national audience by inserting language to demonstrate that he (and his State) do not support slavery in any way. Bravo Governor. A third grader would have probably made that same next move if given a multiple choice exam, to contain the damage. However, to me, the problem of this Month runs much deeper.
Quite simply, why would any government within these United States pay homage by celebrating a confederacy that supported human slavery? In my mind, extolling the Confederacy is completely incompatible with a multi-tolerant, racially diverse democracy, and ultimately, patriotism itself. The Governor is misguided. He became a Saturday Night Live joke when the man declared that slavery just wasn’t a significant aspect of the Civil War. Reread your history books, man. While, the war also focused on state sovereignty by trying to gain independence from a federal government it didn’t agree with, don’t forget that infamous line given by a sitting president not too long ago, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Slaves were critical to the South’s booming agriculture products. Ensuring that African Americans stayed in bondage was a foremost priority to keep the South’s economy prosperous.The Governor claims that this entire idea was implemented to simply bring greater tourism to his state during a bad economic time. The problem I have is that this backwards Confederacy should never be celebrated at all. Instead, it should be understood because the War provides great insights into a host of socially, political and economic issues. But, that’s a major change in nuance that someone should have thought about first. Already, the South romanticizes too much about what some still call the “War of Northern Aggression.” Highways, statues and schools were named and created in honor for Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis and others. Say what you will about honor, glory and anything else they might have thought they represented, these men fought to keep slavery intact and that’s an affront to the African American community and so many others who immigrated to Virginia since the Civil War. What kind of mixed message does it send to our children when people say that these were great men who also supported the continuance of human bondage?
As an analogy, should there be a day, week or month named to remember and understand the Holocaust? You bet. We should always remember. But, think about how Jews around the world would feel if Germany decided to create a “Holocaust Celebration Day”, or a “German World War II Pride Day,” instead. I could just see those busts of Hitler, Himmler and Goering lining the streets of Berlin, now. Oh, what a wonderful dedication…This governor has certainly gotten himself into quite a pickle. Maybe some good will come from it though because crisis often brings about change. If enough citizens speak out, we may just be able to keep that word ‘celebration’ from ever being associated with the Southern Confederacy again.
When you consider that the Confederacy was a failed insurrection against legitimate government, which shattered the economy and social order of the rebel region and required years of occupation just to reimpose the rule of law, then it sounds a lot less like something to be celebrated. In fact, it sounds an awful lot like various national tragedies in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. I'm not sure that's the company the Sons of the Confederacy want to be keeping.
Posted by: Steve | April 09, 2010 at 03:00 PM
Six other states (AL, MS, TX, LA, FL & GA) have similar proclamations. Georgia's degree also has no mention, not even a vague reference, to slavery. It was signed in Dec 08 and I would like to know how they have gotten away with this for so long. Hopefully the spotlight on VA will bring notice to this equally disturbing situation.
http://gov.georgia.gov/vgn/images/portal/cit_1210/60/46/133301207Confederate%20History%20Month%202009.pdf
Posted by: Bubbles | April 09, 2010 at 04:41 PM