Confederate Flags and Racism: not on Fed Property, "But..."
Posted 06-12-2020 at 11:02 PM by Blondebaerde
Here's an interesting story I think was a tolerable compromise to the Confederate Flag in public places problem. I am also uneasy at the thought of Confederate monuments. That conflict was a hobby of mine, rather casual, since "Gettysburg" (masterpiece film, based on "the Killer Angels" by Jeff Shaara) came out in 1993. Their motives all came back to slavery, one way or another, their "peculiar institution". Slavery that backed a decrepit and inefficient economic systems largely agrarian in nature. More than uneasy, it started to feel...putrid... to me, in the justifications.
Yes, there were some "great" Confederate generals...at generalship. Most famous example: Robert E. Lee was a masterful strategist, but unnecessarily aggressive tactician. That served him well at Chancellorsville, against that idjit Joe Hooker, with an able and aggressive good right hand (Major Genl. Thomas Jackson) commanding half his army in God's own flanking maneuver. Given four more hours of daylight, they'd have crushed Hooker up against the Rappahannock River and we'd have a different history; as it was, half of Hooker's forces were destroyed, not 90%, and Jackson was shot down by his own men by mistake.
At Gettysburg, Lee's aggression was lethal to winning the battle and ultimately drained the Army of Northern Virginia enough to send them on the road to defeat, after another two bloody years. But was he a "good" man? Hmm! Do we need to have statues of Lee, Stuart, Albert Sidney Johnston for all I know, and others on Fed property? Eh!
So, ten years ago I was in NC on extended assignment (in Charlotte), and one weekend onsite decided to visit NC's one major Civil War battlefield: Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site. It was interesting and well-preserved, and worth an afternoon drive for-sure. I noticed there were few, if any, stars and bars visible. Stars and Stripes, plenty. It's a Federal monument.
But just outside, as in next private plot of land over? More Confederate flags flying than at a Dukes of Hazzard rally. Private property, people can do what they want, now can't they. To that person, or family, it was a matter of pride and if they couldn't raise it on the site where many a brave boy died, Blue and Gray, well they damn well would on their own property. Seemed to make sense, if not how I personally would play it.
Yes, there were some "great" Confederate generals...at generalship. Most famous example: Robert E. Lee was a masterful strategist, but unnecessarily aggressive tactician. That served him well at Chancellorsville, against that idjit Joe Hooker, with an able and aggressive good right hand (Major Genl. Thomas Jackson) commanding half his army in God's own flanking maneuver. Given four more hours of daylight, they'd have crushed Hooker up against the Rappahannock River and we'd have a different history; as it was, half of Hooker's forces were destroyed, not 90%, and Jackson was shot down by his own men by mistake.
At Gettysburg, Lee's aggression was lethal to winning the battle and ultimately drained the Army of Northern Virginia enough to send them on the road to defeat, after another two bloody years. But was he a "good" man? Hmm! Do we need to have statues of Lee, Stuart, Albert Sidney Johnston for all I know, and others on Fed property? Eh!
So, ten years ago I was in NC on extended assignment (in Charlotte), and one weekend onsite decided to visit NC's one major Civil War battlefield: Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site. It was interesting and well-preserved, and worth an afternoon drive for-sure. I noticed there were few, if any, stars and bars visible. Stars and Stripes, plenty. It's a Federal monument.
But just outside, as in next private plot of land over? More Confederate flags flying than at a Dukes of Hazzard rally. Private property, people can do what they want, now can't they. To that person, or family, it was a matter of pride and if they couldn't raise it on the site where many a brave boy died, Blue and Gray, well they damn well would on their own property. Seemed to make sense, if not how I personally would play it.
