What is the appropriate way to mark the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War?
Five years and the blood of six hundred thousand Americans were poured onto our soil, to settle the right of states to erect a hierarchy of God’s children, and then terrorize those destined to inhabit the muddy realm somewhere below His grace.
We speak hopefully, of wounds healing, of society’s evolution. We march, and we legislate, to drag the recalcitrant into the light of a just world. Yet, the blood of that rebellion will not evaporate, as long as its coppery bouquet is reverently savored by the heirs of vanquished traitors. It wicks and soaks and swells the aquifers of Hell.
Even as we hope that the river has been forced into an unreachable place, has dried to but a historic stain, the heirs of bludgeoned rebels must slake their thirst, and though we believe we are parching and draining their sustenance, they are dowsing for more, they are tasting the earth to sink ever deeper wells, drilling and blasting through our best intentions and our hope for fully realized humanity, to slake the depraved thirst that will not die.
Every corpse at a traffic stop? Dowsing for blood.
Lies electoral fraud? Thirty states attempting to restrain the eligible from voting?Another hungering well head appears.
Where corrupt webs of laws, fines, and fees impoverish and criminalize 75% of a city’s citizens all to raise revenue to perpetuate that corruption, the heirs of America’s homegrown enemies are twisting the faucet and licking their lips in anticipation.
When the election of a nonwhite citizen brings the heirs of treason to their hind legs, braying sentiments which had lately been the province only of isolated, angry barflies, but are now in heavy rotation on a leading news network; while caricatures of witch doctors, nappy-headed clowns, and vulgar insults to the families of public servants are proffered as “ideas to be freely exchanged”; when a public official of mixed Anglo/Native American ancestry is sneeringly addressed as “Pocahontas”: This is how the heirs of our traitors kneel, baptising themselves at the ancient stigmata, warm and wet once more, ofAmerica’s original sin.
Can our nation survive while nurturing the fragile pride of those who would have destroyed us? No.
Must the next iteration of Sherman’s march be, not fromAtlanta, but from sea to shining sea? Not in a nation that can appraise its derelictions as keenly as it does its noblest aspirations.
The Congress, in our democracy dedicated to equality under the law, should declare April 9th to be a federal holiday, marking America ‘s first triumph in the unending struggle for human dignity. And as a corollary, not one cent of federal revenue should fund the construction nor maintenance of any Confederate memorial, grave, nor the site of any momentary traitor’s victory over what Abraham Lincoln prayed were The Better Angels of Our Nature.
fLETCHER R. HALL says
The analysis of the author leaves me somwhat confused. As for the Civil War and the tradigies of World War II, and
the holocoust, we must never, never forget.
joe diamond says
It is nice to have an exact date for historical events. It is also a fundamental mistake to assume on one day event participants acted and thought in one manner and the day after the official date the participants changed. I would be interested in seeing how attitudes, laws and opinions have changed over the past one hundred and fifty tears. No interest in another holiday or memorial.
Gerry Maynes says
Gosh, The Civil War has many roots. Slavery Yes! But it also was about the differences between the north that believed in a strong central government and the south that believed in a weak federal government and stronger state government/ The Kentucky Resolutions that were written by former President Jefferson spells this out. The nullification crisis was caused by the Federal government passing a high tariff, South Carolina felt that the Stae had the right to simply reject any federal law that they did not agree with.
Simply put the south by 1860, with the new territories coming into the union as Free States the balance of power was going to the North and to the business interest. That is what led to the Civil War.
As to the South celebrating their Civil War heritage, I suggest that we follow the example of President Lincoln, General Grant and General Lee. Lincoln and Grant only wanted to treat the south as misguided citizens, who were about to once again be back in the fold and were to be treated with respect. Lee new that h e was now a citizen of the Union and did every thing in his power over the last 5 years of his life to encourage his people via his everyday life to accept it and to embrace it. So, lets drop the political correctness and the obvious attack on Free Speech. Simply allow the South to enjoy its heritage, as we are all Americans.
Stephan Sonn says
The South has it’s culture in tact and would extend it now to us via stealth insurrection, but you don’t quite get the whole picture.
Gerry Maynes says
Gosh, Oh boy an insurrection. As usual and over statement not backed up by any known facts. If you know who the ring leaders of this insurrection are, then I hope you inform the FBI as soon as possible.