Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
The Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans has come up with an idea for celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War—known to some as the “War between the States.” The veterans group has proposed that the state of
Mississippi issue a series of specialty license plates commemorating the war. These specialty plates, planned for the years 2011 through 2015, would each have a different design.
What has some people upset is the specialty license plate slated for the year 2014, which would honor General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Forrest, a native of Tennessee, is considered by some to have been a military genius. Others feel differently about Forrest who is “reviled” by some for allegedly having lead a massacre of Black Union troops at Fort Pillow in his home state in 1864. It should be noted that Forrest also served as the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.
According to ABC News, the NAACP is planning to send a letter to Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour requesting “that he publicly denounce the license plate and use his office to prevent it from being issued.” Derrick Jackson, president of the Mississippi state NAACP, said of Forrest: “He should be viewed in the same light that we view Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. The state of Mississippi should deny any vanity tags which would highlight racial hatred in this state.”
Although many historians agree that Nathan Bedford Forrest distanced himself from the KKK later in his life, some believe “it was too little too late because the Klan had already turned violent before Forrest left.”
Sources
Mespo,
I think you’re missing the point.
Brent is from the South. Nothing bad can be associated with Brent, therefore, the South could not have done anything bad.
Hey look, I just explained every half of all historical revisions.
brent:
Ol’ “Confederate Soldier” who made that video would have quite a bit more credibility if he could spell, or maybe just if he would actually read some American history before opining about it. Just one correction out of the dozen or so errors: the Morrill Tariff was passed 0n March 2,1861 by Congress and signed into law by President Buchanan — not by Lincoln who was inaugurated on March 4th. By then, most of the Southern Congressional delegations had left Washington in furtherance of their treason. The Southern states never paid a dime of these series of protectionist tariffs until they were received back into the Union following that unpleasantness we’ve been discussing.
A way of life must be preserved. At the end of a rope if necessary.
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/shipp/lynchingsstate.html
thats bull crap. who put that out the splc?
What the south was really fighting for.
http://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&biw=1280&bih=569&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=lynching+photos&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=lynching+
Mike S:
Brent’s incessant recitation of his gene pool is curious if not uncommon down South. Somehow the denizens of the latitudes beneath the Mason-Dixie find all manner of solace and pride in who their granddaddy was or where their wife’s family hails from or what Civil War battle occupied their great-great-uncle for a day or so. It is certainly not limited to the South as many North Easterners have the same smugness about family, but here it seems more pervasive and accepted. Personally, I see it as flight of fancy on borrowed wings. That an ancestor accomplished a thing of great importance is about as predictive of the accomplishments of his successor as if the same ancestor was hanged for horse theft. In short, not at all. Family pride is a virtue if used to enforce societal mores; a vice if used to defend mistakes of the past or the destructive attitudes of the present.
“Did you fail to see the above video of Jewish confederates they numbered 12,000. Two of those in my lodge are Jewish an had anscesters who fought bravely,1 gave his life for the cause.Mike”
Brent why do you think it would matter to me that Jews fought for the South? As to whether I knew it or not, of course I do. Judah P.
Benjamin was the CSA’s first Attorney General and then became its’ Minister of War. Nevertheless that is irrelevant to me in any personal sense. Jews are human like any other group. There are good ones, bad ones and some in between. I must say that I find their fighting for this cause and their ownership of slaves disgraceful. This is because of the long history of Jewish oppression, that should, but doesn’t, make all Jews more aware of
others being treated badly. Would you for instance feel that just because someone is a Christian, if that’s your religion, they can’t make mistakes. Part of prejudice is thinking almost all people from any given group of humans behave in the same way and act with the same ethics.
However, are you also aware that despite Jewish participation in the Confederacy, the South has also for years been a “hotbed”
of Anti-Jewish feeling. Many Southern towns and stores had signs that read “No Jews or Dog Allowed.” Many southern hotels would not accept Jews as guests. There were many lynchings of Jews, also. Now you may be taken in by the fact that both the Southern Baptists and many mega-churches are strong supporters of Israel and urge Jews to return there. That is because they want to hurry
Armageddon and not out of love for my people.
As to Government corruption I’m well aware that it takes place in all States. However, few States outside the South have educational systems ranking as low as Southern States and few provide less useful services to their citizens. Also to while you can find instances in any State the South seems to have more of them and more corruption. At the same time most Southern States get more in aid from the Feds, then they pay in taxes to the Feds. It’s no coincidence that the Stennis Space Center is located in Mississippi or the NASA Control is in Houston. That was gotten in exchange for Southern votes, from people who spent careers saying they hated the Federal Government.
“boy some are just outright sheep nowdays.”
“do u idiots even read ur history books?”
Brent, the quotes above were from the first comment you made addressed to me. Now I’m neither an idiot or a sheep, but that is how you started out addressing me. Yet my dialogue with you led to this compliment:
“Mike you are the only man i have talked with on here who, acts like a decent human being.”
While I thank you for that I must note that I’ve read all the comments here and it seems to me you’ve given as much as you’ve gotten. Secondly, when I speak, I speak for myself no one else.
Some people here are indeed my cyber friends, but everyone here is an adult and can choose to respond how they please, I don’t feel responsible to chasten them, just as I feel that you should be treated courteously. This is because I think you deeply believe your position, as much as I disagree with it. Therefore I prefer to argue the issue on the merits, rather than attack you personally. You must understand though Brent, that I’m not someone to be trifled with, or disrespected, because my tongue can be as wicked as anyone here, if people personally attack or threaten me.
Finally, to answer your question I know for a fact that none of my ancestors fought in the Civil War, since they didn’t arrive in America until at least ten years after the war was over. Had they though, I wouldn’t have been impressed or influenced by any heroics they might have performed for the South. War is a very ugly thing indeed, though sometimes needed. Bravery and physical heroism is something that does not take sides and unfortunately far too many young men have died in futile battle. However, while I’ve never been one to shrink from a fight, I most admire those who have shown moral/ethical courage and heroism rather than Martial success.
Let me ask you a question though, since you seem to believe that ancestry means so much. If someone was a relative of Adolph Hitler, or Josef Stalin, should they be proud of their ancestors accomplishments? I’m not comparing your ancestors to the two monsters above, but merely using hyperbole to highlight that sometimes ones ancestors don’t deserved to be worshiped. So whether or not I had ancestors who fought in the CV, whether I admired them or not would come down to what kind of person they were.
OS,
“it is not just the southern states. The right wing is in the middle of a War on Education. Look at Wisconsin for a cutting edge example of an organized attack on public education.”
You are correct, sir. The War on Education is just one of the many fronts the Rabid & Ridiculous Right are waging war. Once the RRR managed to completely destroy this country I wonder who they will blame for it all …
Ah, yes … Morans … when the teabaggers first came into “prominence”, that moran’s sign was figured prominently on the news.
SL, it is not just the southern states. The right wing is in the middle of a War on Education. Look at Wisconsin for a cutting edge example of an organized attack on public education.
Also, look at the photos of the signs at tea party and right wing rallies. A study in incoherence and bad spelling. This one remains my favorite:
http://cdn2.holytaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/moran.jpg
OS,
“poor education and a lot of lies keep the sheeple in line for their elite masters.”
Bingo!
I don’t think I’ve ever encountered such a piss-poor command of basic grammar, spelling and punctuation as I’ve seen here. I’m almost embarrassed for dear Brentley … I say “almost” because I’m just getting over a hell of a cold (and f*#%@$! pink eye!) and I’m not feeling very charitable yet 🙂
SL, poor education and a lot of lies keep the sheeple in line for their elite masters. They drool on command, just like Pavlov’s dogs.
Good dog … atrocious! Me thinks the GOP governor’s in the South should reconsider all the drastic cuts they keep making to education …
I wonder, should the South wish to secede – again – if anyone with more than a brain cell or two to rub together would try and stop them …
Mike, did u fail to read all the redneck, he sleeps an drools on his sister racist crap before i responded in a more manly tone? I ask you sir, to go back an read. I also fail to see u mentioning any of the others racist an sterotyping remarks. For some reason you choose only to read my responses why? Is it because these folks who made the comments are your friends?
A Yours, i do this thing they call work, u should try it. You see what u do, is get up an go work for a set amount of hrs.Hence i wasn’t on or near my computer yesterday.Elaine that was another racist comment.Like i told you before check your states treatment of American Indians an African slaves. It be me, just who exactly is we? u said we know u not. Since this blog is on a public search engine an anyone can post, what do you think gives you the right to act as if you are the master an controller? Mike u stated you are Jewish an spoke of ancestors. Did you fail to see the above video of Jewish confederates they numbered 12,000. Two of those in my lodge are Jewish an had anscesters who fought bravely,1 gave his life for the cause.Mike what state are you from? as all states have slimy politicians. post your state an i believe i can find some slimy mess about it in a matter of minutes. Hey eyeball of the eye i never said i was in prison. Can you read? Mike have you ever did ancestry research? because you may have Jewish ancestors who fought for Dixe. Like i said we have 2 in our SCV camp, an im told there are many in the Mobile, an Biloxi scv camps. Mike you are the only man i have talked with on here who, acts like a decent human being. the rest act like childern. we may just have to agree to disagree on some points Mike. you sir have a nice day. To the other childern an racists an sheep, grow up!
“I am not claiming to have read all thre messages here most looked like spam. However I did read one and when they said”
JosephineSouthern,
So you read one comment and you presume to understand the conversation. I would say that’s akin to hearing one word of a sentence, “bull” perhaps, and assume it’s about a brand of rolling tobacco.
“I saw right away that they just don’t get it! Wee are not fighting the past we are fighting the present!”
I’m not sure who the “Wee” you’re referring to are, but I presume that refers to the entire South, so it seems we’re privileged to be hearing for a spokesman for all the Southern States. Quite impressive, could I then go further and also guess that you mean all Blacks, Latino’s and liberals residing below the Mason-Dixon line.
“every single day somewhere in the USA there is an article, blog, or other bashing and lying about the South and my ancestors. Just mention the Confederate Flag and they can go go on for days with their bashing and lying. This has to be one the most money making schemes for the politicians, authors, bloggers,pundits of the century.”
You have my sympathies, it must be so painful for you to have to see/hear this. Naturally, the fact that every day there are
dozens of articles bashing Black people, Latino’s, non-Christians
and “Blue State” people as being unworthy and un-American. That’s
not to mention Southern politicians and their rants, or the fact that you all seem to believe that your beliefs and way of life are superior, somehow. I know of course that these articles are merely scholarly attempts to explain to the rest of the country
why a bunch of States with poor education, low wages, rotting infrastructure, bad health care and a propensity to take more from the Federal government than they give, are somehow morally superior.
“All the lies that were printed about the South and my people in the 1960s we couldn’t get a word in and most of us just held our tongues, but when this bashing all started up again in the 1990s by the naccp and splc a lot of us vowed to fight it!”
It must have been awful for you all to live through the terror of black people trying to get their right to vote, have equal accommodations, education and enforcement of the laws. They were all so rude trying to upset you innocent folk like that. Couldn’t
they just be grateful they weren’t slaves anymore, since you all had freed them in a gracious act of magnanimity? I can still remember the dear Governor Wallace, standing in front of the U of A cheerfully welcoming its’ first black students. That great lawman Bull Connor caringly wetting down peaceful marchers due
to the warmth of the sun and letting them have big doggies to romp with them as they marched. Who can forget the many kindnesses bestowed on Medgar Evers and others by those assisting them with shotguns and rope to make their life choices easier. Oh the infamy of them lib types denouncing the great hospitality of Southerners.
“So I came out swinging and a lot of us are swinging the bat now. And if you don’t like that well that is just too bad, cause we don’t give a damn.”
I note that more then bats are being brandished, but in fact a whole bunch of weaponry. I certainly concur that you all don’t give a damn: About Decency, About The Constitution, About Freedom and in fact about this Country. Why even the Governor of the Great State of Texas wants to secede again. I actually hope all that can be worked out.
The South has since the inception of this country been the place where the rich rule, where the average citizens are set against eachother to keep the rich in power, where children are given sub-par educations and folk like you live their lives in bitter hatred of anything that smack of change, as you remember past glories that never existed. Lincoln was wrong. He should have let you secede and if he did, today the South would be a third world theocratic dictatorship, without freedom and run by your elite nobility. Just like before the Civil War.
Elaine,
Capital of anything is hard to find these days…unless you work for the banks, wall street or the government…..then…well…you have all you need…..
Did you see….Bohener…
Boehner To Obama: Let’s Make A Deal On Debt Limit
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/15/john-boehner-debt-limit_n_862125.html?ncid=webmail
AY,
I heard he went on a hunt for capital letters. Them things is hard to find in his neck o’ the woods.
😉
So what has happened to brent….
Illuminated One,
without your avatar we know you not