Slavery

Human history is an indescribably complex and painful process and in its objective consideration, some positive values and accomplishments may yet be reasonably perceived in the totality of the lives and accomplishments of some slave holders (eg. Washington, Jefferson and Lee)  Some of them fostered a world in which slavery is presently absolutely abhorred, though not fully eliminated. Washington and Jefferson are widely and deservedly revered but Lee did very much to reconcile a painfully reunited country, (which could not have eventually faced up to its shortcomings had it not survived) in 1865 by counseling and exemplifying rejection of revenge and retribution.

The real truth, from which the left shrinks, is that some who enabled slavery, in the British colonies  and in independent America, harbored profound misgivings about slavery and that some of their advocacy and actions hastened the end of the subhuman institution in the West.  The formidable British navy, commanded by the British government, went far toward ending the transatlantic slave trade. The British government enacted this out of true conviction that that traffic was purely evil.

And of course, who are leftists to pontificate on  slavery, as has been their recent cant?   20th century Communist slavery is the very worst that that execrable institution has ever manifested. Burn your "Che" shirts and publicly abandon your consequence free casual Marxism-Leninism, radicals, should you improbably seek any credibility from civilized people. But I'm not holding my breath you see.

That the defense of the Confederacy was, in effect, a defense of  slavery is historically undeniable.  But that was not the only purpose of those who fought through the hell of Civil War combat and camp life to defend that new nation.  History confirms that the majority of Confederate soldiers fought to defend their homeland from the invasion of what they reasonably ,given 19th century communication and transportation, saw as a foreign invader.  The present display, including proudly flying the Battle Flag, by millions of good people in the South, but also some in the North,of gratitude for that effort, is more often than not, in a country where the civil rights war has been won with overwhelming popular support, not an assertion of bad will toward black people but a proud and unapologetic expression of the perceived worth of the courageous Confederate effort. It also  bespeaks love for a more relaxed, traditional and reverent American lifestyle and a promise that it will be defended.  Its an eloquent expression of current concern about federal government overreach, of resistance to elite liberal cultural disdain for the American heartland and of caution against possible future antiAmerican totalitarianism. American slavery no longer exists;  federal and in many states, state government abuse of power is an all too obvious present reality and has in it the potential to destroy our freedom if the left successfully harnesses it. Say what you will about them, those Rebs stood up to it in their day.

It is claimed that millions in this country are highly disturbed by statements or monuments praising  the memory of the Confederacy.  No doubt that is right.  Millions though, also consider attacks on expressions of regard for the positive aspects of the Confederacy to be unacceptable.  Are their wishes of less worth than those (many of them nonetheless people of good will) the left seeks to  mobilize in what for radicals is a continuing effort to destroy our country and replace it with Marxist hell?    

My  Alma Mater, SUNY New Paltz, has recently proposed an open minded  discussion to determine whether certain college buildings named for the original Huguenot settlers of New Paltz, NY - refugees from oppression in 17th century France ( which should endear them to the left ) - should be renamed because the originals  held slaves. The outcome of this exercise is preordained; it amounts only to a well intended ritual. That these buildings were named to honor people who had some positive effect on American and local history by founding the community in the first place and practicing lives of some productivity,  will probably not persuade the leftist bigots who set the political tenor of the New Paltz college community. This conflict fairly exemplifies one of the main  courses the left  follows in striving to destroy America: discredit all who deviated in our history from current leftist standards of political correctness! Destroy America's  regard for its history and you go a long way toward destroying  America's culture - a requirement for the "deserved"  death of our country for being "fundamentally unjust".

Predictions by our President and others that this antiConfederate crusade is a prelude to much wider attacks on our historical heritage and to eventual campaigns to discredit our most revered historical figures and of course, our flag, for unforgiveable political incorrectness, are ON POINT!  Since the fundamentally communist  Marxist far left is ever devoted to the acquisition and vigorous exercise of POWER, the obvious course for the loyal common sense majority in the real America is to mobilize the political will to stop this wrong headed assault. A good start is to express  thanks to the President for his courageous and even handed assessment of this situation.

A visit to the perhaps all important Gettysburg battlefield shows a profusion of monuments to Union stalwarts and very few for Confederates.  The Confederacy was beaten; a united America emerged from that war ready to face the harrowing challenges posed by the great dictatorships of the 20th century.  Southerners have, despite their defeat in the 1860's,  been the backbone of the U.S. military which saved us and Western Civilization from that onslaught, for one hundred years.They are owed very much credit for that.

I know I would rejoice at the building of  towering monuments to the fortitude of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and all those whose lives were destroyed by bondage in this otherwise free land.  But leave the Confederate memorials, leave them be!    John/Jack