It is not the right or intelligent action to attempt to murder, to erase history. History is just what it is, not a movie or book to be rewritten, made to be what any one individual wishes. Maya Angelou said, History despite it's wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage need not be lived again.
The bodies in the picture are dead confederates in front of Dunker Church, at Antietam. Were each of these men some kind of monster to be not only killed, but their deaths erased from history? No, they were mere men, they were Americans, they had families that loved them. Not every soldier that fought for the South was a slave owner and abuser and not everyone fought for the motive of keeping slaves. There were many reasons, both political and personal for that despicable page of history to be acted out. The horrible battle between brothers and kinsmen is burned in America's history.
History is supposed to be a lesson to be repeated over and over with the hope of something being learned from it. Yet, we have a real strong movement in our country these days to either re-design history to please only particular groups or to completely obliterate certain historic facts. As seems to be the usual---I'm not sure if it's the characteristics of democracy or is it the character of the folks living under democracy---our differences send us hurtling to far extremes, only rarely are we able to come to the middle and make a compromise. Instead of walking slowly toward the center and finding a middle place to stand that is not harmful to each other, we must tug and pull from the fartherest point, refuse to even gaze on the middle ground. Often, ranting and battling until one side is completely annihilated.
Such is the latest battle to remove the confederate flag from existence. Now, that flag doesn't mean the same thing to me that it does to many. I'm a proud to be native Texan and I consider myself to be a southerner. The flag represents a lot of things to me, ancestors, a certain time and way of life. BUT, I have to say that these days when I see a rebel flag, I have very negative and bad feelings. I respect the painful and evil things that it signifies to a population of this country. It seems to me that to publicly display that flag is a deliberate effort to offend and hurt others.
I whole heartedly agree, just as I agree on the true separation of church and state, that places where ALL the people are allowed, where ALL the people have paid their taxes to support---those places, including our schools should be free from any one religion or things that would be offensive to certain cultures. And that law should be applied to ALL.
What I do not believe is that the American flag in any way falls in the forbidden category. The stars and stripes represents the country that it flies over and the exact precise rights that the country guarantees. Where we start getting way out in the weeds, is when we muddle the public rights with private rights.
If I bury someone in a private cemetery, I HAVE the right to fly the confederate flag, even on a pole in my front yard. Even though I think it's despicable, I do have the right. Private clubs and organizations, private property, as far as I'm concerned all private businesses, have the right to exclude or not serve or not allow who ever they choose. No one is forced to join or eat or play golf or whatever at a particular place.
What does this have to do with history? The wiping away of the offensive flag is part of the overall campaign to ban and change the history books and any statue or sign or memorial that might exist to honor one side of the fallen in an American horror story of inner conflict. History and freedom cannot be controlled by only one like minded group.
If you don't like Mexican food, don't go to the Mexican restaurant and raise hell because they won't serve you Spaghetti. You have the amazing freedom to go find you some meatballs. There's something called the constitution that says and freedom for ALL. Do, be, live, worship anything that you please, embrace your culture and your race, cherish your ancestors and their memory. Don't tell me not to be a white, American, Texas girl with a twang, eat my Mexican food, drink my bourbon, wear my boots or fly my flag. Don't tell me not to say "God bless you" or "God bless America." I'll stay in my yard and you stay in yours. If I'm invited to your yard, then I'm there by your hospitality and that is part of the old southern courtesy that the shameful rebel flag reminds me of.
Don't mess with Texas, the US flag or written history.
I whole heartedly agree, just as I agree on the true separation of church and state, that places where ALL the people are allowed, where ALL the people have paid their taxes to support---those places, including our schools should be free from any one religion or things that would be offensive to certain cultures. And that law should be applied to ALL.
What I do not believe is that the American flag in any way falls in the forbidden category. The stars and stripes represents the country that it flies over and the exact precise rights that the country guarantees. Where we start getting way out in the weeds, is when we muddle the public rights with private rights.
If I bury someone in a private cemetery, I HAVE the right to fly the confederate flag, even on a pole in my front yard. Even though I think it's despicable, I do have the right. Private clubs and organizations, private property, as far as I'm concerned all private businesses, have the right to exclude or not serve or not allow who ever they choose. No one is forced to join or eat or play golf or whatever at a particular place.
What does this have to do with history? The wiping away of the offensive flag is part of the overall campaign to ban and change the history books and any statue or sign or memorial that might exist to honor one side of the fallen in an American horror story of inner conflict. History and freedom cannot be controlled by only one like minded group.
If you don't like Mexican food, don't go to the Mexican restaurant and raise hell because they won't serve you Spaghetti. You have the amazing freedom to go find you some meatballs. There's something called the constitution that says and freedom for ALL. Do, be, live, worship anything that you please, embrace your culture and your race, cherish your ancestors and their memory. Don't tell me not to be a white, American, Texas girl with a twang, eat my Mexican food, drink my bourbon, wear my boots or fly my flag. Don't tell me not to say "God bless you" or "God bless America." I'll stay in my yard and you stay in yours. If I'm invited to your yard, then I'm there by your hospitality and that is part of the old southern courtesy that the shameful rebel flag reminds me of.
Don't mess with Texas, the US flag or written history.
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