Once again it is Memorial Day, the annual Kickoff to Summer. At least that is what most people know about the day. For those who know about History, and that is a precious and dwindling few these days, it means a whole lot more. While the Old Soldiers from World War Two who will lead our parade brings the Military Nature of The Day into focus, it is not a Day To Honor The Dead from all Wars, as is sometimes said. It should be the day to Honor those Who Fought and Died in The Civil War, which took place from 1861-1865.
A Northerner by birth, I got the official version early and often. It goes something like this "The Good and Pure Union Forces rose up to fight the evil hated racist slave owner southern forces. They prevailed against terrible odds and the Union and Liberty was Saved and freedom given to all. Amen" (Pretty Religious for Public Schools now that you mention it. Where was the ACLU back then). As always, you really can't trust anything that the liberals teach you. The truth is much different. A simple version would be that the Civil War was a war in which the forces of Liberty (Republicans) vanquished (temporarily) the forces of Slavery (Democrats). I see I got your attention. Truth hurts, doesn't it. While Slavery was a minor issue (Less than 5% of Southerners owned slaves, though, due to the fact that Lincoln received NO VOTES in 1860 from the Southern States, it is safe to say that 100% of Slave owners were Democratic Party Members, as were 100% of Klan Members after the war. Prominent Southerners Like Lee and Jackson, Jefferson and Washington knew that Slavery was evil and did what they could to stop it with things like the 2/3 compromise. Contrary to liberal lies, it did not mean that "African Americans" were thought of as only 2/3 of a person. In that case "Native Americans" did not even exist, for the Constitution says "Indians not taxed". No, this was an abolitionist measure. The Southern States wanted to count their slaves to increase their numbers in the House of Representatives while still considering them non humans and property. Northerners felt if they couldn't count their tables and chairs for representation, neither could the South if the slave was only Property. Rather than torpedo a birth of a Republic, the North Compromised on 2/3. A Slave only Counted as 2/3 of a Free Person, thus hamstringing the spread of Slavery. Our Founding Fathers were much wiser than us in Present Times. They did all they could to strangle the institution of Slavery. Given enough time and the spread of technology, the institution may have died off and the war been unnecessary.
But the war did come, and that is why it is an insult to talk of reparations. The Blood of 700,000 Americans more than paid the price for all time. It is time to honor the true Greatest Generation. We owe them an immeasurable debt. We can start by replacing the Confederate Statues in Southern States. You do not learn anything by Pretending that something did not happen. The Democrats have learned nothing. They are still the party of Slavery, only now they control the media sources, so they make it appear otherwise.
The Civil War Was not about Good vs Evil, it was really a State's Rights issue. But telling the truth would be bad for Democrats. Call it a convenient Lie. I will give honor to whom honor is due. Happy Memorial Day.
Showing posts with label Decoration Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Decoration Day. Show all posts
Monday, May 29, 2017
Monday, May 27, 2013
Decoration Day
I think it's appropriate that I call this Holiday by its original name. It's time we remember what this nation went through to get where it is Today.
The Day had its origins on May 1, 1865, right after the end of the American Civil War. It was originally celebrated by freedmen, as the freed slaves were called. Appropriately enough for the holiday's Civil War roots, the day was founded in Charleston, South Carolina.
Decoration Day began three years later, at the order of Union General John A. Logan. The date for the celebration way May 30, 1868. A date that lasted for a hundred years, until Congress, in its usual boneheadedness, created the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, also known as the three day weekend law. This law didn't take effect until 1971. By the time I was in High School the damage had been done. Memorial Day was seen as nothing more than the beginning of the Summer Season. As I went to High School on Cape Cod, that was still a big deal, but nothing like what it really meant. A lot of people died so that we could open the beaches. (It really sounds crass when you put it that way, doesn't it).
Supposedly Memorial Day is supposed to honor "The Fallen" and Veterans Day "The Living", yet still, it missed the mark.
More that 3 million men fought in the war, over 620,000 died. If the nation had stayed divided, Slavery would have become an institution in the South to this day. Without a war, I still believe technology would have made slavery obsolete within 10-15 years (1870-75). But with the war, if the South had "won" (i.e. put up enough of a resistance to force the European Powers to intervene, created an arbitrated peace), the result would have been seen as a vindication of the Peculiar Institution, and it would have survived.
Enjoy the cookout, enjoy the Summer, but never forget the cost. The Civil War ensured that our nation would be around today, with freedom and liberty for all. Because of the slavery part of the story, the Civil War is the true "Forgotten War". Nobody wants to talk about it. In fact, there are people out there trying to rewrite the results at best, and purge the very memory of the war from our existence at worst. That is wrong. You don't learn from history if you try to pretend it didn't happen. God Bless You all, and God Bless America.
The Day had its origins on May 1, 1865, right after the end of the American Civil War. It was originally celebrated by freedmen, as the freed slaves were called. Appropriately enough for the holiday's Civil War roots, the day was founded in Charleston, South Carolina.
Decoration Day began three years later, at the order of Union General John A. Logan. The date for the celebration way May 30, 1868. A date that lasted for a hundred years, until Congress, in its usual boneheadedness, created the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, also known as the three day weekend law. This law didn't take effect until 1971. By the time I was in High School the damage had been done. Memorial Day was seen as nothing more than the beginning of the Summer Season. As I went to High School on Cape Cod, that was still a big deal, but nothing like what it really meant. A lot of people died so that we could open the beaches. (It really sounds crass when you put it that way, doesn't it).
Supposedly Memorial Day is supposed to honor "The Fallen" and Veterans Day "The Living", yet still, it missed the mark.
More that 3 million men fought in the war, over 620,000 died. If the nation had stayed divided, Slavery would have become an institution in the South to this day. Without a war, I still believe technology would have made slavery obsolete within 10-15 years (1870-75). But with the war, if the South had "won" (i.e. put up enough of a resistance to force the European Powers to intervene, created an arbitrated peace), the result would have been seen as a vindication of the Peculiar Institution, and it would have survived.
Enjoy the cookout, enjoy the Summer, but never forget the cost. The Civil War ensured that our nation would be around today, with freedom and liberty for all. Because of the slavery part of the story, the Civil War is the true "Forgotten War". Nobody wants to talk about it. In fact, there are people out there trying to rewrite the results at best, and purge the very memory of the war from our existence at worst. That is wrong. You don't learn from history if you try to pretend it didn't happen. God Bless You all, and God Bless America.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)