April is Confederate History Month (Kennesaw, Decatur: homes, construction, living in)

[saharaga]

Well, state employees already get a day off in April for Confederate Memorial Day so this does not surprise me. I really don't care either way. The legislature is known for spending the precious little time they have in session on unnecessary and relatively trivial issues. This is no different.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by neil0311

That's misleading and inaccurate. Not a myth at all.

Sure the states were trying to assert "state's rights" but those rights were centered around slavery. The election of 1860 was all about slavery and the "rights" of southern states to keep slaves. Prior to that several things like the Dred Scott case and changes to the Missouri compromise had come to a head over the years for the north, and the election of Lincoln was "the straw that broke the camel's back" for many southerners who saw him and Republicans as abhorrent to their way of life.

I'm a firm believer in the 10th amendment which has been largely forgotten and abandoned, but I think southerners like to romanticize the causes of the Civil War and pretend that it was a noble and principled cause. I disagree with those assessments, and even if that characterization of the causes and beginning of the war are correct, do we want to celebrate the south starting a rebellion to fight for those "rights" and beliefs, and do we want to celebrate the aftermath of the war and the period from 1865 to 1965 here in the south? It happened, but let's put it away and remember it took place to learn from it, but not celebrate it.

You are missing the point, and undermining your own argument by using the phrase "rights of Southern states". Yes, slavery happened to be the subject upon which these federal mandates were dictated, but it could be called a case of the federal government saying "the northern states did it, now you do it." Consider that this was a time when we didn't have a hideously bloated federal government...states were accustomed to limited federal control (as was laid out by the original constitution), and this exertion of power by the feds did not sit well with a people used to the status quo. Keep in mind that less than 5% of Southerners were actual slaveholders...most did not even have a dog in that fight, but were very chafed over the federal government's intervention in this matter.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

You are missing the point, and undermining your own argument by using the phrase "rights of Southern states". Yes, slavery happened to be the subject upon which these federal mandates were dictated, but it could be called a case of the federal government saying "the northern states did it, now you do it." Consider that this was a time when we didn't have a hideously bloated federal government...states were accustomed to limited federal control (as was laid out by the original constitution), and this exertion of power by the feds did not sit well with a people used to the status quo. Keep in mind that less than 5% of Southerners were actual slaveholders...most did not even have a dog in that fight, but were very chafed over the federal government's intervention in this matter.

I think to some degree we're saying the same thing, but you used the word "myth" with regard to the relationship between slavery and the causes for the war. My point was that state's rights was the vehicle but the driver was slavery. Had there been no slavery, there wouldn't have been the fight over state's rights, which was predominantly about slavery. Agreed that only a small % of southerners were slave owners, but they were the folks with the economic and political clout, and who ran the states.

[skelo31]

I agree with chadro77. Americans died, and many of these people were ancestors of people in America today. This is not a celebration of attempting to break away from the Union, but one to remember the events that took place to grow America into the nation that it is today. History should never be re-written or forgotten about, or the future could be much worse, not learning from our mistakes. There is nothing wrong with people honoring their ancestors either.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by skelo31

There is nothing wrong with people honoring their ancestors either.

True, but you can do that without a state sanctioned "History Month." I'm sure people in Germany honor their ancestors and relatives who died in the war, without having "Nazi History Month."

Let's also not ignore that many Georgians do not support the aims or history of the Confederacy, and their ancestors fought and died to stop the Confederacy. Now before you tell those "damn yankees" to go back north, I'm talking about black Georgians who have lived here for many years.

On top of that are the hundreds of thousands (millions?) of transplants who now call Georgia home, and who have absolutely no interest in celebrating the Confederacy. We have less standing in the matter since we chose to live here, but we shouldn't be ignored either.

[TakeAhike]

I can only theorize that under the broad umbrella of diversity that someone felt this part of the state's history needed to be acknowledged. I am not interested enough to research this topic but it's possible GA has other months designated to celebrate cultures/heritage--if that's not it, then I don't have a clue.

[gaflsc]

Originally Posted by neil0311

True, but you can do that without a state sanctioned "History Month." I'm sure people in Germany honor their ancestors and relatives who died in the war, without having "Nazi History Month."

Let's also not ignore that many Georgians do not support the aims or history of the Confederacy, and their ancestors fought and died to stop the Confederacy. Now before you tell those "damn yankees" to go back north, I'm talking about black Georgians who have lived here for many years.

On top of that are the hundreds of thousands (millions?) of transplants who now call Georgia home, and who have absolutely no interest in celebrating the Confederacy. We have less standing in the matter since we chose to live here, but we shouldn't be ignored either.

Using your same line of reasoning, "Black History Month" should be done away with as well? (see bold entry above)

Also, what do transplants have to do with a state honoring her past? Nothing. It's not GA's issue if people moved here from other places; that doesn't change her history.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by neil0311

I think to some degree we're saying the same thing, but you used the word "myth" with regard to the relationship between slavery and the causes for the war. My point was that state's rights was the vehicle but the driver was slavery. Had there been no slavery, there wouldn't have been the fight over state's rights, which was predominantly about slavery. Agreed that only a small % of southerners were slave owners, but they were the folks with the economic and political clout, and who ran the states.

Yes, and my argument is that slavery was the vehicle, state's right the driver. It should be noted that the argument over the role of the federal government was not settled by the WBTS, but continues to rage on today.

[cityrover]

I think its a great idea but sadly, the ONLY reason its on the table is to appease the masses after the last series of idiotic laws they passed...

[gt6974a]

I'd like to see it, but it won't happen. Hello, race card, all you hear about is how the Civil War was about slavery. yeah, 600,000+ White boys died over freeing blacks or keeping them enslaved way back in the 1860's!?!?!