I have heard this argument numerous times. Perhaps in a less articulate manner, but in the same vein, country singer Trace Adkins stated on Bill Maher's (now defunct) show that "there was a lot more to the civil war than just slavery."
OK, let's say he is right. Let's say that the Civil War was (98%) about trade regulations, economic hardships, states rights, and only 2% about slavery.
Even at 2%, the confederacy that recognized and allowed the institution of slavery to breathe and flourish, had to be destroyed. An institution where a man, woman or child, was considered chattel. They had no say in who they married, where they lived, what they could pursue professionally or vocationally, much less civil rights matters such as voting, rights to an education, equal protection under the law. An institution where one man could treat another man in practically in manner (beat, maim, kill) he wanted because he owned him.
In the same way the author reminds us the United States was born as a result of colonies seceding from the crown, I hope that it is also not lost on the author that the principle disagreement with the Crown was over taxes and the lack of representation afforded to the colonists who were taxed. That places a much lower threshold for armed conflict than depriving a person of the opportunity to have a say in where they rested their head, whether they could learn to read and write, whether they got to keep their families in tact, and whether a person had no way to address a grievance if beaten, maimed, or family member killed.
I am even more perplexed as to why there is an insistency on including references to the confederacy as part of present Southern culture. The fact that there was a southern confederacy is history; it should not be dismissed, however, it should not be saluted either. If Southern culture is to be preserved, talk, signify, memorialize those things that define Southern culture, whatever that may be. Preserving the Confederacy inescapably preserves a government, institution and way of life that denied our fellow Americans and Southerners the most basic rights that our Consitituion endeavored to protect and preserve.
Please share with us what you think defines Southern culture.
It was probably more about slavery to Southerners than to Northerners. But the North DID NOT go to war to end slavery. It went to war to preserve the union. Lincoln himself was willing to preserve slavery if it would preserve the union. Slavery was legal at the time and so stated in the Consititution.
At the cost of over 600,000 Americans? Slavery had already died off in most Northern states and other parts of the civilized world. It was also a dying institution in the South and most likely would have been dead within the next decade.
Slavery was legal in all 13 colonies when we fought for our independence from England. In fact, from the time the first European set foot on these shores until 1865, slavery existed in one form or another in America. Fortunately, people began to realize that slavery was incompatible with a nation founded on liberty, and the institution began to fade away.
Out of curiosity, are you familiar with what the New Testament says about how slaves were to be treated? Many Southern slaveowners followed those guidelines. It's difficult for us to imagine a culture in which slavery was accepted, but it was a social reality at the time. Were it deemed inherently evil back in biblical times, the Apostle Paul would have condemned Philemon for owning slaves. He didn't. In fact, he sent the runaway slave Onesimus back to his owner.
FYI, slavery existed for only 4 years under the Confederate flag; it existed for 89 years under the U.S. flag.
Funny how four years of history when we fought against each other become so much more important than all the rest for some people. The idea that people may value Southern culture while disagreeing about the Confederacy and its flag doesn't seem to occur to Shelton.
Ann Coulter wrote an excellent column regarding the Confederate flag and the issue of slavery. I suggest you get a copy of her "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)".
If you really knew about the history of slavery in America, you would know that the North had stronger ties to slavery than the Confederacy.
Tell that to Abe Lincoln. He had a quote about "preserving the republic" wherein he basically said that he'd cut a deal on slavery in the interests of preserving the Union. I'm sure his feelings changed by the end of 1862 (Antiedam/Emancipation Proclamation), but before that...
good post...
Now this is one of those special kind of Yankees. Arrogant, uneducated, wrong, and willing to show his ignorance.
You are wasting your breath. There is a lot about Southern Culture that should be preserved. The courage and dedication of the young Southern men who fought for their cause is only one of those cultural elements. Sadly, a bunch of yahoos have made the focus of the issue whether some dumb flag, that wasn't even the Confederate States of America flag, should fly over a State House. It never occured to anyone to fly it until the 1950's and now suddenly it is the overarching issue in the debate. Damn, I am gonna get some hate mail over this one.
While the battles and reasons behind the civil war are certainly worth noting, studying, etc., I have never seen the seeming need to build a whole lifestyle around the civil war and the Confederacy. Bottom line....it was the losing side. The whole era is worthy of study by serious scholars and serious hobbyists.
But some mullet wearing, no tee-shirt, 5 tooth, dumbass redneck who was probably featured on lasts week COP's episode, with flags and bumper stickers plastered all over his pickup is not a scholer or a hobbyist. He is just a jackass making a statement. Rather pathetic really.