Hunley Burial; Why Did No Southern Governers Attend?

The Southern Spectator ^ | 4/22/04 | Southern spectator

[tamcraft]

The Hunley Burial

This site does not engage in rebel flag waving nor does it have any intention of refighting the Civil War. That being said, we have the utmost respect for the men, women (yes, there were) and children who stood up for their right to freely exit a union they freely entered. This past weekend, the crew members of The Hunley, the first submarine to ever successfully sink an enemy ship were laid to rest in Charleston, SC.

Fourteen governers from the south were invited to attend. A grand total of zero showed up. While some cited scheduling conflicts, the general consensus is that they were leery of being associated with an event that saluted members of the Confederacy. Apparently to these heads of state, the hundreds of thousands who died in this struggle who never owned slaves and indeed, only took up arms when advancing Union troops raped, pillaged and slaughtered their way through their homeland, deserve only to be shunned and ignored.

Shame on the governers of the new South. Some things should be more important than political expediency.

[cripplecreek]

These days they're probably afraid they'll be called racist for aknowledging burial of confederate soldiers.

[Gabz]

I can not post exactly what my husband said after reading an article in the paper about this on Sunday. Suffice to say lily-livered-cowards was the most polite description he gave.

And he's originally from New England.

[azhenfud]

Southern Governor with a Union Blue Backdrop

[Smartass]

The Hunley is history that cannot be buried because
of political correctness. Nor should the Stars and Bars!
Anybody that lokks at it differently...is himself
a racist.

[ancient_geezer]

Fourteen governers from the south were invited to attend. A grand total of zero showed up. While some cited scheduling conflicts, the general consensus is that they were leery of being associated with an event that saluted members of the Confederacy.

As a veteran who has served on submarines in time of war, this is is a sad commentary on our modern PC politics.

The couragous seamen sacrificed on the Hunley stand high and proud in the history of this nation. May they never be forgotten.

[x]

Hunley Burial; Why Did No Southern Governers Attend?

Uh ... maybe because they were too busy doing the job they were elected to do?.

This site does not engage in rebel flag waving nor does it have any intention of refighting the Civil War. That being said, we have the utmost respect for the men, women (yes, there were) and children who stood up for their right to freely exit a union they freely entered.

This is as hypocritical as those who claim to be unbiased about whether "gay rights" or "abortion rights" should be "protected" and indicate by their own language which side they stand on. It's precisely because such events are taken as a vindication of the secessionist cause, rather than as a commemoration of bravery or sacrifice, that elected officials rightly stay away.

[frgoff]

Actually, they were probably afraid they'd lose their lunch after hearing the revolting revisionism and propaganda that goes on at these events, or in posts about them.

Right to freely leave a Union they freely joined? Not fighting for slavery? Union rapists and thugs?

I'm having a hard time holding my lunch down, now. Pravda would be proud of you folks.

[RebelBanker]

Hey, S. B.!

Here's another one for the Dixie ping list.

[LexBaird]

Hunley Burial; Why Did No Southern Governers Attend?

Maybe because their jobs require them to deal with the problems of 2004, not 1862.

[tamcraft]

What part of that is not true? If you think they did not freely enter the Union, you should study up on the formation of the country.

Rapists? Yes, Virginia, there were rapists. What, do you mean you haven't read that in the history books? Could it be the books are written by the victors? To deny this happened is revisionist itself ("Hello Kettle, this is frgoff, you're black!")

Not fighting for slavery? Yes, it's true. Many only fought when their houses, Churches (Can it be true? No, it has to be propaganda!) and farms were torched and destroyed.

Does not liking the fact that women were raped and towns were destroyed mean you are "vindicating" the entire war? Were there no honor whatsoever among 2,000,000 Confederate soldiers? NONE of them deserve to be honored? And if we do, we're PRAVDA? You are right. I'M the narrow minded one. Silly me!

[NewRomeTacitus]

Their story, portrayed in "The Hunley" TNT film, haunts me still.

NASA doesn't have the market cornered on neat patches.

A great tribute to service people who perished pushing the bounderies of new technology.

[Gabz]

Oh please.

This is part of the history of this country.

The fact they finally received a proper burial makes this meaningful. It is more than what can be said for those that died in the prisons of both the Union and the Confederacy.

I found the absence of any of the southern governors to be a slap in the face to our history.......and I was brought up in NYC, just happened to have transplanted to Virginia.

[Darksheare]

I'm from Ohio, but my feeling is that those soldiers deserved the attendance of those governors.
The non-attendance is an insult to the honor of the soldiers, and by extension all who wear the uniform after them.

(The governors COULD be quietly invited to tour a US Navy sub.. and be quietly fired out the torpedo tubes. Seawolf has like, what, eight torp tubes? How many governors again?)

[cubreporter]

Lame excuse.

They didn't attend because they did not have the courage to put politics aside in order to honor the memory of the brave men of the Hunley.

Shame on them. Shame on them.

[reelfoot]

They didn't attend because they're invertebrates.

[rebelyell]

Deo vindice!

[LexBaird]

They didn't attend because they did not have the courage to put politics aside in order to honor the memory of the brave men of the Hunley.

It has nothing to do with courage, it has to do with the Real World. They didn't attend because they are politicians. As such, their job is to attend to the politics of here and now.

It is a simple, straightforward calculation: which is more useful? Pander to the folk who see anything dealing with the Confederacy as evil and racist, or pander to the folk who think Lincoln is Satan and Sherman is still burning plantations in Georgia, or don't go near the issue with a ten-foot pole. They could denounce the Hunley as a symbol of a racist State, praise the Hunley sailors as heroic warriors, or just STFU.

If they have any political ambitions at a national level, they will choose the third option. Rule One for politicians is don't commit on wedge issues. To expect them to do so, without visible political gain, is folly unless their base is made up of one of the two previous camps.

[billbears]

You know that's a good question. At least the governors of NC and GA could have attended. Of course Easley wouldn't have been found within 200 miles of Charleston and considering Sonny sold out I wouldn't expect him to be there either.

[Gabz]

As such, their job is to attend to the politics of here and now.

(paraphrase) Those that ignore history are apt to repeat it.........