It was not meant to be clever. It was meant to illustrate the folly of Conservatives engaging in the race-bating tactics of Left.
Was slavery an undisputable blot on American History. Yes, it was. As Robert E. Lee wrote in 1856,
“There are few, I believe, in this enlightened age, who will not acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil. It is idle to expatiate on its disadvantages. I think it is a greater evil to the white than to the colored race. “
However, the Americans that lived in the latter 1700’s and the ante-bellum 1800’s were men of their time. Any American from that bygone era would be a moral embarrassment if judged by selected 21st Century standards. If you read some of the things that Lincoln said during the Lincoln-Douglas Debates about blacks integrating into white society, they would sound as if they were taken out of a David Duke speech.
I understand that it is now not only Politically Correct but also highly encouraged to demonize any individual in American History that had any connection with slavery or the ante-bellum South or the Confederacy just as it was once Politically Correct to demonize Vietnam veterans as "baby killers".
However, once you start down that slippery slope, you had better be prepared to take up the demonization of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, half of all the Founding Fathers, the Star-Spangled Banner, every historical house south of the Mason-Dixon Line, the defenders of the Alamo and even U.S. Grant whose wife, Julia, would bring along her slave “Black Julia” to take care of young Jesse Grant whenever Julia Grant visited General Grant’s Union Headquarters which was quite often.
The Left is playing that game and now it seems that some short-sighted Conservatives are playing that game too.
I, myself, am not a Southerner but I grew up in the South and I know that Southerners,
1. Deeply love America and the Constitution.
2. Have always been front and center to take up arms in defense of their American homes.
3. Are a cornerstone of modern Conservatism
4. Take their History very seriously.
5. Are sick and tired of having their History demonized and ridiculed.
If you think that you are helping the Conservative cause by demonizing ante-bellum Southerners, believe me, you are not.
FRee dixie,sw
Excellent statement, Polybius. I agree with your points 1-5. Perhaps it's time for a little history lesson for neo-cons and liberals.
They might forget, the conservative stronghold of the South is not for sale. We don't like to be lied to, stabbed in the back, or played the fool. Oh yeah, we don't forget either!