Forum Index
»
Political Discussion
"confederate history month"? how about go racism month?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
Always find it amusing the amount of reverence afforded to the greatest traitors in American history. "Jefferson Davis Highway," indeed... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:JeffersonDavisBenedictArnoldTreasonCartoon1865.jpg |
Anonymous
| This makes me embarrassed to live in Virginia. We have a racist numskull for a governor. |
Anonymous
| It should be slavery awareness month. It still exists afterall. |
Anonymous
My friends and I refer to it as Confederate Criminal Highway. |
Anonymous
| I am a proud Southerner. |
Anonymous
| The southern traditions of hospitality, manners, rich cuisine, music, architecture are all things to be proud of, but if my ancestors were slave owners/traders I'd be depressed. |
Anonymous
|
slaves were expensive. $500/head in 1850s dollars was a lot of money. What would be the net present value of free labor for life (minus minimal expenses for housing and upkeep)? Didn't really make sense financially except for the really labor intensive sugar plantations in the Caribbean or in brazil.
all that said, not sure why one would be depressed if 10 generations ago your ancestor was a (1) slave or (2) a slave owner. assuming your family was in america that long, strong odds that you are related to both. |
Anonymous
My ancestors were slaves in Georgia and the thought of Confederate History Month does not depress me one bit. It is a part of this nation's history and learning about the Confederacy and understanding it are not the same as glorifying it. The majority of whites in Southern states did not own slaves because the expense, as PP noted, was so great. I admire Abraham Lincoln greatly but he did state that he would be willing to preserve the peculiar institution if by that means he could preserve the Union. We can never understand how so great an atrocity could have lasted so long if we try to shut down the discourse. Like it or not, those in the Confederacy had distinct economic, social, and political motives that need to be studied and remembered forever. |
Anonymous
| 18:41 here. I didn't say I'd be depressed if my ancestors were slaves (only slave owners or traders), because slaves were victims. I'm saying I would be really bummed to know that my ancestors thought it was okay to buy and own human beings, and treat them like property. And sadly, it still exists today. |
Anonymous
Whoever your ancestors were, I am sure they have done some awful things over the generations. Warfare, slavery, infanticide, human sacrifice, cannibalism, rape etc are a universal part of the human condition if you go back far enough. I don't believe it is productive to feel anguish over the bad things past generations did, the more important thing is the values we hold in our common humanity now. In my view "celebrating" confederate history is repugnant because of the implications it has for present day race relations and the message it sends. |
Anonymous
Why? They belonged to a society where it was the norm. I'm certainly not excusing slavery, but I think you need to be able to distance yourself from the behavior of your ancestors (though not excuse their behavior). I understand that you may be embarrassed about such a past, but depressed? |
Anonymous
| If it promotes the study of history (which apparently is the intent) I don't see that as a bad thing. |
Anonymous
|
Feb. is Black History Month.
So, what is wrong with Confederate History Month? Both months bring attention to the nation's history - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Whether you agree or disagree with it that is how it was. |
jsteele
Site Admin Offline
Site Admin Offline
There is nothing wrong with Confederate History Month as long as you don't leave out the primary reason there was a Confederacy in the first place. |