Wednesday, June 2, 2004

Attempt to glorify South is just whistling ‘Dixie’

Glen Allen’s shrill ad hominem attack on my perspective of a singular aspect of the Civil War is merely incendiary nonsense. His argument, like that of Mr. Scott Gilbert of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, is a contorted web spun not to enlighten but like other revisionists who feverishly extrapolate from a few historic events, attempts to promulgate a specious and mendaciously contrived history.

Mr. Scott Gilbert seems disingenuous in his desire to sanction and legitimize the actions of the Confederate States by providing as precedence the nefarious goals encompassed in the historical Japanese, Chinese and other cultural entities. As the wise proverbial mother would admonish while holding squabbling children at bay, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

Astonishingly Mr. Gilbert compares July 4th with Confederate Memorial Day. Certainly such intellectual equivocalness is a reach beyond the realm of reality. July 4th recognized a people declaring their independence from the tyranny of Great Britain. Ostensibly, Confederate Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor those that fought to preserve the Southern way of life.

But is that not just an obfuscatory deception? That glorious Southern life based upon slavery was in essence tyranny clothed in a genteel antebellum state of delusional irrationality. More than 224,000 men gave their lives, for what?

Gilbert and Allen say the independence of their country, an idea cut from pure whole cloth. Pure revisionist nonsense and there ain’t no doubt about it.

Primarily, they died to preserve slavery, which was probably the most monetarily valuable entity in the South. Independence was at most an adjunct goal in the attempt to perpetuate slavery.

So Confederate Memorial Day is a day to “celebrate the bravery” of those that “sacrificed” their lives. Even the most heinous miscreants exhibit bravery. Their supporters consider the Islamic terrorists that piloted jets to destroy the lives of innocent people as brave. So sadly true.

Evidently, bravery should only be celebrated when it results in good not evil, and slavery was and is evil.

Mr. Gilbert asked if I needed to apologize. I do, but not for anything that I have written in this letter or the prior letter. Back in the day when I was very young and impressionable my “history” teachers in the Heart of Dixie indoctrinated my fellow classmates and myself with a revisionist history of the Southern cause. Secured in my faith in those teachers, I went home and argued adamantly with my mother on the righteousness of the Southern cause. My vociferous argument and blind faith in an obviously unjust war brought my mother to tears. To her I owe an apology.

And you, the honorable Sons of Confederate Veterans, do you owe an apology? Will you apologize for perpetuating the whitewash of history enshrined in Confederate Memorial Day? Or will you endlessly whistle Dixie?

Mr. Allen finds fault in the use of “miscegenation.” Webster’s primary definition is a mixture of races, which is the sense that was used. Allen’s metaphorical “double-barrel” description of my arrogance and ignorance was entertaining, but I humbly posit that I am neither arrogant nor ignorant.

In closing let me say that my intent is not to cause dismay or harm anyone’s sensibilities. The letter was my attempt to stimulate discussion on a divisive American event. Please accept my apology if I have caused distress. As Montaigne once said, “All I say is by way of discourse and nothing by way of advice. I should not speak so boldly if it were my duty to be believed.”

r. j. desprez
Tyrone, Ga.

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