Yet More Anti-Southern Idiocy

The allegedly "racist" University of Mississippi mascot Colonel Reb has already been banned from school sporting events. Now, university officials are cracking down on the "racist" behavior of Ole Miss fans. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

University of Mississippi football fans who refuse to stop chanting "the South will rise again" are on the verge of losing one of their favorite fight songs, the school's chancellor said Monday.

Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones said "From Dixie With Love" will no longer be played at games if fans continue the racially offensive chant. ...

... Jones said the words in the phrase are "harmful" because they've been used by integration opponents in the past. For years, the university has worked to rid itself of an Old South image that included the 1962 violent standoff over James Meredith's admission as the university's first black student.

"I think the vast majority of our students don't understand the significance of this. I think most of the students who are participating in saying those words, don't know how painful they are," Jones said.

Once again, ignorance, self-righteousness, and political correctness wins out over heritage, tradition, and just plain fun.

Another Anti-Confederate Flag Boycott

The NAACP is at it again, this time threatening a boycott (big surprise) of Florida businesses that display the Confederate flag. From the South Florida Times:

Civil rights groups on Thursday put city and business leaders here on a 30-day notice that unless they meet a list of demands -- including a ban on the display of the Confederate flag at taxpayer-funded events -- they will be subjected to protests and boycotts.

More than 100 people converged on the steps of Homestead City Hall for a press conference organized by clerical, civil rights and community groups who submitted the list of demands.

"We are ready to talk with the city of Homestead and the Homestead Chamber of Commerce concerning our action items. And our issues are with them, and not with the Sons of the Confederacy," said Bishop Victor T. Curry, president of the Miami-Dade branch of the NAACP. "If the Sons of the Confederacy want to have their own parade, we are not trying to stifle freedom of speech or freedom of expression. We just don't want to see racism walking down the streets of Homestead, being funded by the taxpayers."

Curry warned business leaders that if their demands are not met by the 30-day deadline, the controversy would escalate to another level.

"We want the mayor and the council, and the chamber, to do the right thing. We hope that we could start this with a positive dialogue. But we're also ready to move from dialogue to demonstration," Curry said.

"We are also prepared to say to the businesses that support the chamber, that if you want to offend the people of this great county and community, then we will seek other places to spend our dollars," Curry said. "We will not pay you to offend us."

It's a wonder the NAACP has any shred of credibility left.

Good News for Alabama Gun Owners

Alabama legislators are hoping to prevent the kind of chaos Louisiana saw during the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. From the Press-Register:

A bill to prevent state or local government from seizing lawfully owned guns during emergencies sailed through the Alabama House on Thursday and now heads to the Senate, where it was approved last year.

Rep. Mark Keahey, D-Grove Hill, said his measure is aimed at ensuring the chaos that comes with disasters, such as hurricanes, is not made worse by overzealous government officials.

"The Second Amendment gives us a constitutional right to bear arms, and this bill is just an effort, on Alabama's part, to help us maintain that right," Keahey said.

Congressman Keahey isn't entirely correct. The Second Amendment doesn't give us the right to anything; it is there to prevent the federal government from infringing on our right to keep and bear arms. But good for Keahey and the citizens of Alabama!

Well, Fiddle-Dee-Dee! Another Complaint from the NAACP

Edward Vaughn, who heads the Alabama NAACP, is complaining that he doesn't want a certain group to be included as part of the upcoming inauguration celebration in Washington, D.C. He believes their appearance would convey a message of racism.

Just what is this racist group? An offshoot of the KKK? Skinhead motorcyclists with Confederate flag stickers on their bikes? No. Mr. Vaughn's undies are in a twist over a group of high school senior Southern belles in hoop dresses from Mobile County. They belong to the Azalea Trail Court, which has been in existence since 1949. In addition to presidential inaugurations, these young ladies have taken part in numerous other national pastimes, such as the Rose Bowl Parade and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

So, what's Mr. Vaughn's problem? "These are not just regular costumes. These are the costumes that remind someone of the plantation in Gone with the Wind," he said in an interview. "We needed something that could show Alabama's great progress rather than something that shows a shameful past."

I don't mean to sound harsh, but wouldn't the appearance of blacks at the inauguration be enough to remind people of slavery? Besides, isn't the fact that a black man is being sworn in as president a testimony to how far our nation has come? Why not celebrate that as a sign of overcoming over a shameful past?

Like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, Edward Vaughn's livelihood is based on voicing grievances where no legitimate grievance exists. My guess is that as head of the Alabama NAACP he had already decided to complain about something -- and since none of the groups to be included in the inauguration ceremonies were going to be flying Confederate flags or other symbols of "hate," this was the best he could come up with.

Confederate Flag Makes a Comeback

Some encouraging news from Florida:

Despite years of boycotts, schoolyard bans, and banishment from capitol domes, the Southern battle colors are flying, higher than ever.

Indeed, the Tampa Confederate Veterans Memorial and its 139-foot flagpole features one of at least four giant "soldier's flags" flying over bumper-to-bumper interstates in Florida and Alabama. With more planned in Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, and possibly South Carolina, the interstate show of force, experts say, highlights the potential backlash from banning nostalgic symbols from the public square. ...

... [T]here's some evidence that flag proponents have the wind at their back. An attempt last week to reenergize the flag boycott in South Carolina faltered at the NAACP, with one member concluding the effort had lost its steam. Moreover, the NCAA recently got flak from some newspapers for banning championship games in South Carolina and Mississippi, but not in Alabama, which also has Confederate regalia as part of its official symbols.

"A flag may be a simple piece of cloth, but it's much more powerful than that," says John Clark, a political science professor at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. "[And] if you start turning people away, you're talking about a substantial investment in the local economy that's going to disappear."

Still, it's not clear whether the flag is actually that sensitive a topic. The economic effect of NAACP and NCAA boycotts in South Carolina has been minimal, according to state officials.

More recently, a Florida newspaper poll revealed that few drivers found the Tampa flag offensive, which surprised many officials.

Slaves Fought for the South

This is the kind of story you won't learn from a government school textbook:

At first glance, it's an unlikely combination. A black family seated under a tent facing a line of Civil War re-enactors, proudly holding Confederate flags and gripping their weapons.

But what lies between these two groups is what brought them together: An unmarked grave about to get its due, belonging to a slave who fought for the Confederacy.

Weary Clyburn was best friends with his master's son, Frank. When Frank left the plantation to fight in the Civil War, Clyburn followed him.

He fought alongside Frank and even saved his life on two occasions.

On July 18, the city of Monroe proclaimed Weary Clyburn Day; an event that coincided with the Sons of Confederate Veterans convention in Concord.

The N.C. Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans (James Miller Camp 2116) honored Clyburn, who died March 30, 1930, with a memorial program at Hillcrest Cemetery in Monroe and unveiled a new headstone for his unmarked grave.

Read the full story from the Charlotte Post here.

Another Confederate Flag Flap

Three seniors at Bloomington Kennedy High School have been barred from their graduation ceremony for committing genocide. Well, they might as well have committed genocide. They drove to school with Confederate flags flying from their trucks.

The enlightened school government-run indoctrination center believes "that the Confederate flag represents hatred, bigotry, intolerance, slavery, civil rights issues and discrimination." Forget the fact that slavery existed under the U.S. flag for 89 years (1776-1865) and under the Confederate flag for only four (1861-1865). I mean, a public school is the last place you'd expect to learn anything about history, right? It's all about keeping up appearances.

Thankfully, not everyone is intolerant when it comes to the Confederate flag.

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

If you haven't already done so, check out Michael S. Rozeff's essay entitled "On Dissolving the United States of America." It cuts through all the tired, stale political rhetoric and gets right down to the essential discussion we should be having right now as a nation of states:

If those individuals who favor retaining the national government think that it is such a good idea, then let them debate it. Let them show why the Union should be our form of government. Let them show how wonderful the Union has been for us. Let them go toe-to-toe with those of us who think the opposite. Of course, they do not want to debate this matter at such a basic level. To concede that the Union could even have serious and uncorrectable flaws would be to yield too much ground. It would grant the possibility that the Union is a detriment to the American people. Merely entertaining this possibility in public might make too many people stop and think. It might make them question the existing system, and such doubts might threaten the power, wealth, privilege, and position of those who benefit from the Union.

Rather than debate Union, the supporters of the national government have a better strategy. It goes way beyond stonewalling, which is not even on the horizon. It is to build support for the Union incessantly, to hammer the need for more and more laws passed within the Union's ambit, and to pass these laws by constantly appealing to the fears of Americans. Rocking the boat, even if that boat is sinking, even if we are all swallowing sea water, is damned as a course that we all must avoid as a risk to our very lives and well-being. Almost any action of government, however ridiculous, stupid, or counter-productive, is painted as enhancing our security, even when it is obvious that the opposite is the case. The security theme is implicit in the notion of unity. We are always asked to obey the laws, pull together after votes are taken, end our dissent, be as one, and be as one nation. We are always asked to accept the laws, for fear that if we do not, we will be attacked, or not have medical care, or not have gasoline, or not have income in our old age. Unity and security are objectives interlarded with the element of fear. Even in the Federalist papers, written in support of the national Union, the appeals for unity were frequently based on heightening fears of European countries attacking the defenseless states and of states fighting with one another.

Let the discussion commence among the various states. As Rozeff concludes, "Dissolving the U.S.A. is becoming more and more an urgent and visible matter. Let us do a favor for ourselves and for our children and grandchildren. Let us place dissolving the U.S.A. at the top of our political agenda."

Lincoln Proposed Purchasing Slaves

About a year into his illegal war against the South, President Lincoln suggested buying slaves for $400 apiece as part of a "gradual emancipation" plan. Fox News reports that Lincoln's "proposal was outlined in one of 72 letters penned by Lincoln that ended up in the University of Rochester's archives." That idea never panned out.

The fact that such a plan wasn't seriously considered before the invasion of the South further demonstrates that the conflict wasn't over slavery. It also betrays the mindset of the anti-secessionist bigots in Washington, who were much happier pursuing the war at a cost of billions of dollars and over 600,000 American lives in order to save their precious Union.

Another Confederate Flag Flap

Yes, believe it or not, there's another Confederate flag flap in the news. This time, the NAACP wants it removed from a businessman's private property.

Why is it no one is ever offended when someone flies the American flag? After all, slavery existed under that flag for 89 years (1776-1865) and under the Confederate flag for only four (1861-1865).

But I guess you can't please everyone -- especially when so many people seem to go out of their way to be offended by just about anything.

The South Still Under Attack

Big surprise. There continues to be controversy in South Carolina surrounding Confederate Memorial Day:

In May 2000, Hodges signed the bill to create the Confederate holiday for state workers on May 10 while also recognizing the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a state holiday. The law eliminated the Election Day holiday and a floating holiday for state workers.

With the passage of the bill, South Carolina was the last state in the nation to recognize fully the King holiday as a day off for state workers.

The NAACP, which was seeking to have the Confederate flag removed from the Statehouse dome at the time, wanted Hodges to veto the bill.

Opponents continue to say the Confederate flag is a symbol of racism and slavery, while proponents say the flag is a symbol of Southern heritage.

It's been over 140 years since the end of Lincoln's illegal war, and yet there are still people who seek to reconstruct not only the South, but American history itself.

Slavery existed under the U.S. flag for almost 90 years (1776-1865), but under the Confederate flag for only four (1861-1865). And Old Glory has its own history of being desecrated by the dregs of society:

Can someone please explain to me why the Confederate flag is always the one singled out for demonization? Maybe those who think it is a racist symbol should take a look at this video.

Confederate Tribute

In honor of Confederate Memorial Day (the exact date of which varies from state to state), here's H. K. Edgerton reciting Michael Bradley's poem "I Am Their Flag":

Heresy Doesn't Die That Easily

Just when you thought the heretics at Little Geneva were gone for good (you can read about their downfall here), they're back, and nastier than ever. They continue to be an insult to the family, the South, and the Gospel - the very things they claim to defend.

Remembering "Dishonest Abe"

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on Good Friday, April 14, 1865. Because of that, he went down in history as one of America's noblest heroes and is remembered as a great man of God. But nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to this murderous tyrant.

Big Business Bullies BBQ Baron

Those who defend states' rights and Southern heritage realize that private companies have the right to run their businesses as they see fit. That's what the free market is all about. And sometimes that means being punished simply for defending what you believe.

From the AP:

The South Carolina Supreme Court has tossed out a lawsuit filed by barbecue magnate Maurice Bessinger accusing several grocery store chains of unfair trade by not selling his sauce on their shelves.

Nine chains with over 3,000 stores between them removed Bessinger's mustard-based barbecue sauce in 2000 after he raised the Confederate flag over his restaurants in protest of the General Assembly's decision to take the Confederate flag off the top of the Statehouse dome.

Thanks to short-sighted merchants who are ignorant of history and are afraid of being politically incorrect, many of you are missing out on some of the best barbecue sauce you'll ever taste.

Fortunately, you can order it online here. Definitely money well-spent. No grill should be without it!

Remembering Two Great Americans

You probably won't find anything special printed on your calendar for the 19th and 21st of January. In case you are wondering, those are the respective birthdays of Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

As a nation we have already honored Martin Luther King, Jr., and will commemorate the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln next month, but Lee and Jackson are especially dear to my heart. They were great men who embodied the inspiring courage, uncompromising honesty, principled conviction and moral fortitude we no longer see in our leaders today.

Both Lee and Jackson were men of action who fought valiantly to defend their homes and families. Jackson made it clear that if it were up to him, the South would "raise the black flag" and show no quarter to the enemy invading their homeland. They realized that while war was sometimes necessary, it should never be entered into lightly. As Lee put it, "It is good that war is so terrible, else we should grow too fond of it."

Lee and Jackson were Southern gents through and through. Consider Lee's Definition of a Gentleman:

The forbearing use of power does not only form a touchstone, but the manner in which an individual enjoys certain advantages over others is a test of a true gentleman.

The power which the strong have over the weak, the employer over the employed, the educated over the unlettered, the experienced over the confiding, even the clever over the silly—the forbearing or inoffensive use of all this power or authority, or a total abstinence from it when the case admits it, will show the gentleman in a plain light.

The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He cannot only forgive, he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which impart sufficient strength to let the past be but the past.

A true man of Honor feels humble himself when he cannot help humbling others.

Jackson's wife, Mary Anna, wrote of her husband that he "was a great advocate for marriage, appreciating the gentler sex so highly that whenever he met one of the 'unappropriated blessings' under the type of truest womanhood, he would wish that one of his bachelor friends could be fortunate to win her."

Both Lee and Jackson believed in principle over pragmatism. Lee once said, "I think it better to do right, even if we suffer in so doing, than to incur the reproach of our consciences and posterity." Jackson summed it up this way: "Duty is ours; consequences are God's."

Jackson never lived to see the fall of his beloved South, but Lee was gracious even in defeat. When approached by those who wished to remain bitter after surrendering he said, "Abandon your animosities and make your sons Americans." It was his position that "we must forgive our enemies. I can truly say that not a day has passed since the war began that I have not prayed for them."

Above all, Lee and Jackson were men of God. Lee loved to pray. He would be sure to let people know that he was praying for them, and he felt encouraged when he was remembered in their prayers. Once, upon hearing that others had been praying for him, he remarked, "I sincerely thank you for that, and I can only say that I am a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone, and that I need all the prayers you can offer for me."

Jackson was the epitome of a life devoted to prayer. No matter was too insignificant that it did not warrant communion with the Father: "I have so fixed the habit in my mind that I never raise a glass of water to my lips without asking God's blessing, never seal a letter without putting a word of prayer under the seal, never take a letter from the post without a brief sending of my thoughts heavenward. I never change my classes in the lecture room without a minute's petition for the cadets who go out and for those who come in."

Jackson had an intimate knowledge of the sovereignty of God and rested in the promises of his Heavenly Father. Following the loss of his first wife, Ellie, who died almost immediately after giving birth to a stillborn son, he wrote to his sister-in-law, "I have been called to pass through the deep waters of affliction, but all has been satisfied. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. … I can willingly submit to anything if God strengthens me." It was this unshakeable faith that taught him "to feel as safe in battle as in bed."

The more I see what passes for leadership today in our government, in our churches and in our homes, the more I am convinced that we need men like Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson. I guess it's time for me to watch Gods and Generals again.