Obama Will Observe Confederate Memorial Tradition

[Kevin_Kennedy]

President Barack Obama will send a wreath to the Confederate Memorial at Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day, rebuffing a petition from academics urging him to cease the decades-old tradition.

The petition, organized by Dallas-based historian Edward Sebesta, says signers want to end the glorification of the Civil War and recognize the Confederacy's links to slavery.

Deseret News | Obama will observe Confederate Memorial tradition despite petition

I wonder if Sebesta would like us to end the glorification of the 4th of July due to the links to slavery? Or if he would also advocate that we not honor any of the Union troops from the Civil War, considering there were five slave states that remained in the Union?

 

[editec]

Bad idea, I think.

DEspite the fact that I have like ZERO respect for the CSA and anything it stood for, those southerners who died in that terrible war deserve recognition no less than the Union boys do.

Let's remember, shall we, that boys on BOTH sides were drafted into those wars.

 

[jgbkab]

In addition, they were all Americans.

 

[Luissa]

and the war wasn't only about slavery. And most of the men who died were not plantation or slave owners and the war helped shape our country.

 

[del]

 

[alan1]

Mr Obama must be a racist.

 

[jgbkab]

He's continuing the tradition.

Mr Obama must be a racist.

 

[WiseOldMan]

It's a mixed up South, my friends.

The Republicans burned it to the ground, and now the great, great grandchildren of those defeated and trashed Southerners vote Republican.

Go figure.

And the icing on the cake is that the mountainous areas of the South (mostly North Georgia mountains) were Republican and Union sympathisers, but now they fly the Confederate flags.


Who says Southerners aren't edumacated?

 

[coold8]

Traditions are Traditions. Why not place a wreath at those who died. It is similar to saying "I don't agree with the vietnam war, so lets not give them a wreath either". It is crazy.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Traditions are Traditions. Why not place a wreath at those who died. It is similar to saying "I don't agree with the vietnam war, so lets not give them a wreath either". It is crazy.

It's simply an attempt to further vilify the Confederacy and those who fought for them.

 

[Luissa]

I am pretty sure on my father's side my ancestors fought for the confederacy and some probably owned slaves. It is all apart of our heritage either way.

 

[William Joyce]

Smart move.

 

[DavidS]

In addition, they were all Americans.

No they weren't. The Confederates were not Americans. They seceeded from the union. I have no idea what their country was going to be called.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

In addition, they were all Americans.

No they weren't. The Confederates were not Americans. They seceeded from the union. I have no idea what their country was going to be called.

Their country was their state, and their union was called the Confederate States of America. Yes, they were Americans.

“Whether we remain in one confederacy, or form into Atlantic and Mississippi confederacies, I believe not very important to the happiness of either part. Those of the western confederacy will be as much our children & descendants as those of the eastern, and I feel myself as much identified with that country, in future time, as with this; and did I now foresee a separation at some future day, yet I should feel the duty & the desire to promote the western interests as zealously as the eastern, doing all the good for both portions of our future family which should fall within my power.” – Thomas Jefferson

 

[jgbkab]

In addition, they were all Americans.

No they weren't. The Confederates were not Americans. They seceeded from the union. I have no idea what their country was going to be called.

Were they born in the Untied States of America? Of course they were Americans.

 

[DamnYankee]

Bad idea, I think.

DEspite the fact that I have like ZERO respect for the CSA and anything it stood for, those southerners who died in that terrible war deserve recognition no less than the Union boys do.

Let's remember, shall we, that boys on BOTH sides were drafted into those wars.

I'm not going to derail this into a discussion of the war and the CSA and the Union, but you're absolutely right on that last statement.

 

[Cecilie1200]

In addition, they were all Americans.

No they weren't. The Confederates were not Americans. They seceeded from the union. I have no idea what their country was going to be called.

Were they born in the Untied States of America? Of course they were Americans.

And their nation was called The Confederate States of America. One wonders where David was during history class.

 

[DamnYankee]

it's a mixed up south, my friends.

The republicans burned it to the ground, and now the great, great grandchildren of those defeated and trashed southerners vote republican.

go figure.

And the icing on the cake is that the mountainous areas of the south (mostly north georgia mountains) were republican and union sympathisers, but now they fly the confederate flags.


Who says southerners aren't edumacated?

generalization.

 

[Agnapostate]

I wonder if Sebesta would like us to end the glorification of the 4th of July due to the links to slavery? Or if he would also advocate that we not honor any of the Union troops from the Civil War, considering there were five slave states that remained in the Union?

Those aren't really equivalent examples, considering that slavery didn't mark the centerpiece of their legacy and wasn't one of the chief reasons for their political formation.

Their country was their state, and their union was called the Confederate States of America. Yes, they were Americans.

So? Canadians, Mexicans, Brazilians, and everyone in between are all technically "Americans" too. Do they not live on the American continents?

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

I wonder if Sebesta would like us to end the glorification of the 4th of July due to the links to slavery? Or if he would also advocate that we not honor any of the Union troops from the Civil War, considering there were five slave states that remained in the Union?

Those aren't really equivalent examples, considering that slavery didn't mark the centerpiece of their legacy and wasn't one of the chief reasons for their political formation.

Their country was their state, and their union was called the Confederate States of America. Yes, they were Americans.

So? Canadians, Mexicans, Brazilians, and everyone in between are all technically "Americans" too. Do they not live on the American continents?

Slavery is as much a part of the legacy of the founding of the United States as it was the founding of the Confederate States, and if we're going to down the Confederates for practicing slavery we must also down the Union for practicing slavery as well.

Your second point is lost on me, I never said they weren't Americans. DavidS brought up that those who died fighting for the Confederacy were not Americans.