Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Prattville Dragoons' Commander's Column for May 2016

I spoke at our recent picnic about those in society today and even in our own community who take offense at our espousing and advancing the Cause.  Of course since Christmas we were made aware that there were a few spectators who resented our participation in the Prattville Christmas parade.  This despite our distributing to appreciative even adoring friends along the parade route bags of candy and hundreds of Confederate Battle mini-flags and SCV coins, the latter which were cited specifically as offensive.  Some people will choose to be offended simply to make a statement to advance their own cause.  But our society has suddenly gone overboard with political correctness run amuck, pandering to relieve any and all alleged objections and soothe all offense despite the majority opinion. The recent UDC Confederate Memorial Day event in Montgomery was marred by protestors who supposedly objected to the state holiday and the display of the Battle flag and simply the presence there of Confederate compatriots.  But these protestors chose to interrupt the most solemn portion of the program where people in attendance state the names of their deceased Confederate veteran ancestors.  Bad taste?  The protestors also chose to carry weapons on the grounds of the state capital including brandishing a shotgun and loaded bandolier in an attempt to intimidate.  Criminal?  Taking offense or attempting to advance their own militant cause and anarchy? 

Those who were offended by the display of the Confederate Battle flag advanced their position last year with the removal of the flag from designated historical monuments and grounds across the nation.  To what end?   In Gainesville FL, the monument at the Veterans Park was vandalized.  This monument honors only recent veterans from World War II thru the Vietnam conflict.  Someone evidently objected to this display which one would have thought to be universally appreciated.  So the defacing of Confederate monuments and desecration of the graves of Confederate veterans should hardly be surprising. I wrote the city of New Orleans to object to the removal of the monuments erected to honor Confederate heroes there warning that the same basis for the removal of these could and certainly would be applied to the hero of New Orleans, Andrew Jackson.  Not a chance I was told. Catch the recent news of the movement to replace Andrew Jackson with Harriett Tubman? 

Nonetheless the criminal vandalizing of historic memorials must stop.  The attempts to erase our heritage and history must stop.  The Monument and Heritage Protection Bill must pass the Alabama legislature into law to protect the rightful honor and consideration of our history and past patriots.
From Fox News published March 29, 2016, “A California college student who claimed to have found a pro-Donald Trump message (#Trump 2016) scrawled on the whiteboard outside her dorm room last week was so shaken that someone nearby might support the GOP frontrunner that she alerted campus police, according to a report.  Although the message was not derogatory, Minjoo Kim, student body president at Scripps College claimed the unidentified student perceived it as such because of her ethnicity.  Kim said she alerted campus police to the “racist … violence” of the message, which simply read #trump2016. This racist act is completely unacceptable,” Kim wrote. “Regardless of your political party, this intentional violence committed directly to a student of color proves to be another testament that racism continues to be an undeniable problem and alarming threat on our campuses.” Students at Emory in Atlanta similarly claimed to be in “pain” over numerous pro-Donald Trump “chalkings” found across campus recently.”


We must get the Monument and Heritage Protection Bill passed.  But we must combat the attacks on our history and heritage and foster an appreciation and respect through education and through advancing our Cause in community service/events, always as gentlemen.  We may be on the precipice of another revolution, real fundamental change which may alter the destiny of our country as the shining city upon a hill, a beacon of liberty and freedom and strength to the world.  What will our community and our nation look like in 150 more years, at the Sesquicentennial of the new millennium?  How can we leave a lasting imprint on our families, our communities, our state and our country?  

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