In my opinion this is an unnecessarily divisive thread. It started with a question that baited old regional mistrusts that should have long since been buried. What followed was the same old arguments that have existed for the past 120 years. Some (not named) spoke of "Southern" Republicans as if they were Neanderthals and throwbacks to the dark ages. WHY? We have enough current real enemies to occupy our time without such nonsense. Lets end this now.
Your choice of ‘respondees’ is interesting. Why did you choose us and not central_va or colonel mosby (for example)? There is nothing divisive about the original thread. It was complementary of one of our most revered presidents. It didn’t rub noses of the confederates or the neo-confederates.
A couple of years ago I would have agreed with your POV. There are age old prejudices that are better buried. But that was before I met up with the Lost Cause Losers who wish fervently to destroy this nation.
You are right in that we have bigger fish to fry, but part of that is getting our own house in order and that will entail driving out the agitators, anarchists, and arsonists.