Posted on 06/08/2021 7:16:33 AM PDT by rebuildus
I’ve been watching documentary filmmaker Ken Burns’ classic series The Civil War , and I’m loving it! Since coming to the South, my interest in the horrific fight between Americans has increased dramatically.
I’ve also read Bill O’Reilly’s / Martin Dugard’s book Killing Lincoln, which I also enjoyed immensely.
Watching The Civil War, I heard Frederick Douglass quoted many times, which piqued my interest too, so now I’m also reading his autobiography! I definitely highly recommend this one. Too many have white-washed Slavery with an image of happy slaves joyfully singing spirituals. This is the other side, from the perspective of an ex-slave.
In times past, I may have watched The Civil War with a jaundiced eye, suspect that it originally aired on liberal PBS, or that Ken Burns is probably a liberal.
But I’m watching it with an open mind, and though I’m sure some people may tell me that it’s biased and is missing this or that key fact, I find it even-handed, and just as important–HUMANE.
In our mad desire to “win” in the political and cultural arena, I find a severe shortage of humanity among us (“right” and “left”). No, I will not equate the two, and pretend that humanity is equally lacking in the two sides. Many leftists are out of their minds with rage and destructive impulses. Yet, I see too little love on the right side of the spectrum as well.
That’s a problem.
As I watch The Civil War, I’m constantly struck by the good and bad on BOTH sides:
The North stood against the evil of Slavery (that’s a HUGE mark in their favor). Yet, life in northern cities could be de-humanizing, particularly in contrast with more natural and healthy rural living, which the South personified.
And the destruction of states’ rights, which Lincoln started, opened the door to today’s full-on ASSAULT against these rights. Yet nobody can rationally say that any state has the right to sanction the buying and selling of human beings against their will.
The South had a healthy distrust of the corrupting power of the federal government. Unfortunately for them, this distrust was so great that it impeded them from coming together sufficiently within their OWN government to maximize their chances for winning the war.
That so many Americans were essentially okay with a system that treated other Americans as PROPERTY is unsettling, to be frank. Of course, things have not changed all that much: the WHOLE country (North and South) permits the slaughter of unborn children in the womb. So are we any better than the slave-holders?
My point here, is that our hatred for our fellow man blinds us to the GOOD that resides within him. If the North and South COMBINED the good aspects of each, there never would have been a Civil War, and Reconstruction would have gone much better for all concerned, particularly the ex-slaves.
This principle is true of virtually EVERY division we have: black vs. white, right vs. left, rural vs. city, vegan vs. carnivore, “internal” vs. “external” martial arts, calisthenics vs. weight training, etc.
Tribes rule what was once the UNITED States of America, and this same phenomenon is playing out worldwide.
Rise of the “Tribal Chiefs”
Everywhere we see the rise of “tribal chiefs”–those who benefit via money and power from fomenting DIVISION amongst us. We see it all over the Internet–“influencers” who get clicks by insulting people who don’t agree with them.
You probably watch some of them. We all do.
Think about it–is this really productive? Does this place us in a more or less united position? Many of the people doing this call themselves “Christians.” Is this Christian?
Tribes are typically led by “chiefs” who are charismatic, have a way with words, are bold, and insatiable for attention. They cater to our worst instincts. It reminds me of one of my favorite old quotes…
"The palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise"--Thomas Paine
Tribalism is killing our unity, and thus killing our nation and the civilized world. We must overcome it or perish!
I believe healing starts when we recognize the part we are playing in this deadly game. This site will continue to promote the best in natural health, success, and freedom, and it will continue to point out those who are enemies of these, but it will not indulge in gratuitous insults to build our readership.
And I have no illusions–we will not ALL unite. Only those of goodwill, despite our differences. But I believe that will be enough to save our countries, or at least to safeguard those of us who trust God’s grace and the power of a people united.
Patrick Rooney is the Founder of OldSchoolUs.com. He communicates clearly and fearlessly during perilous times about natural health, success, and freedom. To reach Patrick, email him at info@oldschoolus.com.
“But for political expediency and to quell any lingering Southern resistance to continue the war and ‘’to bind up the nations wounds’’ Lincoln didn’t hang him.”
President Lincoln couldn’t have hanged him. It was impossible. He did not have the opportunity.
By the time President Davis was taken into custody, President Lincoln had passed away. Chronological complexities are just part of what makes your explanation inexplicable.
That is a very interesting comment.
Is that what you call a euphemism?
That is an interesting comment.
For the purpose of this post, let's stipulate that you are right: there is a time to put aside niceties and the constitutional amendment process and “put muscle behind a situation that a mere piece of paper will not remedy.”
The context of your “muscle” advocacy was Lincoln's use of the military to overthrow constitutional slavery. It is perhaps just coincidental that the 300,000 southerners killed represented economic and political rivals that would have been on the border of the Union states; competing with Union states.
Lincoln, you say, levied war on the states to crush immoral slavery; by your telling Lincoln “fought to free the slaves.”
Then you draw a comparison to immoral abortion, seemingly oblivious that abortion is founded on the punitive and ill-compounded 14th amendment made possible only by Lincoln bayonets - I mean Lincoln muscles.
Now this question: how many abortionists have you muscled out of existence in recent days?
Nothing that happened after “Lincoln passed away” had anything to do with Lincoln. You see there was a particular person who was connected to “Lincoln passing away”. All that befell the Nation after “Lincoln passed away” can be blamed precisely on that person. I don’t want to be the one to have to break it to you. We will never know what might have been if only Lincoln hadn’t “passed away”. We are just lucky that Lincoln, before he “passed away”, put his signature on the 13th Amendment (even though it wasn’t required). He wanted his name on it.
Jeff Davis died pro-Union? Dude, all due respect, I mean that sincerely but what are you smoking?
When Grant was ready to leave for Appomattox Lincoln told him “Let them up easy’’.
For crying out why don’t you get your head out of the clouds and learn some real history?
“When Grant was ready to leave for Appomattox Lincoln told him “Let them up easy’’.”
And I will extend the same generous terms to you when you embrace the Declaration of Independence and the glorious Constitution given to us by our Founding Fathers.
This means you will have to stop promoting blue state culture.
“Did he (Jefferson Davis) himself, consider his confederate days as treasonous? Or was he being treasonous to the South when he became pro Union.”
I am going to say something you have never heard; tell me if it is true.
George Washington fought for the British.
Later, George Washington fought against the British.
He did both things for the same reason: he loved his country.
“Jeff Davis died pro-Union?”
Well... relatively speaking.
Davis was pro-Union before 1861, but only to the degree of not himself chosing to secede.
He had no principled objections to secession.
After the war Davis considered Republican rule in the South oppressive and favored keeping blacks subservient.
“When touring the South in 1886 and 1887, Davis attended many Lost Cause ceremonies, and large crowds showered him with affection as local leaders presented emotional speeches honoring his sacrifices to the would-be nation.
According to the Meriden Daily Journal, at a reception held in New Orleans in May 1887, Davis urged southerners to be loyal to the nation – ‘United you are now, and if the Union is ever to be broken, let the other side break it.’ “
I think that’s as strong an endorsement of the Union as we’ll see from a Democrat and, indeed, we can well say that Davis here defined his party’s mission to this day: Democrats working to force Republicans to break the union.
As I see it Jefferson Davis was ‘’pro-Union’’ as Hitler was pro-German. Pro-German as he thought he should make it ‘’pro-German and we know what that lead to. Davis no doubt had his own form of a ‘’union’’ in mind aka The Confederacy with himself as it's leader and champion..
No worse a man could have been chosen to be a leader of any coalition. An obstinate, inflexible man given to public quarrels with associates combined with a towering and over inflated sense of his own superiority. As a senator from Mississippi he once declared "I make no terms; I offer no compromises''. He once reprimanded Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard for ''trying to exalt yourself at my expense''. His own wife described him as ''a nervous dyspeptic''. The guy seemed to be the physical embodiment of the Confederacy itself. But ''pro-Union''? Man, that's a stretch.
Good God, you get dumber with every post.
And get this through your head, ok?
I don’t promote ‘’blue state culture’’ Mr. Democrat.
You said Hitler.
Jeff Davis was pro-Jeff Davis.
Sarcasm escapes you, I suppose?
“I don’t promote ‘’blue state culture’’ Mr. Democrat.”
Can you cite a single federal usurpation of states’ rights since the disaster at Appomattox that you oppose?
“I don’t promote ‘’blue state culture’’ Mr. Democrat.”
Can you cite a single federal usurpation of states’ rights since the disaster at Appomattox that you oppose?
The ‘’disaster’’ at Appomattox was the South’s surrender after being defeated on the field of battle.
I oppose virtually every government agency except The Department of Defense.
“Sarcasm escapes you, I suppose?”
Well, the first time I read your comparison it did not occur to me that you might be inviting admiration of Hitler.
No thanks.
“Sarcasm escapes you, I suppose?”
Well, the first time I read your comparison it did not occur to me that you might be inviting admiration of Hitler.
No thanks.
Hitler professed love of Germany but in reality he was a monster who changed Germany into a nightmare.
Both were egotistical power hungry maniacs who were directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands in Davis's case and millions in Hitlers. And spare me the bullshit of "Lincoln The Despot'', "Dictator'', "Lincoln The Murderer'' or any other such bs. crap.
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