Posted on 03/28/2008 12:15:10 PM PDT by cowboyway
Over the last few months, celebrations for Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday have drawn attention to the Kentucky native's life and his legacy as president. But the 200-year anniversary of another Kentucky president's birth, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, is receiving mixed reviews.
"I'll say it this way - winners write history," said Ron Bryant, a Lexington historian writing a book on Davis. "We need heroes, we need villains. Lincoln became a hero and Davis a villain."
Davis was born in what is now Todd County, Ky., in 1808, one year before Lincoln. Davis served as the only president of the 11 southern states that seceded from the Union between 1861 and 1865. The Confederate States of America surrendered in 1865, and Davis was locked in prison the same year.
Despite being denounced by many civil rights groups, signs of Davis' legacy can still be found throughout the state.
In Southwest Kentucky, a structure resembling the Washington Monument stands in memory of Davis. At 351 feet tall, the Jefferson Davis Monument is the fourth largest freestanding obelisk in the world, according to Kentucky State Parks.
Although Kentucky never seceded from the Union, a statue of Davis stands in the rotunda in the state's Capitol building.
"The Civil War is still very much alive in many places," said Cliff Howard, a Jefferson Davis impersonator. "Kentucky was on both sides of the fence. It still is."
Having heard of Kentucky's reputation for "being a little backward," integrated strategic communications senior James Davidson Jr. was not surprised about Davis' statue in the Capitol building.
Davidson, first-vice president of UK's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said a statue of Davis leaves a bad impression.
"What is Frankfort saying to the rest of Kentucky with it being there?" Davidson said. "I respect everyone's heritage and Southern tradition, but given the history, I think it shouldn't be there."
The statue of Davis, installed in 1936, is one of five statues in the Capitol building. Lincoln is the largest in the center, and Davis stands in the corner behind his right shoulder. Former Kentucky Congressman Henry Clay, physician and drafter of the state constitution Ephraim McDowell and former Vice President Alben Barkley also stand in the rotunda.
The last time Davis' statue came into debate was 2003, when a coalition of African-American groups protested its presence in the Capitol building. A state advisory committee left the issue up to former Gov. Ernie Fletcher, who took no action during his term.
Gov. Steve Beshear does not plan to remove the statue because Davis is a historical figure who represents part of Kentucky's cultural history, a spokeswoman said.
Student Government President Nick Phelps said his feelings on the statue in the Capitol building resembled how he felt during a controversy two years ago about a 46-foot mural in Memorial Hall depicting the history of Lexington and its surrounding area. The mural, which some said stereotyped American Indians and blacks, was not removed.
"I was not in support of removing the mural, so I would not support removing Jefferson Davis," Phelps said. "I don't think we should remove history. I think it removes the question, 'Who is he?' "
Many students might ask the same question about Davis.
In Kentucky, the Civil War is part of the middle school curriculum. Unless students take an advanced placement history course in high school, that's usually the last time they focus on 19th century American history, said Nayasha Owens-Morton, a U.S. history and African-American history teacher at Bryan Station Traditional High School.
William Campbell has taught a class on Lincoln at UK for about 10 years as an English and honors professor. Students going into his class know little about the confederate president, he said.
"About Jefferson Davis, Kentuckians tend to know that he was from our state, that there's a memorial dedicated to him somewhere in the state, and that he was the president of the Confederacy," Campbell said. "Of Lincoln's writings, most have read only the Gettysburg Address. Of Davis's writings, most have read nothing."
WHERE in the Constitution do you find "the right to abortion on demand:, i.e., to MURDER the UNBORN????
if you cannot find such a provision, you must admit that perfidious men having that sort of dictatorial power is at least DANGEROUS to, if not immediately FATAL to, LIBERTY.
free dixie,sw
Ask all you want. I'm tired of dealing with you and your nonsense.
laughing AT "the DAMNyankee coven"/you.
free dixie,sw
Indulging in your usual liberal projection, eh swattie?!
I do. But I'm sure that you do not.
fwiw, FEW FReepers bother to read the nonsense, hate-FILLED, bigoted, FOOLISHNESS posted by ANY of the members of "the DAMNyankee coven". (this did NOT originally include your posts, but it certainly does now.)
NOW, most FReepers just laugh AT what passes for "intelligent discourse" posted by the DYs here.(have you noticed that hardly anyone outside the coven will ANSWER/POST TO any of your group of LOSERS/nitwits/LEFTISTS/bigots/DUMB-bunnies/FILTHY-talking LOUTS???)
free dixie,sw
Actually, most Lost Cause Losers post to any and all that they feeeeeel that they can bluff or bamboozle right up ‘til the time they get their lunch handed to them. Then they go away. You on the other hand don’t have the sense God gave a gnat and that’s why you’re still displaying your ignorant bigotry...
that REALLY gives new meaning to "DUMB & CLUELESS".
laughing AT the members of "the DAMNyankee coven of lunatics, "useful idiots", DUMB-bunnies,LOUTS, bigots, TROLLS & FOOLS".
free dixie,sw
And I will continue to post to whomever I like. If you don’t like it, don’t respond. Since you do like it, why don’t you attempt to prove your point. Show where I’ve said one “hate-FILLED” opinion.
Why can’t you debate specifics instead of flinging crap against the wall in the hopes that something will stick? Are you really that shallow? (What am I thinking - of course you are!).
FreeRepublic from bigots like swattie!
1.capitan_refuglio,
2.For the Declaration,
3.etypejag,
4.Grand Old Partisan,
5.Held_to_Ransom,
6.Heyworth,
7.hirn_man,
8.Irish Catholic,
9.justshutupandtakeit,
10.KC_conspirator,
11.LLAN_DDEUSSANT,
12.Lug Nuts,
13.M.Espinola,
14.modernman,
15.Morton_Sult,
16.Reg45,
17.Republican Wizard,
18.The Cruiser,
19.Titus_Fikus &
20.Whiskey Papa.
everyone is invited to add to the list, if you know of others. (IF i have included anyone who is NOT actually GONE, please advise.)
otoh, the ranks of "the good 'ole rebels" have been thinned by exactly ONE member: "nolo chun", who was banned for quoting "lincoln, the TYRANT" in his OWN words. (that alone should tell anyone, who takes a minute to look at the list of the "gone but not missed", WHICH is the side on the RIGHT & which is NOT "on the side of the angels".)
free dixie,sw
Again, what you said was that you’d hit the “abuse” button and report me or Rockrr to the mods if we responded to any of your posts again. Since we are still here, we can only assume that either you failed to make good on your bluster, or the mods simply laughed at you.
free dixie,sw
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn that you had a hand in their demise - you being a cowardly conniving back-stabbing sort of troll.
But what’s your point swattie - beyond the fact that you cannot abide with a differing POV? Are you dim-witted enough to actually believe that you are “on the side of the angels”? Really?!!
All Gods children are imperfect swattie - even you.
nonetheless, they continue to post to me = how STUPID is that???? (it gives new meaning to : "has NO life".)
free dixie,sw
Since I am neither a DAMNyankee, a lunatic, a HATER, a “useful idiot”, a REVISIONIST, an antisemite, a LEFTIST or a nitwit” I must presume you are either having another hallucination or mean someone else.
Since you are the only one on this thread that posts “foolishness/bilge/hatred/bigotry”, I’m wondering if, in your delusional state, you are responding to your own posts.
At any rate, you have yourself a splendid trollish day swattie!
since he's posted to me again, i presume that his post is some combination of :
1.filth spewed out onto the forum,
2. stupidity,
3.SILLY, nitwitted, excuses for his MEAN-spirited nastiness and/or
4.another attack on me for telling him to "clean up his mouth".
frankly, i couldn't care less WHAT he says, as long as it is at least "PG-rated", since LADIES & CHILDREN read these threads.
free dixie,sw
Wrong on all counts. swattie, you are nothing if not consistent.
Captain Stand, would you please issue another number to me besides #13? That’s a lousy number...
did you enjoy your "vacation" from FR?
free dixie,sw
Greetings M. from a fellow swattie survivor!
Didja ever notice that the LCL (Lost Cause Losers) jump in and bash on ya if you fail to “ping” someone, even if you only reference them incidentally? Have you ever seen them apply that same scold to morons like swattie who regularly slanders folks on FreeRepublic without the use of this common courtesy?
But of course, what more can you expect from bigots n bozos?!
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