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Slavery was not an exclusive sin of the South, but the North had ended theirs much sooner. I didn't think any of your comments were related to slavery.

I just believe in the right of self-determination and the right of a State to seceede for whatever reason they deem necessary.

Each of the Southern states had ratified the Constitution. The states were not under the loose Articles of Confederation. LexBaird's post #126 makes the point that there is a legal way for a state to secede, and my conclusion is that the Civil War itself settled that a number of states can't merely walk away in tandem.

I've done some studying regarding the Civil War, and I think discussions and even debates are very interesting. But when some people (not pointing at you) act like they're still fighting it, I can become pretty angry.

I have no problem with the Confederate flag, or Southern pride, or pride in one's ancestors that were in such and such regiment. But when I hear fellow Americans castigate President Lincoln in such vile terms, when I can see so much to admire in General Lee, that's where I draw the line.

We've been one Union again for 150 years, and fought in wars in which the rest of the world called all of us "Yankees." And in the current struggle between conservatives and liberals, there are conservatives all over the country - concentrated in some places, and more scattered in others. I hate it when I see posts on FR that illustrate prejudice against the Northeast. *I* live here! If I visited your state, would you despise me because I'm a New Yorker, even though I probably have more in common with you ideologically than perhaps your next door neighbor?

Thanks for bearing with my rant. Some of this has been building for awhile.

Lauren, I wouldn't despise you for being a Northerner, but I do think that you have to consider a few things that have happened since the end of the Civil War.

Reconstruction was not as pretty and neat as the word sounds. Additionally, Southerners have been told to "Get over it!" ever since. Now, there is certainly some truth and wisdom in that advice but folks also need to realize that you can't white-wash history and expect everyone to agree and be happy about it.

If you think it makes you angry to hear people castigate Pres. Lincoln...trying hearing someone tell you that your ancestors are anti-American traitors and don't deserve any honor or respect in their Confederate graveyards.

I have no interest in refighting the Civil War, but I would like to stop hearing "get over it...you guys lost!" and actually have that discussion. Like you, I've done some studying and research in my free time. I even found out that one of my great-grandfathers and one of my husband's great-grandfathers down the line both fought in the same battle together at Missionary Ridge, TN. My grandfather was killed in action, but my husband's grandfather was captured as a POW and marched, shipped to a horrible little hellhole of a prison in Illinois.

What saddens me is we all know the story of Andersonville. But the murder, torture and deliberate starvation and exposure to disease that took place in the Union prisons is almost unknown. :( But meh...just "get over it, right?" We'll make a Hollywood movie about Andersonville!! That's my gripe.

no the north never did.
during the war the border states had slavery and Lincoln made a note of not letting those slaves go .

No I not despise all yankees when they come down here only the ones who say that flag is racist when they do not know that it was the KKK who flew the stars and stripes and it was that same flag which went west killing indians and robbing them of their land.

Lincoln was also fighting another war at the time and that against the indians who no one seems to have a problem with except the indians, that is why they hate him.

It is good that you do not have a problem with the flag or many remembering their ancestors as they should on both sides.
I lived up north and around the world and I can tell you that up north the history is so bias it is not even funny.
I lived up in MA for some time as my wife is from there and even she has said that most up there have no clue about the war and think it was all about slavery when it was not and Lincoln even said it was not.

for you have no problem if you come tom my state as you seem to have more of an open mind it is the loons from up there or the so called republicans who are more like Dems down here with their social policies