Black Mayor OK's Confederate History (Month)

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 4-1-2002

[blam]

Black Mayor Oks Confederate History

Monday April 1, 2002 12:40 AM

SUFFOLK, Va. (AP) - The mayor of Suffolk is the great-grandson of slaves, but didn't hesitate to grant a request to declare April Confederate History Month.

``We have rendered proclamations for other groups,'' Mayor Curtis Milteer said. ``It's a matter of recognizing and respecting everyone's heritage, even if it is not the same as our own.''

The NAACP said Milteer could be inviting discord.

Milteer's stand is not shared by Gov. Mark R. Warner, who last month decided not to issue a proclamation honoring Virginia's Confederate heritage in April.

``Over the past few years, the issuance of a Confederate history month proclamation has been a lightning rod,'' Warner said in his March 14 announcement. ``My belief is that signing such a proclamation would not advance the healing process.''

But Milteer said reflecting on the past is a way to bring people together to improve the future.

``The Civil War is over,'' he said. ``History is history and we must move on. Whether we are sons and daughters of the Confederacy or the sons and daughters of former slaves, we are all Suffolkians.''

Suffolk is one of nine Virginia towns and counties with Confederate history resolutions this year, said Lee Hart, spokesman for the Sons of Confederate Veterans' Tom Smith Camp, which asked for the proclamation in Suffolk.

``We applaud him for issuing the proclamation because we feel it shows mutual respect for all cultures,'' Bill Richardson, commander of the Tom Smith Camp, said of Milteer. ``I recognize the significance of what he has done. He's going to take a lot of criticism.''

The NAACP says promoting Confederate history calls up ugly memories of slavery and racism.

``This raises a red flag,'' Charles Christian, president of the local NAACP chapter, said after learning of the proclamation Saturday. ``I have major concerns with this and I'm a little surprised by it.''

He said there could be repercussions. ``Right now, I can't say what they will be,'' Christian said.

[goldstategop]

The NAACLP is the group stirring up discord in the South.

[Fish out of Water]

fyi

[TLBSHOW]

BUMP

[mdittmar]

The NAACP said Milteer could be inviting discord.

The NAACP must hate it when they can't play the race card.

I love it.

[Dimensio]

The NAACP says promoting Confederate history calls up ugly memories of slavery and racism.

I guess we should deny Confederate history instead. In fact we should also deny Nazi history and Soviet history. Anything that we find offensive should be washed from history.

[mass55th]

The NAACP says promoting Confederate history calls up ugly memories of slavery and racism.

The NAACP is promoting the ugly memories of racism they claim they are working so hard towards eliminating.

[TomGuy]

The NAACP says promoting Confederate history calls up ugly memories of slavery and racism.

Or, it could bring up too much Confederate history. There are some elements that even the NAACP
would like whitewashed.

FR post: DIXIE'S CENSORED SUBJECT BLACK SLAVEOWNERS

[Sungirl]

``The Civil War is over,'' he said. ``History is history and we must move on. Whether we are sons and daughters of the Confederacy or the sons and daughters of former slaves, we are all Suffolkians.''

Wow...common sense by a politician? We don't see this often.

[lentulusgracchus]

Watch.....he's going to be censored and politicked against by the NAACP, and then he's going to get reelected with about 87% of the vote.

[Visalia]

National Association for the Advancement of Clueless People.

[TLI]

``The Civil War is over,'' he said. ``History is history and we must move on. Whether we are sons and daughters of the
Confederacy or the sons and daughters of former slaves, we are all Suffolkians.''

There are a BUNCH of Vietnamise living within 5 miles of where I am right now, let us all ignoer the VietNam War and hold hands and sing kum-by-yaw cause to actually remember history might upset sumbody and lordy we-all just can't have that, sos we-all will just write purty thangs in history books that say the Vieatnamise and Amercuns wuz havin a argument an we-all jus desided to quit arguin and jus all git along....

[Arkinsaw]

The NAACP said Milteer could be inviting discord.

LOL. Talk about newspeak. Respecting everyone's heritage equally is "discord". Stirring up racial divisions is "progress".

Or, this could be a threat to "bring discord" if he does it.

It sounds very much like some people elected a good mayor who does not discriminate. He would have my vote I think.

[TLI]

The mayor of Suffolk is the great-grandson of slaves, but didn't hesitate to grant a request to declare
April Confederate History Month.

We are all so grateful for the good Mayors much needed permission that we are now granted the ability to remember factual history...

 

[HockeyPop]

LEE's DEFINITION OF A GENTLEMAN

"The forbearing use of power does not only form a touchstone, but the manner in which an individual enjoys certain advantages over others is a test of a true gentleman. The power which the strong have over the weak, the employer over the employed, the educated over the unlettered, the experienced over the confiding, even the clever over the silly-the forbearing or inoffensive use of all this power or authority, or a total abstinence from it when the case admits it, will show the gentleman in a plain light. The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He cannot only forgive, he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which impart sufficient strength to let the past be but the past. A true man of honor feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others." --Robert E. Lee

[sneakypete]

I don't know why this is surprising. I read a couple of years ago that there is even a graveyard in Suffolk for black Confederate veterans. One black man was interviewed whose ancestor was a Confederate hero. I wonder how come the NAACP managed to overlook telling this to the English leftist newspaper? Im sure it was just a oversight.(sarcasm)

[blam]

FYI.

[JoeMomma]

I'm still trying to find where any city charter, state or federal Constitution authorizes celebrating any particular groups' hertiage, whether it is Confederate heritage or African-American heritage.

Government at all levels should just get out of the feelgood "celebrations" of some groups' heritage and get on with actually running government.

[aomagrat]

He said there could be repercussions. ``Right now, I can't say what they will be,'' Christian said.

Translation: "Damn, why does Suffolk have to have a white mayor? Now we can't scream "Racism!"

[aomagrat]

I meant to say "Why doesn't Suffolk have a white mayor?"