Statue of Abe Lincoln: "...a slap in the face of a lot of brave men..."

The Cincinnati Enquirer ^ | Friday, December 27, 2002 | AP

[yankeedame]

Friday, December 27, 2002

Lincoln statue won't be embraced by all

The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. - Abraham Lincoln is returning to the capital of the Confederacy, much to the chagrin of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Five days before the Civil War ended in April 1865, the president and his youngest child, Tad, traveled to still-smoldering Richmond soon after Southern forces abandoned the city in flames. On April 5, 2003, the 138th anniversary of that visit, a bronze statue of the pair commissioned by the United States Historical Society will be unveiled at the Civil War Visitor Center of the National Park Service.

"Here is a national hero, a small boy, and a beautiful city by the James River, all united again," said Robert Kline, chairman of the nonprofit group society, which works on behalf of museums and other groups on projects of historic and artistic value. "This time Lincoln's in Richmond for all time."

Richmond, home to towering statues of Confederacy figures including Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and J.E.B. Stuart, was abandoned after Union forces led by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant attacked on April 2, 1965.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans view the Lincoln statue as "a slap in the face of a lot of brave men and women who went through four years of unbelievable hell fighting an invasion of Virginia led by President Lincoln," Brag Bowling, the SCV Virginia commander, said Thursday. The group had only recently learned of the statue, and had no immediate plans to protest.

The life-size statue by sculptor David Frech will show Lincoln and his son on a bench against a granite wall. The words "To Bind Up The Nation's Wounds" will be etched into a capstone.

[k2blader]

FACT: the statue is being erected to make a political point - i.e. you guys were defeated, nyah, nyah, nyah.

Where did you read this?

FACT: Lincoln visited Richmond to a make a very different political point - I come in peace as your fellow American to help rebuild.

*This* is what the article seems to be implying the statue represents. Which, if taken at face value, is hardly offensive.

[WhiskeyPapa]

"...or is carping about it your limit?"

Your getting closer.

You're taking up for someone who was passing fiction as fact, and when caught out tried to rationalize his folly by Soviet style disinformation.

Walt

[judicial meanz]

As a Virginian who lives in the Richmond suburbs, I see this all the time. Its either blacks Vs the SCV, or North VS South, or the city council ( all Demonrats) Vs the people. Its the Democratic balkanization principle come home to roost.
The crime is epidemic ( one of the most dangerous cities in America) the economy of Richmond is down the stool, and the corruption of the elected officials is epidemic.

As for Virginians, it is a question of heritage. I have 9 ancestors lying in repose in Hollywood cemetary who died at Gettysburg. They were Americans, and thought they were doing right, but history now judges different. In our politically correct society, they are now right next to war criminals in our societal list. They only fought for thier homes and wives.

They really were not that complicated, or diabolical. They didnt own slaves, nor did they want to. Our family values hard work and independence. We take pride in the helping hand at the end of our wrist.

We got over it in my family. We went on to fight in the other wars of our nation, and other family members of mine died in them as well. They are remembered with honor.

All the man in my family hav served in all of our nations wars, and always will. I have done 24 years so far, and still going. I dont have any problems being a part of the United States, and I would die for my country in a half second if it was needed to keep this country free. ( well, maybe not for Democrats, but for you guys I would)

Bedford, Virginia lost nearly all its young men on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Bedford is home to the D-Day memorial because of the sacrifice of that small community.

Virginia has always contributed to the nation in manpower and blood in our wars. We always will. its not about Abraham Lincoln ( he was a great president and great man, its about Democrat divisive politics and trying to force point of views down the throats of people.

There is an old saying in Virginia: As Virginia goes, the nation goes. This Richmond debacle is more about the politics of racial division than it is poor old Abe Lincoln.

[wideawake]

If the statue is intended to be a gesture of reconciliation, then it's self-defeating.

It's like someone making a movie about themselves in order to show how humble and self-effacing they are.

[berserker]

does anyone know where you can make a donation to the building of the statue? (post #28)

Contact the U.S. Historical Society at (804) 648-4736 or e-mail robertkline@ushs.org.

[billbears]

The words "To Bind Up The Nation's Wounds" will be etched into a capstone.

Another take it looks like. Words should read "To Bind Up The Nation meanwhile destroy the Republic" instead. I just pray one day the actual legacy of lincoln is taught in our classrooms, instead of the rosy Socialist view painted by slanted historians

[Moose4]

How did we suddenly get equated with Palestinians? I missed something, but then again I'm furtively posting this at work. :)

Look, you want to know why the SCV people in Richmond are acting like this? It's because that nowadays, Southerners--especially the white Christian variety--are one of the last groups that it's OK to mock, belittle, and even discriminate against.

Think about it. How many positive portrayals of white Southerners do you see in the dominant entertainment media? Very few, unless they're liberals that have been educated "up North" and "seen the error of their ways." Otherwise, they're portrayed as trailer trash, fat rednecks who do nothing but sit around, drink beer, work on cars, and think of ways to abuse their women and oppress minorities and "furriners."

All my Northern friends, when I lived in DC for a few years, actually took pity on me for growing up in rural Virginia. They couldn't understand how a "normal" person like myself could've come out of such a backward, horrible environment. Never mind that my parents were solidly middle-class business owners. Or that my Northern friends were the racist, bigoted ones, not me. To them, South = bad.

Basically, Southerners are getting real tired of being crapped on. We can't do anything that says "y'know, maybe we weren't ALL totally evil before 1865" without drawing wrath down on our heads. Our history, our heritage, our uniqueness, is being destroyed in the name of political correctness. We supply more of the men and women defending this country than any other region. And a poster up-thread is dead on--if it wasn't for the South, and the intermountain West, the rest of y'all would be stuck in Blue Nation with Al Gorebot as your president. And your gratitude to us? Your gratitude is to blanket-label us all as racists, tell us to pull down our statues and our flags, worship at the feet of YOUR false gods like Lincoln.

So, yes, we're hypersensitive sometimes. But that's because people have been picking at our scars for 140 years.

}:-)4

[wideawake]

does anyone know where you can make a donation to the building of the statue?

Just keep paying your taxes.

No one is voluntarily erecting the statue - the Federal Government is putting it up with our money whether we want it there or not.

[WhiskeyPapa]

also oppose tariffs and protectionism of any kind.

The United States under the Articles of Confederation was bankrupt. The last navy ship was sold in 1785. The Marine Corps was disbanded and the 500 man army (located at its one post) was near mutiny.

After only 4 years of operation of the Constitution (and the revenue gained from protective tariffs), the Congress was able to fund six fine warships, including the U.S.S. Constitution, United States and President. The Marine Corps was reestablished in 1798. In 1803, President Jefferson was able to buy the Louisiana Purchase.

See a trend here?

Even in 1860, the government took in tariff revenue $56 million -- less than $2 per person.

Walt

[talleyman]

"Get Over It..." Can't - damn yankees keep invading. In the South, YMCA stands for "Yanks May Come Again."

[k2blader]

If the statue is intended to be a gesture of reconciliation, then it's self-defeating.

Will pride continue to preclude forgiveness?

[wardaddy]

I think that unfortunately many of the folks you described get a cheap dose of self virtue empowerment from their constant harping. I lived in Manhattan for 6 years and know full well that all NYers don't think that way but nevertheless as a Mississippian I was always on the defensive more often than not at social gatherings.....and I was more "moderate" then...lol

I do miss Mississippi Day in Central Park behind the MET....with Southern flags aplenty flying....and no one said squat. My my how sensitive we've become!

[dirtboy]

"Get Over It..." Can't - damn yankees keep invading. In the South, YMCA stands for "Yanks May Come Again."

Pass a law making air conditioning illegal. The Yanks will move right back North again.

[dirtboy]

My my how sensitive we've become!

The irony is, had Lincoln lived, things in the South would have been much better immediately after the war - Lincoln wanted to pursue a policy of conciliation, but upon his assassination the Radical Republicans in Congress drove the agenda and Johnson had limited ability to stop them, since they could overrride his veto.

[billbears]

1. When, if ever, do you think slavery would have been eliminated in the Confederacy?

Within 20 years or so. Slavery was becoming quickly unprofitable. Look at how emancipation was handled throughout the Western Hemisphere. Everywhere except these United States it was handled peacefully over time. For you to assume that it would not have followed the same course would be to insult ancestors of both sides. The writing was on the wall and eventually it would have disappeared

2. What do you think the status of blacks would be in the Confederacy today?

Hmmmm, well let's see how it was under the almighty Empire. For suggested reading you might want to read all of the Slave Narratives collected in the 1930s. Not just the selected ones that paint the South in a bad light but all of them. Doesn't paint your precious union in a good light.

3. How do you think the CSA and USA would have fared through the end of the 19th and through the 20th Century as compared to how the USA really fared?

First off, I don't think we would be as intrusive into foreign affairs and much more along the lines of what the Founders had in mind for this nation of states. Rather now, we're sticking our noses into anything and everything all in the name of 'freedom'. Problem is, from a historical point of view, it looks a whole lot like maintaining an Empire

That said, nostalgia for the Confederacy frankly does start to look like racism when the issue of whether the South was on the right or wrong side of the issue of slavery never gets discussed. It does start to look like people wish that the Confederacy had won to preserve slavery or, at the very least, to keep blacks "in their place".

Well I'll tell you what. Let's discuss northern views of the time towards blacks, shall we? Let's discuss how states that fought for the north as late as 1859 were passing laws banning the very existence of blacks in their state. I'm not talking about just banning slavery, even though there were northern states that still had slavery after the war (strange don't you think if it was all for slavery?). I'm talking about states that arrested someone of color just for existing in said state!! Puts Jim Crow laws to shame if you ask me.

Or shall we talk about Deconstruction? Those wonderful ten years that many whites were disenfranchised to vote and blacks were all but required to vote Republican. Those years when carpetbaggers got into office only to rape a Southern state of as much money as they could carry. So you tell me. What aspects of northern ers treatment of blacks would you like to discuss?

[wideawake]

I see. The federal government was unable to fund itself until it figured out a way to confiscate money from its citizens.

The Articles of Confederation kept taxation limited to the state level, so the federal government was starving to death.

The Constitution allowed the federal government to confiscate some money, and it kept a-rollin' until the inevitability of the federal income tax created the delightful situation we find ourselves in today.

[talleyman]

does anyone know where you can make a donation to the building of the statue?
Yes. Carpetbagger.com

[judicial meanz]

Good post man. I hit all around it, but you hit the bullseye.

[talleyman]

You must be losing the battle, as name-calling seems to be your last defense. Are you a Democrat?

[wideawake]

I find that when I go down South, if I say: "Pleased to meetcha" in my obvious New York accent when I meet someone, they're quite pleasant to me.

I suspect that if I said instead: "Ay! Lincoln kicked yer ass, ya stuttering prick, ya!" I might get a different response.