The South Celebrates The Civil War, Widely Ignores Slavery
With the 150th anniversary of the civil war vastly approaching, the New York Times is drawing attention to a number of southern states planning to celebrate the historic event largely without mention of its ties to slavery.
According to The Times a parade is being planned in Montgomery, Ala., along with a mock swearing-in of Jefferson Davis as president of the Confederacy.
Additionally the ‘Sons of Confederate Veterans’ and some of its local chapters are preparing various television commercials including one that says,
“All we wanted was to be left alone to govern ourselves.”
Commander-in-chief of the ‘Sons’ Michael Givens tells The Times that the South is tired of being labeled as “racist” when they were only fighting to protect their independence.
“We in the South, who have been kicked around for an awfully long time and are accused of being racist, we would just like the truth to be known…While there were many causes of the war, he said, “our people were only fighting to protect themselves from an invasion and for their independence.”
According to the NAACP however there is one crystal clear reason for the war; the right to own slaves.
Lonnie Randolph president of the South Carolina N.A.A.C.P., says he’s been “dumbfounded” by “all of this glamorization and sanitization of what really happened” and tells the Times,
“I can only imagine what kind of celebration they would have if they had won,” he said.
“When Southerners refer to states’ rights, he said, “they are really talking about their idea of one right — to buy and sell human beings.”
The NAACP is working to protest a number of activities planned in celebration of the war.
