I think we are getting off the tract when we are posting opinions such as when a lister says he thinks it is wrong for another to fly the Confederate flag...in his opinion. But I have to jump in on that one. Walk a mile in an ancestor's shoes who was invaded. Virginian ideals, i.e. Jefferson, were the inspiration OF THAT DAY. The Confederate Constitution is an improved document, and anyone commenting on anything political about the South should read it first. States rights as a better form of government was the issue. People fought for many reasons, slavery was not the issue for the South, even though it was an economic one. For the majority of Northerners the cause was the Union. As a matter of fact Lincoln had to start the draft in '63 [conscription] because his seasoned soldiers would not resign up when he gave the Emancipation Proclmation [which only freed Southern Slaves, not Northern, i.e. Grants']. They were fighting to preserve the Union, after the EP it became "Mr. Lincoln's War" after Frederick Douglas became close to him. For Southerners it was a war of Agression and Invasion. Misnomered Reconstruction was worse for whites with its confiscation. [And probably the reason my families moved to east TX [Navarro, Limestone and Mexia Counties] from blighted Georgia.] Victors write the history books so this is not common knowledge but historical fact. Lincoln knew he was about to loose his election in '64. Confederates were working with Union congressmen of the other side to come to a negotiated settlement when Lincoln lost. Like Viet Nam, the war had become unpopular in the North; it dragged on and seemed to have no end in sight. Lincoln's saving grace was Sherman. Sherman wanted to start his "cleansing" right after Atlanta in Sept, but Lincoln knew it would be unpopular even in the North, so he had Sherman wait until after the election. Over two months. And that is exactly what happened. HISTORY IS NEVER POLITICALLY CORRECT, but only when the truth of what happened to the South is ever able to come to light, especially the horrors of Reconstruction, will there be full understnading as to why Southerners continue to honor their Confederate dead and the flag. If you think people fly that flag to show defiance, hatred of Yankees, or to be flat out racist, you have been brainwashed by the media and the poitically "correct" people to think as they do. Today the flag is flown, as any country's flag, as a point of honor: honor of the dead and honor to an idea for a better form of government. It is interesting that we are still fighting about what we were fighting about in the War Between the States. Many men have died in many wars for freedom and that includes a Southerner's right to fly their flag of honor. Tory _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

A very informative piece of work. We are taught from elementary school the name Abe Lincoln. Ask any child who Jefferson Davis was or Robert E. Lee? Tory Braden wrote: > I think we are getting off the tract when we are posting opinions such as > when a lister says he thinks it is wrong for another to fly the Confederate > flag...in his opinion. But I have to jump in on that one. > > Walk a mile in an ancestor's shoes who was invaded. Virginian ideals, i.e. > Jefferson, were the inspiration OF THAT DAY. The Confederate Constitution > is an improved document, and anyone commenting on anything political about > the South should read it first. States rights as a better form of > government was the issue. People fought for many reasons, slavery was not > the issue for the South, even though it was an economic one. > > For the majority of Northerners the cause was the Union. As a matter of > fact Lincoln had to start the draft in '63 [conscription] because his > seasoned soldiers would not resign up when he gave the Emancipation > Proclmation [which only freed Southern Slaves, not Northern, i.e. Grants']. > They were fighting to preserve the Union, after the EP it became "Mr. > Lincoln's War" after Frederick Douglas became close to him. > > For Southerners it was a war of Agression and Invasion. Misnomered > Reconstruction was worse for whites with its confiscation. [And probably the > reason my families moved to east TX [Navarro, Limestone and Mexia Counties] > from blighted Georgia.] > > Victors write the history books so this is not common knowledge but > historical fact. Lincoln knew he was about to loose his election in '64. > Confederates were working with Union congressmen of the other side to come > to a negotiated settlement when Lincoln lost. Like Viet Nam, the war had > become unpopular in the North; it dragged on and seemed to have no end in > sight. > > Lincoln's saving grace was Sherman. Sherman wanted to start his "cleansing" > right after Atlanta in Sept, but Lincoln knew it would be unpopular even in > the North, so he had Sherman wait until after the election. Over two > months. And that is exactly what happened. > > HISTORY IS NEVER POLITICALLY CORRECT, but only when the truth of what > happened to the South is ever able to come to light, especially the horrors > of Reconstruction, will there be full understnading as to why Southerners > continue to honor their Confederate dead and the flag. If you think people > fly that flag to show defiance, hatred of Yankees, or to be flat out racist, > you have been brainwashed by the media and the poitically "correct" people > to think as they do. > > Today the flag is flown, as any country's flag, as a point of honor: honor > of the dead and honor to an idea for a better form of government. It is > interesting that we are still fighting about what we were fighting about in > the War Between the States. Many men have died in many wars for freedom and > that includes a Southerner's right to fly their flag of honor. > > Tory > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com > > ============================== > Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com