Comments on: Obama remembers U.S. war dead, including Civil War rebels

By: David

David — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:35:17 +0000

I am a proud Southern man as well as a veteran of the U.S. Naval Submarine Service. I am in no way ashamed of my heritage or its history. I am the great great great grandson of Confederate soldiers. Like it or not…the civil war was not over slavery. It was over money. The North would have lost money by the secession of the Southern States..they wanted to sell our cotton to England. Like it or not the South had every right to leave the Union and the Union in her treachery invaded us…to force us to stay in the Union…to keep our cotton. The North didnt go to war over slavery…far from it..they didn’t have any special love for the Africans, infact, they hated them. In the South there may have been slavery but not hatred. And the U.S. President sending a wreath to a Confederate memorial isn’t a slap in the face to African-Americans…many of those African-American’s ancestors fought along-side Gen. Lee and Gen. Jackson and wore GREY uniforms…when you hear a Southern man talk about “Southern history” are you ignorant enough to think that those soldiers who wore the gallant grey uniform and happened to be black are not included in that history…Black Southerners were just as Southern and bled just the same as white Southerners who wore the same grey colours. Anyone who thinks that the Confederate States secceded because of slavery is grossly misinformed and ignorant of their own history.

By: Michael Ham

Michael Ham — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:27:09 +0000

Rob, that was a very nice post you did, it’s purpose was to pat yourself on the back for I’m sure your wonderful and illustrious knowledge of US history. Those racist states wanted to have their own rights, which included a right to own slaves, who cares about anything else. That trumps everything even if it was the 20th most important reason we went to war.

People should be more embarassed about our country’s history with regard to slavery, and stop slapping in the face of every African-American who’s ever lived here by treating the Confederacy as anything more than an abomination.

By: Rob Wood

Rob Wood — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:40:50 +0000

Despite emotional statements to the contrary, membership in the Union was purely a matter of choice. Each State was independent, and had the right to choose to be a part of it, or to leave it. The Federal government embarked on a war of conquest to end the independence the secessionists fought to keep.

Slavery, as onerous an institution as it was, was an emotional issue used by the Union to justify invading and conquering the Southern states.

Today, ignorance of history continues to pervade our country, and I’m so very glad that we have a president who will not submit to that ignorance.

By: Lisa Small

Lisa Small — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:33:51 +0000

This was a fight Obama pragmatically chose not to take on right now. Obama handled it with more political savvy than philosophical purity: he sent the Wilson Wreath to the Confederate monument, but pointedly sent a wreath of his own across the Potomac River to the black Union soldiers who fought in the Civil War but are not buried in Arlington.

Some year, Obama or another president will stop sending the Wilson wreath, and may it come soon. This just wasn’t the year.

And some year, after the Wilson Wreath becomes a thing of the past, the Wilson Bridge will be rebuilt again, and renamed, so that the American capitol will not be blighted by having one of its major portals named after such an appalling racist. It’s painful to note that pity that in 2006, it was still “too soon” to do the right thing.

By: Michael Ham

Michael Ham — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:13:47 +0000

Providing wreaths for the worst traitors in U.S. history, they should be labeled as the most vile terrorists to ever step foot on our soil.

Shameful to honor a group of men who murdered so many of their own in the name of an immoral secession.

By: ignazio meloni

ignazio meloni — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:00:06 +0000

finaly everybody is equal in the USA…..I was just wondering if among population is indeed like that.

By: Richard Hughes

Richard Hughes — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:55:06 +0000

As I am a veteran of 11 years service to our great country I am deeply grateful for the men and women who serve and die for this country today. The wounded are no less heroes and their sacrifices are deeply appreciated.

By: fr john m titus

fr john m titus — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:21:29 +0000

The War Between the States was about a lot more than Slavery. (i.e. Constitutional government)
President Obama is to be commended for transcending the agendas of the politically correct thought police who alas will always be with us.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 26 May 2009 04:02:41 +0000

My late grandfather was in “McArthur’s army”. My father served in the National Guard. Today I honor the greatest men I have ever known, and all the great men and women that I don’t know, but who put their lives on the line so that I might have mine. To everyone who has ever put on the uniform, I truly say “Thank You”.

By: getplaning

getplaning — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:22:16 +0000

Here’s to the generations of men and women who made it possible for us to come to this board and have our debate.