It is interesting how the Confederacy is completely villified these days. The Stars and Bars flags have been removed from State Capital buildings. Names changed for schools and parks. History is taught from a different perspective these days. Quite different than just some years ago.
Looks like I get to be in the very small minority here and play the role of contrarian. Not picking on your specific post per se, norwichdad, but it seems a good as place as any to repsond to.
The Confederacy is villified for a perfectly good reason -- they decided it was better to go to war against their countrymen than give up the backbone of their economic system, which was to enslave nealry 4 million people. Folks can argue about "states' rights" all they want, but the ONLY "right" they were fighting for was their right not to have to follow the Federal Government when it insisted that their system of slavery would not be allowed as this country expanded west-ward, and eventually this horrendous human tragedy should in fact be abolished though-out the land.
Yes, this is quite the differnce from only a generation or so ago. And that is also a part of this country's shame; a shame that it is taking this long to see that they should be vilified for thier actions, as oppossed to "glorified" for thier "Southern Heritage" (which was only made possible on the backs of millions of innocents forced into slavery).
These portraits of the "brave men of the south and thier heroic actions in battle" are just that: glorifying them. And frankly, it's past time they should be removed. TEACH the tactical and strategic lessons of the South's successful campaigns? Certainly. No need to dress up like "Southern Gentelmen Soldiers" and glorify their "cause" while you're doing it. Like it has been said here before, might as well have portraits up in the AWC depicting the Nazi Blitzkrieg of Poland, or the Japanese capture of the Phillipines because "well, they were VERY successful campaigns as well and should be proudly displayed as examples of such".
I do think the individual Confederate soldier was caught up in something more than States Rights or Slavery. I think they fought on a personal level against an invasion of their homes, towns and farms. They really had little choice. So much destruction and loss in the South. I think that is what should be remembered.
Understandable. But to me this smacks a little to close to the "I was just following orders" or the "I was just protecting the fatherland" excuses we've seen (unsuccessfully) used before. I agree with you 1000% that the common citizenry of the South probably had little say in policy and causes, and was just their fighting for their state and neighbors. But again, you don't see us putting up portraits of the common German or Japanese soldier in battle, glorifying their deeds. In fact, you don't see the Germans or Japanese putting up those portraits in the halls of their OWN military complexes either. To them, this is a shameful period not worthy of being glorified.
The Southern Generals now are somewhat villified for extending the war and the slaughter through their brilliance. The Northern Generals should be considered equally guilty for their own incompetence.
Now, THESE "Gentlemen" are 100% the ones we need to shun. These were the land-owners, the educated, the leadership of the Old South. They were fighting for one thing and one thing only: the slaves they owned and the right to keep them. Lee? Military genius. And today's students of military history SHOULD study his military genius. The shame is too many of them ignore the fact that he fought for a vile cause, and instead put him on a pedestal of virtue, honor, and glory in their hero worship.
Simply stated: Our Military Academies and PME schools should learn from the military susscesses (and failures) of the past. But we need to be a little more selective in our criteria of whom to emulate and glorify, and having portraits on the walls of our institutions that depict these individuals and actions does in fact glorify them. They should be removed, and it should have happened a LONG time ago.
