Memorial day-- just a thought

ldj

Well-known Member
Memorial day is to honor those who lost their lives fighting in war for our country. Now the thought, would the civil war be an exception if the person was a Confederate. He wasn't fighting for our country, USA, but against it. Hummm??? All my relatives were in the CSA and I do honor their service as I do those of the Union Forces.
 
Had 2 great Grandpas in the Confederacy. They were farmers and never had slaves. One also ran a shingle mill. Just tried to live and raise their families. I go see their graves every little bit just to try to think of how their lives were.
Richard in NW SC
 
Were they not Americans opposing an invading army? Yes I honor them, just as I honor all American soldiers who gave their lives.
 
They were fighting for the AMERICA that they believed in.
Just as a Union soldier may have fought for the AMERICA he believed in.
Had an ancestor fought for four years with the 42nd Ohio Volunteer
Infantry. I am grateful for His service. I also hold to many of the
views of the confederacy. It was not about slavery until Lincoln
made it so.
The flag is about heritage, not hate.
 
Even though the pompous elite left wing so called politically correct liberals are intent on removing statues and memorials of confederate generals I SUPPORT THOSE VETERANS ALIKE who were fighting for states rights and their beliefs and homeland and fought and died just like Union soldiers, even if we don't subscribe to all the same over 100 years later.

GOD BLESS ALL AMERICAN VETERANS ON THIS MEMORIAL DAY

All gave some, some gave all, be they Union or Confederate I HONOR THEM ALL rest of you do as you wish.

John T
 
I agree - at least they stood up for what they believed in. Today if you stand up for what you believe in you're labeled as a hateful person, ran out of business or kicked out of places.Seems like that is what happens in communist countries.
 
Looks to me like you're the 'pompous' one. No one else here painted liberals with the same broad brush you did. There were a LOT of your so-called 'liberals' that supported the Confederacy and had family in the fighting. Think about it-Jesus was and still is (He Lives) a abundant. Of course one would need to be a true Christian to believe that.
 

My ancestors fought for the US in the Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War (GAR), WW1, 2, Korea. etc. That being said, I cannot find fault with honoring the fallen CSA members. They were Americans, far more so than many of our celebrities, politicians and modern culture heroes.
 
As long as you don't drive around with a confederate battle flag on your vehicle I don't have a problem with it. My great grandfather and his 2 brothers fought for the union, the 2 brothers died at Gettysburg. I consider the confederate battle flag the same as the Nazi swastika flag, a mistake that society made and should only be in museums as a reminder. One of our great leaders said, "Those that do not study history are destined to repeat it" We see a lot of repeating lately!
 
My Folks always taught me to BELIEVE. IT Would be UNAMERICAN of anyone not honoring our soldiers that died in all wars,, INCLUDING THOSE WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR THE CONFEDERATE CAUSE,.. here in Louisville ky we have STUPID POLITICALLY CORRECT idiots that I would bet never wore a soldiers uniform in charge , in p-c misguidance they are working to takedown a bronze monument to the confederate soldier that was placed on the u of l campus over a hundred years ago ,.,,.not sure where it will go , talk was that it would end up at the cemetery where some CSA soldiers are buried , but the fools cant get their chitheads together , if they are gonna park it in a lot overgrown with weeds ,it certainly would be welcome here at my farm ..
 
Communist countries want no God other than the government. They are neither Conservatives or Liberals, just Dictators with a false utopian idea that puts the leaders in the driver's seat.
 
Why not? They were Americans also. Everything in our history of this great nation, helped to make "The United States of America" what she is today.
 
There were not treated as veterans by the US government. The southern states were not allowed to place monuments at Gettysburg until 1965.
 
Interesting question. I know a person whose dad was a German infantryman. When the war was over he immigrated to the US, became a citizen later, and lived to be an old man. He didn't necessarily fight for what he believed, but what he had to do or be disposed of, along with most of his family. Veterans are not always lofty in their beliefs.

However, back to the question. Slavery was not the primary issue that started the secessions and the ultimate conflict. It was a states' rights issue. Some in the north also had slaves. I think confederate soldiers should be honored just the same. I had relatives in the war, all on the side of the south as far as I know. In the 60's, when congress repatriated the southern soldiers (mostly a symbolic thing) a marker was placed by the government on my great grandad's grave. My dad knew him, I think he died when my dad was a teenager. His statement to my dad was he went to war to protect what was his. They didn't have slaves either.

Here in Lubbock, Texas, they used to put the appropriate flags on the graves in the cemetery. I have a picture somewhere that I took some years ago that showed several confederate flags, along with one union flag of the era. There is a marker close to the entrance to the cemetery with names of Civil War vets engraved. Logically, there are quite a few southern soldiers named, but also there are 4 union soldiers buried there. Since then the naysayers have stopped that. I guess it's the way it is now.

History is what it is. We should remember and honor those who deserve it. All of them.
 
I'm no expert on the subject, but I read that the Memorial Day concept was originated by ladies of the South
in 1866, two years before the idea was broached in the North. As the great-grandson of two Confederate vets
I certainly don't mind sharing the date with my northern brothers and sisters.
 
The Civil war was fought over the issue of states rights.

In this regard, the wrong side won.

Dean
 
For what it's worth, Russ, Spanish philosopher George Santayana (SP?) is memorialized as having said something similar to your quote. As I have been a student of history for over 50 years, I agree without reservation.

That said, your post indicates that considerable study of history is warranted on your part.

Dean
 
Bingo, JS!

The Civil War was initiated by the southern states over the issue of states rights.

It was Lincoln that made slavery the issue that is in the history books.

Remember, with very exceptions, history is always written by the victors.

Dean
 
Then you wouldn't like to meet me on the road and possibly ruin your eyes looking at my Rebel front plate. TDF
 
I believe that all Americans who fought for their beliefs are to be recognized on memorial day. By the way the supreme court ruled that Lincoln decalared war on the south,when he commanded that the souths ports be blockaded.
 
Plenty has been written on this topic, if you do a little research. Memorial Day started in the south and it seems that originally the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers were decorated with flowers. Northern states followed suit with "Decoration Day" and in response southern states declared their holiday to be "Confederate Memorial Day". These state holidays eventually merged to become the federal Memorial Day holiday.

It is important to remember the purpose of Memorial Day is to remember the dead and their sacrifice. We honor the individuals, not their causes. If we were to limit Memorial Day to only honor those who fought in "just" wars, that would exclude the fallen from quite a few battles.
 

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