Were the Confederates heroes or terrorists?

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“Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell declared April Confederate History Month, reigniting a debate that divides many Virginians. McDonnell’s proclamation initially made no mention of slavery,” according to NPR.

The questions we must ponder, on this the anniversary (April 9, 1865) of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant is:

a)  What is being celebrated with Confederate History Month?;

b)  What does the Confederate Flag stand for?;

c)  Were the Confederates heroes, or were they in fact terrorists – who committed treason against the United States of America, against our country?

Those who want to celebrate Confederate History or the Confederacy flag would have us believe that they are celebrating a certain heritage, tradition, or a “romanticized” defense of States’ Rights which was in fact aggression by the South.

However, it is one thing to remember the service of the fallen and to respect the service of those who serve in uniform, but it is another to honor a terrorist and treasonous cause.

Additionally, it is also a good thing to respect tradition, but this should be respect of positive traditions and not of despicable acts.  For example, traditionally the US was a slave holding nation.  But we don’t say let’s celebrate slavery.

So, I suggest that the Confederates were Treasonous Terrorists.

a)  TREASON– They wanted to dissolve the UNITED States.  If you were for the Confederacy you were not a patriot, you were a Traitor, because you were for Attacking a UNITED America.  Also, the Confederates marched under the Confederate Flag against the American Flag.

b)  TERRORIST – The “Civil” war caused the greatest number of American deaths and casualties than all of America’s casualties from all the wars put together.

c)  AGGRESSION – The Confederates started this war.  They started it because they wanted to maintain the Status Quo of oppression and brutality.  So it is not the case that they were defending themselves, as they like to romanticize.  They started the aggression, and fortunately for America, they lost.  There is a certain denial and hypocrisy about this.

d)  SLAVERY – The Confederate sympathizers would have you believe that slavery was not the issue, as Gov. McDonnell would have us believe by conveniently excluding the mention of SLAVERY at first.  However, this was first and foremost about slavery and its brutal and negative aspects.

e)  BIGOTRY – The Confederacy and the Confederate Flag came to represent continued BIGOTRY and OPPRESSION because for over a 100 years since the “Civil” War, African-Americans were denied their full and equal civil rights, because of “Jim Crow” laws.

f)  TRADITION – Again, in a romanticized way, there is a notion of a heritage of the “GENTLEMEN” southerners and southern belles of the Confederate era.  However, this is not the case as it relates to the BRUTAL slavery, OPPRESSION and BIGOTRY that was prevalent in the South.

There are many positive contributions to celebrate about Americans from the “Deep” south; however, the Confederacy and the Confederate Flag are not and can not be on that list of true American values.  Americans of all “Stripes” and “Colors” should be concerned in attempts to distort and romanticize a treasonous, brutal and terrorist ideology.

Francisco “Paco” Barragan (my opinions only and not those of any group)


About Francisco Barragan