Virginia gov. Bob McDonnell is reinstating Confederate History Month. Do you think this is a good idea?

Succession is why the Civil War was fought to begin with. A history month of some type is clearly in order as these tea folks don't have a clue.

A good question, and one that needs to be addressed in a sober, thoughtful manner.

In my view, both Confederate History Month and Union Victory Month should be abandoned in favor of Civil War History Month. It is unfortunate that this defining event in US history is still a partisan, regional, and racial battleground. The sad fact is that even though there is no longer anyone left alive who fought in the conflict, there are some who want to keep the wound open.

Why are there some who continue to fight the Civil War? The main reason has to be racism, unfortunately. Virginia's wing-nut governor is playing to the folks who are scared of America's changing demographic, and appealing to their racist fears; a particularly easy target in poor economic times. His recent 'apology' is disingenuous at best, because the fearful voters he is pandering to know in their tea-bagged hearts where his sentiment lies.

His apology is similar to the strategy an unscrupulous lawyer engages in when he makes a statement in Court that he knows will be stricken from the record. While the inadmissible remark is erased from the trial transcript, the Jury still retains the memory of a statement made to appeal to some prejudice or bias that the Court rightfully realizes is unfair to the case. This is politics-as-usual and should be condemned universally.

However, the answer to one-dimensional, partisan history is NOT to engage in counter one-dimensional partisan history. The answer is to examine the Civil War from an objective, learned way, utilizing all relevant sources to gain an understanding that transcends narrow regional and ethnic bounds and draws us all together into one strong national community.

The politics of divide-and-get-elected by splitting the electorate into easily managed segments driven by ignorance and fear should not be a winning strategy, and all those who engage in such tactics should be voted immediately out of office.

Virginia needs a new governor.

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Well, I don't think it bodes well for race relations because civil rights is a very touchy subject even as it relates to the confederacy during the 1860's. Here is what I do know. The civil war was brought upon by the south wanting to secede from the north because they wanted to have rights to keep slavery legal. The north won the war which in turn enacted the Emancipation proclamation. I know you said that you didn't want to make this about slavery, but it is apart of this argument. As it relates to McDonnell wanting and getting a "confederate history month", well I think this may be more of a political move than anything else. Personally I am not for this because I understand what the confederate movement was all about. It wasn't just about slavery, but it was about seceding from the union that was created which is a form of anarchy against government. That is something I do not support. I say it is a political move because he knows that Republicans need momentum in order to gain the conservative base back. He is trying to prove some silly point that the Republicans want to rebel against the current way of Washington politics. I think its a bad idea and I don't support it.

Why not? people who can not remember the previous are condemned to repeat it. it may additionally help clarify each and all the Civil conflict web content around the state, exceptionally because of the reality that Richmond became into the capital of the Confederacy. may well be a competent thought to instruct some historic previous to the youngsters. i know that this may well be anathema to a pair moronic liberals, besides the undeniable fact that this is nonetheless a competent thought. this is exceptionally marvelous to work out that the college knowledgeable Liberal isn't able to study what's published in a hyperlink. i presumed that analyzing became into some thing gained long earlier college, guess i became into incorrect. here, basically to help out all you college teenagers, i know clicking on a hyperlink is a complicated technique. From the accomplice historic previous month internet site of the Governor : "while, this is important for all Virginians to comprehend that the employer of slavery introduced approximately this conflict and became into an evil and inhumane practice that disadvantaged human beings of their God-given inalienable rights and all Virginians are grateful for its everlasting eradication from our borders, and the learn of this term could reflect upon and learn from this painful component of our historic previous" here you mindlessly theory it became right into a racist thought. unhappy quite, I predicted greater effective.

i completely agree. i think a civil war history month that encourages learning about sides is more appropriate if he is so set on setting aside a month about this topic. glorifying the confederacy also means glorifying the cause of seccesion from the United States. although you did not talk about slavery, i think a confederate history month is very offensive because he completely ignored slavery as if it wasn't significant in america's history. if he really wanted people to learn about history, he would include the whole truth, not some glossed over version.