To be or not to be Confederate
From: rodbren@sbcglobal.net
To anyone interested,
About a year ago, some of you may recall an e-mail to another Southerner that was posted in the SHNV that expressed my disappointment in discovering that so many of the Southern states included slavery language in their secession documents. I was so disappointed that I no longer considered myself a Confederate. The language still leaves me shaking my head, but lately I’ve been thinking about Robert E. Lee, who in my opinion is on par with the wisdom of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
I asked myself, "Wouldn’t Robert E. Lee have chosen the side that was most right?" In spite of the mention of slavery in official documents, he chose to fight for his state, a part of the Confederacy, and he opposed slavery. That has to mean something. I also think very highly of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and ask myself the same question about him. And, of course, I can’t believe that the vast majority of Southerners who fought for the Confederacy were doing so for slavery. They weren’t.
I know all of you oppose slavery as well. You are also very high on states’ rights, as I am, and oppose a bloated, arrogant federal government that apparently wants to destroy our liberty. You want to honor your Confederate ancestors and display Confederate symbols wherever and whenever you please. I agree with all that. Maybe I’m Confederate, too, after all.
Sincerely,
Rodney Combs
Noble, Oklahoma
