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Confederate History Week?


monsoon

Confederate History Week?  

27 members have voted

  1. 1. Should the County Council have approved a Confederal History Week for Mecklenburg?

    • No
      11
    • Yes
      12
    • No Opinion
      4
  2. 2. Should the Confederate Flag be flown in CLT/Meck to celebrate the event like is done for similar events?

    • No
      14
    • Yes
      10
    • No Opinion
      3


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I believe it is a important part of our history and it should be recognized, there are a lot of things that wouldn't have happened, without the Civil War and the confederacy, I am not saying I withhold the ideals of the confederacy because I don't but depending on the events of this "confederate history week" I think that it should definately have a place. The only reason I could think to stop this is if this creates enough controversy, and if it indeed weighs against our cities character as a world class city. I think it should happen, but I am just worried if other cities will see that and think less of us, but I don't think that will happen too much at least not much in the south.

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Regardless of modern opinion, it's still a part of history and there are things to be learned from studying it just like any part of history.

And study it we should. The factors leading to the American Civil War went considerably deeper than "to enslave or not to enslave". Hitler's rise to power in Germany also was the result of numerous complex issues, most of which weren't related in any way to anti-Semitism.

We do not, however, have Nazi Heritage Festivals. We have World War II memorials. Would it have been so difficult for the county commission to have adopted Dumont Clarke's alternative "Civil War Rememberance Month" proposal instead?

It's not historical revisionism to suggest that we reflect on the whole fight rather than just on the losing side.

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We do not, however, have Nazi Heritage Festivals. We have World War II memorials. Would it have been so difficult for the county commission to have adopted Dumont Clarke's alternative "Civil War Rememberance Month" proposal instead?

It's not historical revisionism to suggest that we reflect on the whole fight rather than just on the losing side.

I agree. I think focusing on the Confederate side of the Civil War does an injustice to everyone who gave their lives in this conflict. There were many underlying issues between the states at that time and many reasons that helped lead to the start of the tragic period of American History. All sides should be presented and studied.

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We do not, however, have Nazi Heritage Festivals. We have World War II memorials. Would it have been so difficult for the county commission to have adopted Dumont Clarke's alternative "Civil War Rememberance Month" proposal instead?

That's is a good idea.

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We do not, however, have Nazi Heritage Festivals. We have World War II memorials. Would it have been so difficult for the county commission to have adopted Dumont Clarke's alternative "Civil War Rememberance Month" proposal instead?
Exactly.

I'm curious as to why the losing side of a civil war and (arguably to some) traitors to this country should expect to have their "side" presented at all. To the victors goes the spoils and the telling of HIStory...yet suddenly when it comes to the confederates the rules of the game change?

On a different note, at my recent HOA meeting, a home owner was not elected primarily because someone from her family had posted a Confederate flag in a window of her home. The community is diverse and it pissed other owners off. Her family was totally within their rights to display what they want but the rest of the community was totally within theirs to reject her for it.

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Exactly.

I'm curious as to why the losing side of a civil war and (arguably to some) traitors to this country should expect to have their "side" presented at all. To the victors goes the spoils and the telling of HIStory...yet suddenly when it comes to the confederates the rules of the game change?

Pfffft.....and to think that Native Americans should have any right to be remember either. <_<

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Anybody know if people celebrate Union Week or White History Month? I still don't get why Feb isn't called African America History Month, as "Black" is technically a quasi-racist term.

This kind of stuff ticks me off. I don't get it and probably never will. It's the minorities that must celebrate their differences; I get that, but why shove it in people's faces?

If it's about celebrating history, why not have a Civil War Remembrance Week?

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It can get confusing. We have Black History month, the United Negro College Fund and the Nat'l Association for the Advancement of Colored People, but African American is the preferred term. Doh!

I just say black because it's the easiest to say and generally don't use African American because - like my friend from Africa who is white says - is an inherently flawed term.

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Well my family is from the south. My ancestors fought in the SC 17th during the war between the states, and I take great offense to anyone who says that they should not be honored or that they are "traitors". Technically by this standard, everyone in the US is a traitor for rebelling against England. And shame on anyone who judges another culture with today's modern belief's/standards.

They fought for the home/states right cause. Obviously today's history will not tell you that for it seems that the only cause of the war was slavery. Simply untrue. Like my family, most of the Confederate Soldiers were from dirt poor farming families that could barely afford proper clothing (and obviously could not afford slaves).

So if you are telling me i should be ashamed of my ancestors and who they were? I would tell you to go "F#$K" yourself. So you are damn right people should be allowed to have Confederate History Week.

(for now i am going to pretend the ignorant comment on comparing Nazi's to the confederacy never happened, becuase that's not even worth wasting air on).

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Regardless of modern opinion, it's still a part of history and there are things to be learned from studying it just like any part of history.

which is why it's a little weird charlotte would even consider this. :)

personally, i'm indifferent to this issue. i have southern roots that go back to the confederacy. but, i bet if i dig a little further maybe an ancestor was @ the french - indian war or maybe even the peloponnesian war... there probably aren't enough weeks in a year to designate. i think i'll just give shout-outs @ this years family reunion.

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They fought for the home/states right cause. Obviously today's history will not tell you that for it seems that the only cause of the war was slavery. Simply untrue. Like my family, most of the Confederate Soldiers were from dirt poor farming families that could barely afford proper clothing (and obviously could not afford slaves).

So if you are telling me i should be ashamed of my ancestors and who they were? I would tell you to go "F#$K" yourself. So you are damn right people should be allowed to have Confederate History Week.

(for now i am going to pretend the ignorant comment on comparing Nazi's to the confederacy never happened, becuase that's not even worth wasting air on).

As the one who made the "ignorant comment", may I ask you to bear with me for a second while I repeat that I agree there were numerous factors other than slavery leading up to the Civil War, which is why I suggested we should study all of them rather than just the southern viewpoint. And I'll defend my comparison by stating that the Confederates and the Nazis were the ones defeated in each of their respective wars. Therefore, to study (or commemorate) only their viewpoints would be one-sided and pointless, as would studying only the Bristish view of the American Revolution.

My ancestors fought for the south too. I'm neither proud nor ashamed of this fact. I only feel pride or shame about my own actions. But I do prefer to study all sides of a conflict, which is exactly what I suggested Mecklenburg County should do.

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I'd be against Confederate Memorial Day; I am from the South and my ancestors fought for the South (and I vote Republican), but I think that not having a Confederate Memorial Day would show that Southerners are gracious and forgiving and are respectful and sensitive of views of, for example, African-Americans in the South. My view is that the South should take the high road: "we CAN celebrate our history and our ancestors were good people, but we care for our neighbors in the South who were negatively affected by what we did and so we'll respect them and be gracious about it all."

Also, why do we as Southerners want to keep bringing up a bad experience such as that war? I lived through 9/11 (in New York City) and have no desire ever to have that day remembered by any means.

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I think that anything that helps educate people about history, and the mistakes that were made in the past is a good thing. Whether you call it Confederate History Week, or Civil War Rememberance Week doesn't matter. I think the fact that it focuses on the Confederacy is because Charlotte is in the South.

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It can get confusing. We have Black History month, the United Negro College Fund and the Nat'l Association for the Advancement of Colored People, but African American is the preferred term. Doh!

I just say black because it's the easiest to say and generally don't use African American because - like my friend from Africa who is white says - is an inherently flawed term.

Just call us black. We don't need a lot of pretense involved.

Civil War Remembrance Week is a fairer term for all involved. Just the name Confederate History Week starts pushing my buttons, and to think what it could ential makes me madder still.

People have a right to be proud of their heritage, but most only graze the suface and don't get into what made things the way they are. If it's going to be brought up at an official level, it deserves the proper respect for both sidfes of the conflict.

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^ yeah, sorry other stream, i quickly read through your response the first time and thought you were just outright comparing the confederacy to the nazi regime. I have heard/seen too many comments in the past doing this, and I guess I thought you were doing this (jumping to conclusions!). I see now you were just refering to the idea that history needs to be learned from all aspects. I am in complete agreement on that issue. Education is a valuable tool that many fail to understand its importance (esp. in today's world). History in particular is a subject that is far too often neglected. And on a side note, for anyone who hasn't discoverd the history channel yet, i highly recommend tuning in.

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On a related subject, are there any Civil War re-enactments that take place in NC? I went to one in, of all places, Bucks County PA and enjoyed it quite a bit. They had an army camp set up and very realistically done! They even had food from the era such as the soldiers might have eaten.

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On a related subject, are there any Civil War re-enactments that take place in NC? I went to one in, of all places, Bucks County PA and enjoyed it quite a bit. They had an army camp set up and very realistically done! They even had food from the era such as the soldiers might have eaten.

there used to be one @ cane creek park in waxhaw... then they held it in downtown waxhaw for a couple of years (the only time i saw it), and that was cool. if it still goes on - it's held @ the museum of the waxhaws located in... you guessed it - waxhaw. you might want to give these guys a call to find out if and where?

http://www.perigee.net/~mwaxhaw/

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Confederate Week is wrong because the people who want to celebrate it are the ancestors of the poor people sacrificed for large southern landowners under the guise of states' rights.

Confederate Week is right if we use it to remind ourselves of how the rich and powerful will sacrifice the common people to maintain power and wealth.

Funny how history repeats itself.

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I think it's a bad idea, especially being called Confederate history week. No matter how you paint it, people from other parts of the country will just see us as "dumb racist rednecks" who can't let go of the past. It wouldn't be nearly as bad if they called it Civil war history week(or whatever) just leave the word confederate out of the name, because it gives the impression that we're still bitter about it. :unsure:

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