How do North Carolinians perceive us?

[kurtosis]

The war was never about slavery though many have this misconception.  It was an issue of States Rights over Federal Rights. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is not a "misconception". It is an opinion, whether or not one agrees with it. I have never been convinced by the states rights reasoning. "States' rights" is an empty vessel. You cannot talk about it without getting into the question of "the rights to do what?" What rights would motivate a group of states to take such a drastic step as leaving the union, knowing full well this ran the risk of setting off a war? The right to regulate commerce? To design school curricula? If you are committed to the position that the war was not about slavery you may be able to provide other criteria that were also relevant. But I think this is just ignoring the elephant in the room. Other issues may come and go- there have been plenty of other debates regarding state vs federal roles and none of these have led to a serious attempt at secession. Secession is a huge step and does not occur without serious motivation. Slavery was -the- wedge issue in 19th century america. It was extremely polarizing. By the time of the war it was clear that there was a fervent and growing abolitionist movement in the North that was not going to rest until slavery was eradicated. (Of course the north was hardly free of racism, and abolitionists were probably a minority) I think it was very clear to everyone that there was no question of continued compromise on this issue and slave-owners realized their entire lifestyle would not be allowed to continue if they stayed in the union. To me this is easily the biggest issue causing the split. Regardless of whether it was explicitly stated as the cause by either side it is very, very difficult to imagine the same intensity of feelings could have existed without it.

The flag represents all of those in the South that lost their lives following their State governments (and the law at the time). 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, the flag represents the confederacy and the goals it tried to accomplish- destroying the nation and creating a safe haven for slavery. If we accept your argument we'd have to also accept it for the Swastika and the Soviet hammer&sickle b/c people fought under those flags too.

Should we go back to every Southern city and tear down the Confederate memorials too?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have no problem with honoring war dead, but the flag represents much more than soldiers. Trying to gloss over that and make the flag a part of contemporary life is what I object to.

[monsoon]

The issue of States Rights is no empty vessel. Arguments of states rights vs federal control exist even today.

There was no abolitionist movement with the average citizens in the North. This again is a misconception. In fact when Lincoln emancipated the slaves there was widespread rioting amoungst whites in Northern cities because they feared droves of freed Southern slaves heading North to take their jobs at lower wages. Whites in the North were just as interested in keep Slavery in tact as the Slave owners in the South. To believe otherwise is to fail to know history. And don't forget there were 4 Slave states in the North.

If fact Lincoln was quite happy to have allowed slavery to remain if force if it had preserved the Union. This is what he had to say about it.

"If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that."

(Letter to Horace Greeley)

The war was never about freeing the Slaves in the South and Lincoln was never an abolitionist. Lincoln freed the Slaves simply because he feared France, England and Russia would recognize the South and join them in the war against the North.

The South left the Union because it felt it had the legal right to do so. There is nothing in the Constitution to prevent it and we should not judge what happened by todays standards.

The Confederate Flag at the time of its creation and during the time the Confederacy was in place was never about racism, slavery, ignorance and the other vile things being attributed to it beyond the standards that were accepted by both the North and the South in those days. You might as well make the same claims about the United States Flag considering George Washington himself kept Slaves.

[Miesian Corners]

Not to turn this into a history lesson, but my initial comment about the flag is tied to when it was placed on the State House dome and the choice of flag that was placed there.

What we see in Columbia flying on Gervais and Main is the Confederate Battle Flag, not the National Flag of the Confederate States of America.

First National Flag of the Confederacy, or "Stars and Bars"

Second CSA flag, known as the "stainless banner"

Final CSA flag. Only used for a month

The Battle Flag. Never used as the National Flag of CSA

The Naval Battle Flag of CSA. Flew on ships...then on the State House dome in SC in 1962 in response to desegregation.