The Public Interest
The Public Interest: Ideas & Discussion on Events of the Day
REMEMBER
May 25th, 2009, 9:29 am · 1 Comment · posted by Dan Lehr
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Remembering Memorial Day, 2009:
As we all know what we call Memorial Day grew out of the American Civil War, or the War Between the States. Communities took a day to decorate the graves of war dead thus the original name was “Decoration Day.” For us of us over 65 and living in a Southren state, that’s what we grew up with. During that conflict no family was left untouched. For some brothers fought on opposite sides. Others had relatives beaten and hanged for being a black fighting in the Union Army that were unfortunate enough to be captured by the wrong group of people.
The Union fought to keep the country together. The Confederates fought against the impingement of their rights. Both sides thought slavery was evil, but had different ways of dealing with it. That evil was recognized for centuries and the founders of the United States of America recognized it, could not agree on a solution, but allowed the remedy to exist and flourish in the country they founded. Unfortunately, leaders thought it was the duty of them and their constituency to have sway over what they considered “lesser” people like blacks, Indians, Asians, people from Mexico, and others. Had Andy Jackson been able to calm himself long enough to look ahead to the future, he could have greatly helped the coming conflagration.
We should not forget soldiers of the Southren Cause that died for what they considered their rights and the rights guaranteed them by the US Constitution. To the South, the War of Northern Aggression was a continuation of the spirit of 1776. Since we live today in a country that nourishes free and independent thought we should give all respect due to these Southren patriots. Of note is that the Confederate Memorial Day is June 3. If nothing else, say a prayer for those that dared to believe in their rights, even if they were eventually defeated.
Today, pray for those that are now protecting our freedoms and who have died for those freedoms since 1776.