Friday, June 26, 2015

Standing or falling is still your choice




"If you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything" is a quote possibly going back a couple of hundred years, but is just as true today as when it was initially penned.

Maybe I am just hyper-aware of national and State news, but it appears we are all over the road in our current mission to attack anything and everything as being politically/socially offensive. In short, we are less tolerant than just about anytime in our country’s short history. Geeze, correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t this the land of the free?

I think not. We are becoming a country of bondage. We now have a law protecting preachers so they can preach? Seriously? Why was this right ever encroached upon in the first place? Never mind that pesky 1st Amendment. I was always under the impression that if you disagreed with what was delivered over the pulpit, you just went somewhere else.

The Confederate flag issue is one I understand, but am I going to get all in a rabid state over it? Nope. To be honest, I would rather someone identify themselves as a bigot than try and guess if they are or not. When it comes to flying this historic banner over a state capitol, all I have to say is this: it is the deep south – duh! 

To join in the over-eager PC goose-stepping is Amazon, Wal-Mart, Sears, and eBay. All are stopping the sale of evil and heinous offensive Confederate merchandise. What? It causes me to shake my head, especially when I consider Amazon will sell you Nazi memorabilia with a giddy gladness reminiscent of a street corner vendor. If I shake my head any harder, the agitator ball will break loose.

Opportunist bottom feeding faux social activists like Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has decided the American flag is next on the list of offensive symbols. "Who are we fighting today? It’s the people that carry the American flag,” Farrakhan continued. “What flag do the police have? What flag flies over the non-Justice Department? What flag flies over the White House?” More head shaking and mainly because people actually think this cursing bigot is a man of God.

I believe in the freedom this country set in motion and I do understand that initially we held people as possessions (like many other countries) in direct contradiction to said freedoms, but that changed under Abraham Lincoln. It continues on in other countries to this very day. Each of us has the moral and ethical responsibility to express our freedoms inside our laws – and to not walk around looking for a fight or a cause to get upset over.

On top of that statement, I resent anyone trying to coerce me into getting upset over an issue I would rather ignore.

If this current trend toward hostility over the failed Confederacy escalates, mark my words, it won’t be long before we rename Robert E. Lee high school to something more Pablumy.  Nothing offensive mind you. Wait?  Everything is offensive to someone.  Maybe we could just paint our school buildings solid white and in big black letters stencil the words “High School” on the side? Wait!  Why do the colors have to be black and white?  I am outraged!

The word on the street is because Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner; we need to tear down the Jefferson Memorial. George Washington, Andrew Jackson and James Madison also owned slaves, so we had better buy a bunch of bulldozers (on credit from the Chinese so we can afford Michelle’s travel money) and get busy knocking them down.

Surely I jest about Michelle’s $100,000 a day for her Italy/England trip.  It’s only 6 days honey. Don’t be jealous because you can’t afford a weekend trip to the riverwalk and you make 6 figures. She’s special and so are her kids. That $600,000 was worth it, but wait, what does this have to do with real issues, like than danged offensive piece of fabric you can no longer buy on Amazon? No, not the Nazi flag; the offensive one.
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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dandy Don Cunningham‎

Bert, I hate to keep saying the same thing over and over again, but your column in The Baytown Sun this morning was so good. I agree 100%! In fact, it was so good, I'm offended!

Anonymous said...

Bert, good article. However, you left out the fact that while Robert E. Lee owned slaves, freed before the Civil War ended – with many having been given free passage back to Africa – Ulysses S. Grant maintained his until after the war had ended, freed only after the 13th amendment in December of 1865 . General Lee did many good things – as did Jefferson Davis; taking a lead in the Civil War is only part of their legacy.

I believe that William T. Sherman, famous for his ‘scorched earth’ policy, also owned slaves. He was not an abolitionist before the war. I suggest that those who want to buy into this frenzy do a check of all the Union officers before going further. I dare to say that those who are doing this have never studied the Civil War and have no idea about the full lives of those the monuments represent. 11 Union generals have statues in Washington DC – these offend many, so should we deface them and demand their removal?

The Battle Flag of the Confederacy was high jacked by radicals; not freely given nor earned. The flag may rightly rest in museums but to deface and destroy monuments is another matter. Those doing these deeds do not own the monument nor did they pay for them. But then, that seems to be today’s culture to graffiti anything and everything without regard.

I was disappointed to see the Sun purposely ask for opinions about changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School. Opinions have varied since the beginning of time and there is little to be gained by pitting one against the other. As a Lee graduate, as is my husband and most of my family (an uncle who played football) and many cousins, I would detest a name change. The GCCISD board should not jump onto this bandwagon too quick!

Trevia Wooster Beverly

Anonymous said...

Ed Wisenbaler: That was excellent.

Anonymous said...

Don Hollaway: Every time I think you couldn't out do yourself , you do. Great Piece.

Anonymous said...

Jeana Blackford: I loved it!! It's awesome.. Blog of the year..

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