Trashing Our Heritage

            It has become almost a national pastime anymore–the trashing of our national and local heritage. While I realize much of it is done by leftist thugs, much of it is allowed by people who have been cowed into political correctness and are too scared to stand up and defend what they know they should, lest someone on the political left be “offended.”

            It’s perfectly okay to offend the memories of many of our gallant heroes of the past but woe betide if you dare to offend some leftist protester or demagogue.

            I just finished re-reading a book I bought back in the 1990s by John C. Waugh called The Class of 1846. It was the story of the graduating class from West Point in that year and included many who ended up being either Confederate or Union generals in the War of Northern Aggression. It seemed that Mr. Waugh tried to be objective in his assessments of these men on both sides, giving both their good and bad points–something that is a rare commodity in our day, when objectivity is supposed to cower before shrill leftist bullying.

            One thing that struck me as I got toward the end of the book was the high regard of some Northern generals for their Southern adversaries. That’s almost a forbidden subject today–all the way from Tucker Carlson, who should know better, down to the leftwing rioters in the streets who are paid by corporate America to do what they are doing to our heritage and history.

            On page 506 Waugh quotes Union General John Gibbon and his comments about his Confederate adversaries made shortly after Appomattox. Gibbon said: “The truth was, that these men had won our admiration and consideration by their conduct in battle and we could well afford now that we were the victors, to treat them with respect.” Had he said as much today, the leftist mob would no doubt have assaulted him and sought to burn his home if they could have found it.

            The prevailing theory in our insane day is that you say nothing good about any Confederate or their cause because the leftists among us have decreed that anything Southern or Confederate is automatically evil and that’s the end of the argument. No debate needed–just believe what the lefties tell you and if you don’t, then at least keep your mouth shut!

            But Gibbon wasn’t the only Northern general to speak positively about the Confederates. No lesser luminary than George B. McClellan (I knew one of his descendants years ago in New England) referred to Robert E. Lee as “…the noble Lee.”

            McClellan said also: “Let us bury all animosity, all bitter recollections of the past…I am glad, inexpressively glad, that I have been permitted to live until the fame and exploits of these magnanimous rivals have become the common property of our people, when the ability and virtues of Robert Lee, and the achievements of the magnificent Army of Northern Virginia, as well as the heroism of the renown of the proud Army of the Potomac, have already become part of the common heritage of glory of all the people of America.”

            However, it seems in our day that many are all too willing to toss that heritage aside and totally ignore it, or even participate in the dismantling of it. It never occurs to these shallow souls that once they have discarded their heritage both they and their children will be the worse off for it.

            If you let the leftist demagogues control your past, they will end up controlling your, and your childrens’ future. What will that do for your children who live on after you? Nothing good that’s for sure!

            If you don’t have the intestinal fortitude (guts) to stand up for your heritage, at least have the courage to pray for those that are willing to. The leftists have probably not invaded your prayer closets–yet–but then, if they already control your mind, maybe they have, and you are just not willing to admit it to yourself!