Confederate Talking Points

1. Confederate Talking Points 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

2. What are Talking Points? • a fact or feature that aids or supports one side, as in an argument or debate – Websters Dict. • A talking point is a neologism for an idea which may or may not be factual, usually compiled in a short list with summaries of a speaker's agenda for public or private engagements. Public relations professionals, for example, sometimes prepare "talking points memos" for their clients to help them more effectively conform public presentations with this advice. • Political Candidates • A Minister’s 3 Point outline “Sermon” • Bill O’Reilly

3. Modern Examples of Neologisms • “War on terror” • WWII and the Cold War should now be referred to as "the brief unpleasantness with overenthusiastic socialist friends.“ • BLAMESTORMING: Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible. • ASSMOSIS: The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard.

4. CUBE FARM: An office filled with cubicles. • PRAIRIE DOGGING: When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on. • MOUSE POTATO: The on-line, wired generation's answer to the couch potato. • SITCOMs: Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids. • STRESS PUPPY: A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiny.

5. SWIPEOUT: An ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless because the magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use. • IRRITAINMENT: Entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying but you find yourself unable to stop watching them. The O. J. trials were a prime example. • 404: Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error message 404 Not Found, meaning that the requested document could not be located.

6. GENERICA: Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, subdivisions. • OHNOSECOND: That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake. • DINKS: double income, no kids • WOOFYS: Well Off Older Folks.

7. Examples of “New Words” to define contemporary Confederates • “Neo” confederate • White Supremacist • Racist • proslavery extremists • “crypto confederates” (one who secretly supports)

8. Definition of a Gentleman The forbearing use of power does not only form a touchstone, but the manner in which an individual enjoys certain advantages over others is a test of a true gentleman.  The power which the strong have over the weak, the employer over the employed, the educated over the unlettered, the experienced over the confiding, even the clever over the silly, the forbearing or inoffensive use of all of this power or authority, or a total abstinence from it when the case admits it, will show the gentleman in a plain light.  The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He cannot only forgive, he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which impart sufficient strength to let the past be but the past. A true man of honor feels humbled when he cannot help humbling others.

9. How to Deal with aHeritage Violation • From the SCV GHQ website: • Any disrespect shown to our Confederate Heritage should be considered as serious. SCV members are reminded, however, to remain calm and to respond in a manner befitting the dignity of the heritage we seek to preserve. • Those persons or groups who cause a heritage violation often do so in a manner deliberately intended to provoke us into intemperate response. Do not play into their hands by over-reacting. We should always handle ourselves as the responsible Southern gentlemen that we are.

10. Example of Attack on Confederate Heritage • Another Confederate Smackdown, by John Scalzi • I have to say that while I understand, to a degree at least, people’s fascination with the Civil War, I’ve never understood the romanticization of the Confederacy. It didn’t last very long, it was horribly run and governed, it accomplished nothing but disaster and defeat, and it existed in the service of a horrible cause. I once angered an alumnus of Washington & Lee by suggesting that Robert E. Lee, however personally admirable he might have been in some ways, bore huge responsibility — if he had honored his oath to the Union, the war probably would have been over in six months, leaving everyone (and especially the South) better off. • One suspects that for a certain sort of infantile mind, pro-Confederacy statements provide the same sort of thrilling sense of nonconformity that Marxism has provided. This, I guess, explains the weird strain of pro-Confederate sympathy that one finds among a certain segment of libertarians. Or, of course, there’s always racism as an explanation — an explanation you’d rather believe didn’t apply, but that clearly does sometimes…. • As a political force, neo-Confederate sentiment is pretty trivial at the moment, even compared to the decaying remnants of Marxism. But that’s no reason not to smack it down when it appears.

11. 109 Responses to “‘World’s largest’ Confederate flag to be flown in Tampa.”May 2008thinkprogress.org

12. MS Joanne says: While I can understand their desire to preserve their heritage vis a vis secession, the fact remains that the confederate flag is a symbol of racism. • COProgressive says: Historical? The southern traitors attempted to destroy our nation by believing they could just leave if they don’t like the way its being run. If that was the case, New York, California, and all the rest of the Blue states should secede for the way Bush has taken our country. Now they are trying to revise history by attempting to show the confedercy was a noble cause. it was all about the owning of people, slavery. • Paul W says: The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the South’s decision to fight the Second American Revolution.This is directly from their website. Apparently “liberty and freedom” means freedom to discriminate and enslave the people of their choice. No doubt this all male organization would repeal womans right to vote as well.

13. COProgressive says: Historical? The southern traitors attempted to destroy our nation by believing they could just leave if they don’t like the way its being run. If that was the case, New York, California, and all the rest of the Blue states should secede for the way Bush has taken our country. • Now they are trying to revise history by attempting to show the confederacy was a noble cause…… it was all about the owning of people, slavery. • Viking says: The defenders always mention history and heritage, and the opponents mention slavery and racism. • The big missing piece is that the flag is a vile reminder of armed, illegal rebellion against a duly constituted nation, of which those rebellious states were a part. they weren’t colonies, they were full-fledged members and citizens. And what they did was a CRIME. • skeletonman says: Someone might want to tell these Bozos that • 1) the South lost2) the US flag represents all Americans3) to fly the flag of the Confederacy honors traitors to our nation

14. Perhaps — except for one small point which these “gentlemen” (and I’m using the term very loosely indeed here) have very conveniently chosen to ignore… Their history and so-called heritage wouldn’t even exist were it not for the insistence of their forefathers that they had a right to imprison and forcibly remove other human beings from their homes and regard them as property. You quite simply cannot remove the stain of racism from the so-called heritage of the Confederacy. • GL2814 says: To all wannabe confederate a**holes: YOU LOST. GET OVER IT • blue state bob says: The Confederate flag belongs in a museum, I guess over a Confederate Cemetary, but basically otherwise only on the scrap heap of history

15. Valerie Protopapas says: Certainly, some people expressed themselves with dignity, intelligence and reason on both sides of this issue in these comments. Sadly, some seemed determined to prove their ignorance and total lack of social skills. • However, none of this really matters! The simple fact is this: those flying this flag have every right to do so. That right is given by God, not the government, not the culture and certainly not the army of politically correct organizations who triumphantly play “the race card” at every possible opportunity. That God-given right is protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution which for the time at least, is still in (partial) effect. • So, you see, it really doesn’t matter whether anyone here (myself included) approves or doesn’t approve of their actions. For some unknown reason, folks today seem to think that their opinions on issues or the actions of their fellow citizens carry sufficient weight to force people to do what they think is right or best! But that isn’t so. Like it or not, the First Amendment protects that flag and those who fly it. • I would suggest that the “nay-sayers” and hysterical critics of the Confederate flag monument do what so many good Southerners have been told over the years, that is, get over it!

16. In Their Words • Question - Why was the Confederacy defeated? • On 10 April 1865, General Robert E. Lee, having just surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox, wrote a farewell address to his soldiers. 'After four years' arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude', declared Lee, 'the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources.' According to Lee, the Confederacy lost the American Civil War not because it fought badly but because the enemy had more men and guns--indeed more everything.

17. SAMPLE Talking Points

18. What is the mission of the Sons of Confederate Veterans? • In 1896, the Sons of Confederate Veterans was founded by the veterans and progeny of veterans who fought in the War Between the States. The Sons of Confederate Veterans are the direct heir of the United Confederate Veterans, the oldest hereditary organization for male descendants of Confederate Soldiers. • The SCV was established as, and remains, an independent organization that supports the protection and preservation of Confederate heritage and the true history of 1861-1865. Current members are descendants of the original defenders of Confederate heritage and are not aligned or affiliated with any other organization. The SCV is an organization pledged to serve as a historical, patriotic and non-political organization.

19. Why honor men who served for the Confederacy, after all weren’t they traitors?  • First the soldiers of the Confederacy were not traitors. The citizen soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the greatest motivating factor in the South’s decision to fight the a second time for independence. They resigned their bond to a government they found increasing abusing the constitution and the rights of the states for self determination. They did not seek to destroy the federal government, they chose to withdraw and form their own government that was to be truer to the original constitution. It was the Northern politicians that were traitors to the constitution. • Continued……………………next slide

20. General Robert E. Lee and others are slandered by some as traitors. An interesting point to be noted is that William Rawle’s book "View of the Constitution" was the primary book used in teaching the Constitution and was used at West Point until the war. • General Lee told Bishop Wilmer (of Louisiana) that had it not been for the instruction received from Rawle’s text book at West Point he would not have left the United States Army to join the Confederate Army at the breaking out of the War between the States. • He chose to serve the Confederate States army and his home state of Virginia in particular based on instruction given at the (Federal) United States Military Academy. Some quotes from Rawle’s include: (next slide)

21. The state is the more important entity, to which citizens gave their allegiance, not some Union of states…“ • "The Union was formed by the voluntary agreement of the States, and in uniting together they have not forfeited their nationality, nor have they been reduced to one and the same people. If one state chooses to withdraw its name from the contract, it would be difficult to disprove its right of doing so, and the Federal Government would have no means of maintaining its claim, either by force or right."  • "It will depend upon the State itself whether it will continue a member of the Union.“ • "If the States are interfered with they may wholly withdraw from the Union." (p. 289-90) • CONCLUSION - Many of the Southern leaders were trained and educated by the United States Military Academy. It is slander to call them traitors based on the education received by the Federal government.

22. Why are the Confederate flags and other symbols of the Confederacy so important in this day and age?  • They are symbols that our ancestors fought, sacrificed and died for. • Too many persons appear to make judgments on the people of the 1860’s with only their current contemporary perspective. Regardless of what some people may claim about the symbols they are our heritage and have nothing to do with hate. They are our history and our culture, which in a free society, we are allowed to have. • Perhaps these groups have much to learn from our heritage which is the Confederate States of America and the patriots that died to protect their family.

23. What did the Confederates feel they were fighting for? • An honest answer is that there may have been as many different reasons for fighting this war as there were soldiers in the Confederate Army. The politically correct revisionist historians would like to state the Confederate soldiers were fighting to protect and preserve slavery. It seems an odd statement since less than 10% of those men were actual slave holders. • Some fought to establish their own government, just as their forefathers did in the first American war for Independence in 1776 • Others were fighting to repel the invasion of the Federal Army and in essence fighting to protect their home and families. Since the constitution did not authorize the Federal government to make war on a state, yet the Federal military presence was definitely a threat to the Confederate states and the people within, taking up arms for defense of their land seems a logical reason for fighting.

24. Why did the South secede in 1861 and did the South have the right to secede from the Union?  • Timothy Pickering, of Massachusetts was the first to threaten secession. Josiah Quincy, of Massachusetts was the first to mention secession in Congressional halls in 1811. John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts was the first to petition Congress to dissolve the Union. Charles Francis Adams testified that there was no doubt but that his grandfather, John Quincy Adams, believed that a State had the right to secede. • William Rawle’s book "View of the Constitution“……..(West Point Academy) • "The Union was formed by the voluntary agreement of the States, and in uniting together they have not forfeited their nationality, nor have they been reduced to one and the same people. If one state chooses to withdraw its name from the contract, it would be difficult to disprove its right of doing so, and the Federal Government would have no means of maintaining its claim, either by force or right."continued……………

25. "It will depend upon the State itself whether it will continue a member of the Union.“ • "If the States are interfered with they may wholly withdraw from the Union." (p. 289-90) • Judge Black of Pennsylvania in "Black’s Essays" noted :  • "John Quincy Adams, in 1839, and Abraham Lincoln in 1847 made elaborate arguments in favor of the legal right of a State to secede."  • Horace Greeley is quoted: • "If the Declaration of Independence justified the secession of 3,000,000 colonists in 1776, I do not see why the Constitution ratified by the same men should not justify the secession of 5,000,000 of the Southerners from the Federal Union in 1861." We have repeatedly said, and we once more insist that the great principle embodied by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence that government derives its power from the consent of the governed is sound and just, then if the Cotton States, the Gulf States, or any other States choose to form an independent nation they have a clear right to do it. (New York Tribune)

26. Charles Beecher Stowe,(Note he was the son of Harriet Beecher Stowe who wrote the propaganda novel "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" which assumed by a hystrical Northern population as fact. That infamous book condemned the Southern people’s way of life, penned by her without even one visit to the Southland.) was quoted: • "When the South drew the sword to defend the doctrine of States Rights and the institution of slavery, they certainly had on their side the Constitution and the laws of the land, for the National Constitution justified the doctrine of States Rights."  • "Is it not perfectly evident that there was a great rebellion but the rebels were the men of the North, and the men who defended the Constitution were the men of the South, for they defended States Rights and slavery, which were distinctly entrenched within the Constitution."  • The idea that the North was fighting to free the Negro people might be quashed with this quote from the New York Herald 11 Nov 1860: • "The South has an undeniable right to secede from the Union. In the event if secession, the City of New York, and the State of New Jersey, and very likely Connecticut will separate from New England when the black man is put on a pinnacle above the white."  …………… end