Which Way Now?

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

IMG_3908_crWhich way should I take this blog? It is time for me to take a good long look at the three blogs that I write and decide where to go next. In addition to the Confederate Colonel blog, I also write The Southern Agrarian blog and have started on what is tentatively named The New Southern Agrarians. Each of these three has “Southern” as a common theme, and that will continue to be the major focus. Let’s start with how each was originally designed:

Confederate Colonel first went on-line in 2007. Here are the stated objectives:

Confederate Colonel Objectives

Our objectives are to promote, encourage, and defend:
• the code of the Southern Gentleman and Southern Lady as guidelines for daily living
• the customs and traditions of The Old South in our homes and in our daily lives
• the tradition of Southern hospitality and gracious living
• the culture, heritage, and symbols of The Old South
• the public display of Southern symbols in a proud and dignified manner

We recognize that the code of the Southern Gentleman is best exemplified in the life of Robert E. Lee and other great leaders of the Confederate States of America.

We define Southern Culture as being the best of the antebellum period of The South.

A Southern Gentleman is usually also a Christian Gentleman. Christianity can shape and mold a man into a Southern Gentleman, or a woman into a Southern Lady. Confederate Colonel is a Christian web site.

Our Culture • Our Heritage • Our Kinship

Next in line came the Southern Agrarian blog. It started out focusing on Southern Agrarianism as a life style but became more of a how-to blog about raising a garden and poultry in The South. Recognizing that I had drifted away from my intended objective, I started work on The New Southern Agrarian blog. It has just gotten started and is little more than a concept and a domain name at this point.

For blogs that exist as a money-making project, the “Which Way Now?” question is pretty straight-forward: do what is going to make money. That is not the objective however, since this is a “labor of love” and an expense rather than an income. I have a lot more latitude in what I write about.

Here are some of the thoughts that are being considered:

  1. I would have preferred to not discuss historical issues, but I allowed myself to be drawn into it. Posts about slavery were a lightning rod that attracted some pretty vile comments (see the Hate Mail page for examples). Controversial topics about The South – especially about slavery – will be gone. I want to rise far above that level of discussion, so no more posts about it and no more replies about it.
  2. I have probably tried to spread myself too thin with three different blogs. After all, I do have a wonderful family to enjoy, a business to run, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to serve, and various other organizations and causes that I support. For that reason, my plan is to combine the three into one.
  3. Since Southern Agrarianism is a cultural phenomenon that includes all that Confederate Colonel was designed to cover, the end result will probably be called something with “Southern Agrarian” in the name (the ConfederateColonel.com domain name would still point to the new combined site).
  4. I have become aware of  groups of people who practice an agrarian life style (note that “agrarian” covers a lot of ground, and does not mean subsistence-level farming – not even close). There is probably some good “cross pollination” that can be gained there. My hope is that I can help to pull together people from different groups and different areas with whatever we come up with here.
  5. While Southern Agrarianism has been a cultural movement, a political movement, a literary movement, a philosophical movement, and an agricultural movement, it is probably best described today as a life style. That is where the focus will be (which was the original intent for Confederate Colonel).
  6. On a more concrete note, I may be changing the overall look of the site to something more aesthetically attractive. I tend to be rather visually-oriented, so I hope to use a lot more photos to illustrate points and to perhaps inspire.

What are your thoughts? Where do we go from here? What specific topics would you like to see covered? Is there anything that you would like to see more of? What about the overall appearance of the site? Please use either the regular “Leave a Reply” or if you prefer, use the “Contact” feature to send an email that isn’t published.

Let me also use this opportunity to say “Thank You!” for reading what I write. Knowing that you have taken the time to read this blog is a very gratifying feeling, and I deeply appreciate it.

Contact Information: Please go to the Southern Agrarian blog for any contact needs.

 

Posted in The Confederate Colonel Project | 12 Comments

Technical Problems

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

On Saturday, December 7, we had our own “Pearl Harbor” event here on Confederate Colonel. The web site crashed completely – all that came up was a list of error messages. It is slowly being put back together, but many of the links within the posts and the menu items are not working. Please be patient while I try to reconstruct the site.

While we’re on the topic of changes to Confederate Colonel, here’s a change that I wasn’t really going to formally “announce,” but I may as well…

The subject matter dealt with here on Confederate Colonel will, for the most part, steer clear of historical topics. I have allowed it to stray too far from the original idea of a blog about Southern culture and the Southern gentleman. I will be making a greater effort to adhere to the original intent.

Posted in The Confederate Colonel Project | 2 Comments

The Origin of the Thanksgiving Holiday

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

We’re all familiar with “the Thanksgiving story,” complete with pilgrims, Indians, and a feast. That’s nice, but what about the holiday that we celebrate each November – how did that officially recognized observance come to be? J. Stephen Conn at The Confederate Digest tells us what the Northern history books neglect to point out. This is from a post on Confederate Digest:

During the Thanksgiving season we often hear that the first national Thanksgiving Proclamation was given by Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C. on October 3, 1863. What the northern history books fail to mention is that Lincoln, bowing to political pressure, copied the President of the Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis actually had made the first national Proclamation of Thanksgiving two years earlier in Richmond, Virginia. Here it is:

Proclamation of Thanksgiving, 1861
by President Jefferson Davis

WHEREAS, it hath pleased Almighty God, the Sovereign Disposer of events, to protect and defend us hitherto in our conflicts with our enemies as to be unto them a shield.

And whereas, with grateful thanks we recognize His hand and acknowledge that not unto us, but unto Him, belongeth the victory, and in humble dependence upon His almighty strength, and trusting in the justness of our purpose, we appeal to Him that He may set at naught the efforts of our enemies, and humble them to confusion and shame.

Now therefore, I, Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States, in view of impending conflict, do hereby set apart Friday, the 15th day of November, as a day of national humiliation and prayer, and do hereby invite the reverend clergy and the people of these Confederate States to repair on that day to their homes and usual places of public worship, and to implore blessing of Almighty God upon our people, that he may give us victory over our enemies, preserve our homes and altars from pollution, and secure to us the restoration of peace and prosperity.

Given under hand and seal of the Confederate States at Richmond, this the 31st day of October, year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty one.

By the President,
JEFFERSON DAVIS

(Thank you to the English Friends of The South Facebook page)

Posted in Culture and Heritage, history | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

In Defense of Cursive

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

CursiveOne of the main concepts of Agrarianism is the avoidance of industrial dehumanization and the embracing of that which defines us as individuals. We are not interchangeable parts in a corporate machine. All printing, by definition, looks pretty much the same. Cursive handwriting, on the other hand, reflects the personality and character of the person writing it.

The only question about handwriting styles used to be “Palmer” or “Spincerian”. Today, the question is whether children should be taught cursive writing at all – and that is a sad commentary on our culture.

During the trial of George Zimmerman, one witness took the stand and famously testified that she could not read the letter that she said was sent by her but written by a friend. The reason she gave when cross-examined? “I can’t read cursive.” Have we descended that low? Has the cold, sterile printed word replaced the smooth flowing character of cursive? Will the next generation be incapable of reading anything that doesn’t appear on the screen of the latest digital gadget? If Common Core Curriculum is allowed to take root, then the answer will be “yes”. Cursive writing is nowhere to be found in that indoctrination system masked as education.

It wasn’t until just a few years ago that I “rediscovered” cursive writing. Coming from a technical background, printed characters were the standard. One of my early jobs out of college was designing material handling equipment for the textile industry. At that time, drawings were done on paper, using a T-square, pencil, and drafting instruments. In college, we were taught exactly how to print in the Drafting classes, and that’s how it was done on the job.

The text on technical drawings was always printed in a very standardized style. Now, however, I try to use cursive writing whenever possible, and almost always with a fountain pen. I started by paying close attention to my signature, and then using that same care in notes and letters. Since I now make my living writing software, there is little room for cursive other than making notes to myself, but I still use it whenever I can.

Among the collection of home schooling books that we have for our grandchildren is the Spencerian Penmanship book.

Among the collection of home schooling books that we have for our grandchildren is the Spencerian Penmanship book.

Posted in Manners, Traditions, and Etiquette | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Agrarian Societies and the Common Core Curriculum

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

Bill Whittle, of PJTV, makes an interesting point that tied the change from an agrarian society to an industrial society with the change from traditional education to the Common Core Curriculum. In this video, he points out that government tends to follow the model of society. When we had an agrarian society, we had a widely dispersed, highly decentralized government that pretty much left people alone to live their own lives. When we moved to an industrial society, government changed to reflect that shift toward a centralized, controlling system of government. Mr. Whittle used this to illustrate similar changes to the education system in America and the move to the Common Core Curriculum (a plan designed as a central propaganda system wrapped in a thin veneer of barely acceptable education).

While the primary Confederate Colonel interest in this video is the shift from agrarian to industrial society, he brings an important message about why Common Core must be opposed and stopped. For our part, we choose to home school and completely bypass the government indoctrination system.

In addition, this is a good time to point out another project that I am working on – The New Southern Agrarians. From the home page of The New Southern Agrarians:

What is Southern Agrarianism? Who were the Southern Agrarians and what did they believe? Does Southern Agrarianism have a place in today’s society? More importantly, does Southern Agrarianism show us a better way – a new path to take as we walk away from the rubble of a collapsed civilization built upon that which the Southern Agrarians warned us about? Those questions, and more, are what this web site hopes to answer.

The New Southern Agrarians is little more than what is quoted above at this time. It is, however, something I consider to be an important project and one that I will be working on.

Posted in Culture and Heritage | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Who Do We Honor?

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

accolade

 

“Where men are forbidden to honour a king, they honor millionaires, athletes, or film stars instead; even famous prostitutes or gangsters. For spiritual nature, like bodily nature, will be served; deny it food and it will gobble poison.”
C. S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis understood human nature perhaps as well as any mortal man ever has as the above quote demonstrates. Who do we honor? I ask this of both those of us who aspire to higher standards as well as to what now passes for popular culture. I ask this of those who vote for the leadership of our nation. Most of all, I ask this of myself.

The reasons behind the election of the man who currently resides in the White House can be found in this same question. Was he elected because he clearly articulated a vision of a morally upright, honorable America where all men would have the opportunity to excel and then reap the rewards of their success? or was he elected because he seemed “cool” and “hip” and represented “the latest ‘in’ thing”? To paraphrase someone he is fond of quoting, was he elected based on the content of his character – or on the color of his skin? I have no doubt that it was for the latter.

I have made no secret of my admiration for constitutional monarchy as a form of government, and Mr. Lewis has presented the chief argument in favor of that – the moral and spiritual reason. Many people will, of course, feed their “spiritual nature” with poison rather than food simply because the nature of man tends toward the wicked rather than the good. Those type of people will always be with us. The benefits of having a leader who represents honor and righteousness and justice and freedom go not to what I refer to as “Walmart people,” but to those who yearn for a leader who brings out the best in men rather than pandering to our baser instincts.

Posted in Leadership, Southern Gentleman, Southern Political Issues | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Proper Use of Authority

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

General Robert E. Lee was certainly understood what it meant to have authority over others and how to use that authority properly.

General Robert E. Lee certainly understood what it meant to have authority over others and how to use that authority properly.

Southern gentlemen are frequently found in positions of authority – and for good reason. The traits and character that makes one a Southern gentleman are the same traits and character that indicates that one has what it takes to handle authority well. At least that used to be the case. It now seems that men are placed in positions of authority not because they have the good character and judgement to do what is right, but because they will blindly follow orders without question – regardless of whether it is the right thing to do or not.

Understand that following legitimate orders issued by those in authority over you is also the mark of a Southern gentleman. Respect for authority is the cornerstone of a civilized society – respect for legitimate authority.

What brings this to mind is the way that National Park Service rangers have abused the authority vested in them during the 2013 government “shut down” by following political orders to make life miserable for the public they are supposed to serve. Did all NPS rangers act this way? No, I’m quite certain that was not the case. What I find troubling though, is that I have not seen any reports of rangers who stood up and said they will not be part of this. Would it be reported? Absolutely. Probably not by the major media, but the alternative media would have hailed such men as the courageous gentlemen that they would be. I saw no such reports.

That brings up the question of what is the proper way to handle illegitimate, immoral, or illegal orders? If you’re looking for a safe, easy, and painless answer, there is none. No one wants to lose their job – especially in a job market such as we have now. That is why it is so important to be selective when going to work for someone (including working for yourself) to make sure that you are working for someone who is of good moral character and will not require you to do that which you know is wrong.

What if you find yourself in such a situation anyway? As difficult as it is to say, a letter of resignation that clearly spells out the reason why you can no longer work for that employer is the only proper way to handle the matter of being issued immoral and/or illegal orders.

Before I get accused of being “holier than thou” and hearing “you don’t understand”, and “it’s obvious you’ve never been in that situation”, I’ll say, “Yes, I have been in that exact situation.” Did I follow my own advice here, and do the right thing and resign? Sadly, no, I did not. Instead I told the person over me that I knew exactly what he was doing and what he told me to sign my name to, and that this had better never happen again. Yes, I signed my name to something I knew to be false. I put my signature on a lie. That is something that I will live with for the rest of my life – always wishing that I had done the right thing. That, my fellow aspiring Southern gentlemen, is why I am writing this. It is written in the hope that others will not make the same error that I made decades ago. Learn from my mistakes.

Posted in Southern Gentleman | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Paula Deen’s Real Offense

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

paula-deenPaula Deen has been seen as an icon of Southern culture – and that makes her a prime target for those who hate the culture of The Old South. While I am disappointed to see yet another public figure groveling for forgiveness that will never come, that’s another topic for another day. What was the horrible crime she committed that would lead to being kicked off of The Food Network?

Last month, Food Network chef Paula Deen gave a videotaped deposition as part of a discrimination suit she’s facing in which she discussed her desire to have a “very southern style wedding” for her brother modeled after a restaurant where the “whole entire wait staff was middle-aged black men” clad in white jackets and black bow ties, according to a transcript of the deposition filed in federal court in Georgia. Deen also admitted to having used the N word and discussed the ways the word could be “not said in a mean way.” (source)

Her “incriminating” statement? “Yes, of course,” said Deen, when asked by a lawyer if she had ever used the “N word.”(source). So, we have someone with the honesty to affirm that she had said something that she regrets saying. Are we to believe that all those media figures who are expressing shock and outrage have never done anything like that in their entire life? Remember, the question was if she had ever used that word.

While she is being destroyed for using the word “nigger” (referring to “the N-word” is beyond childish – as though it would cast some evil spell), this is hypocritical exploitation in its purest form. The media has seized upon the use of a “forbidden word”, used in a private meeting, to attack a Southern icon. Her real crime? Having the audacity to discuss a “very Southern style wedding” based on imagery from one of the most widely-known romance novels of all time – Gone With The Wind. She wanted to recreate another time for her brother’s wedding and, horror of horrors, she wanted to use the race of those who would be hired to make it more historically accurate. Those who would be serving the food would essentially be actors in a play, yet because such ideas apparently provoke a feeling of being horribly offended by the oh-so-sensitive class, she is being publicly scorned. Try doing a Google search for “plantation wedding” – it’s a very popular venue.

Am I saying that using racial slurs to offend someone is acceptable? No, of course not. This blog is about the Southern gentleman, and a Southern gentleman shows respect to all – at least until such time that they demonstrate that they are completely unworthy of such respect. Even at that point though, the Southern gentleman has a vocabulary large enough to find and use a better choice of words.

Posted in Attacks and Defense, Culture and Heritage | Tagged | 13 Comments

Opportunity in America – The Trayvon Martin Case Part 2

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

Photo from NBC News site with the clear intention of distorting the facts of the two men involved.

Photo from NBC News site with the clear intention of distorting the facts of the two men involved. The story was about the distortive effects of those photos.

On March 25, 2012, I wrote a post entitled Mob Rule in America – The Trayvon Martin Case, and have not mentioned it here since that time. With last night’s “Not Guilty” verdict for Mr. Zimmerman, now is the time for a follow-up.

Justice has been done. Anyone who actually listened to the trial rather than listening to the media (i.e., the propaganda branch of the government), knows perfectly well that a verdict of “Not Guilty” was the only just outcome. Given the powerful influences involved, I was highly doubtful that justice would really be served in this trial. I quite literally thank God that it was.

Those calling for “Justice for Trayvon” are really calling for vengeance. One cannot have justice for one party without having justice against the other party. You either have justice or you have injustice. Period.

Justice does not “make things right”. One person is still dead and one person will never again lead a normal life, and given the number of death threats made against George Zimmerman, there is a real possibility that one of those will make good on the threat. It’s a bad situation all around and there is just no getting around that. Justice, however, has been done in that the case was tried according to the rule of law and decided on the facts and the evidence – not on emotions.

What happens next is really more important to the nation than the trial. The wide-spread concern about rioting by Blacks would never be an issue if the roles were reversed. Rioting by Whites just doesn’t happen in cases like this. The Black community has a real opportunity to prove that they have grown and matured, and that they can act in a civilized manner in a civilized country. They have the opportunity to prove the critics wrong. Obama and other Black leaders have the opportunity to show real leadership by admitting that their initial remarks did not serve to defuse the situation, but it must be defused now. The media has the opportunity to back off the rhetoric and the distortions.

Will they? The optimist in me certainly hopes so. The realist in me has serious doubts.

Posted in Southern Political Issues | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

David John Marotta on The Cause of The War

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Stephen Clay McGehee

Today’s post at the Marotta On Money blog is one of those incredibly rare pieces that shows the real reason that the Southern states seceded from the union – punishing tariffs designed to enrich the North at the expense of the South. There are very few men who have the kind of broad understanding of the issues and of economics to see beyond the prescribed slavery-is-the-only-cause story, but Mr. Marotta does just that. Here is a key section from the post, but please take a few minutes to read the entire post – it is very informative and well-written.

As early as the Revolutionary War, the South primarily produced cotton, rice, sugar, indigo and tobacco. The North purchased these raw materials and turned them into manufactured goods. By 1828, foreign manufactured goods faced high import taxes. Foreign raw materials, however, were free of tariffs.

Thus the domestic manufacturing industries of the North benefited twice, once as the producers enjoying the protection of high manufacturing tariffs and once as consumers with a free raw materials market. The raw materials industries of the South were left to struggle against foreign competition.

Because manufactured goods were not produced in the South, they had to either be imported or shipped down from the North. Either way, a large expense, be it shipping fees or the federal tariff, was added to the price of manufactured goods only for Southerners. Because importation was often cheaper than shipping from the North, the South paid most of the federal tariffs.

Much of the tariff revenue collected from Southern consumers was used to build railroads and canals in the North. Between 1830 and 1850, 30,000 miles of track was laid. At its best, these tracks benefited the North. Much of it had no economic effect at all. Many of the schemes to lay track were simply a way to get government subsidies. Fraud and corruption were rampant.

With most of the tariff revenue collected in the South and then spent in the North, the South rightly felt exploited. At the time, 90% of the federal government’s annual revenue came from these taxes on imports.

Historians Paul Collier and Anke Hoeffer found that a few common factors increase the likelihood of secession in a region: lower wages, an economy based on raw materials and external exploitation. Although popular movies emphasize slavery as a cause of the Civil War, the war best fits a psycho-historical model of the South rebelling against Northern exploitation.

Many Americans do not understand this fact. A non-slave-owning Southern merchant angered over yet another proposed tariff act does not make a compelling scene in a movie. However, that would be closer to the original cause of the Civil War than any scene of slaves picking cotton.
(source)

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments