Confederate Colonel

So often, Southerners are admonished to avoid stereotyping people. That’s a nice way for them to say, “quit being such intolerant bigots.” Let’s take a look at the other side of stereotyping - that is, stereotyping ourselves by saying, “this is what a ‘True Southerner’ is.”

Here is a quote from a rabidly anti-Southern web site that is quoting from a book that purportedly takes a pro-Southern view:

Chronicles magazine, in the March 1989 issue, has an article by Grady McWhiney titled, “The Celtic Heritage of the Old South” (McWhiney 1989). The article is introduced with a drawing of a man somewhat horizontal, pouring what I assume is beer into his mouth with some of it running down his face onto the ground. He is in a field with a couple cows looking on. McWhiney starts his article by stating his view that Southerner and Northerners are culturally divided and “such cultural disharmony has divided the South from the North for more than three hundred years.” McWhiney believes the South was settled by various Celtic groups and the North from the English lowlands resulting in “fundamental and lasting divisions” and eventually, he explains, the American Civil War (McWhiney 1989, Chronicles, p. 12) .

McWhiney explains what Celtic culture is by contrasting it to what he feels is English culture. Often he contrasts two paired groups, that of Celts and Southerners versus that of English and Yankees (McWhiney 1989, Chronicles, p. 13).

Unlike Yankees and Englishmen, who were compulsive plowers and often obsessed with agricultural improvements, Celts and Southerners, cultivated crops reluctantly and haphazardly.

Celts and Southerners, whose values were more agrarian than those of Englishmen and Yankees, wasted more time, rarely read or wrote, consumed more liquor and tobacco, and were less concerned with the useful and material.

McWhiney characterizes Celts and Southerners as a pastoral group that likes gambling, drinking, “raucous music,” dancing, hunting, fishing, horse and dog racing. The Celts and Southerners lack ambition, are lazy, and avoid work because they are not materialistic. If these qualities do not sound good, McWhiney becomes a multiculturalist and says they are good in the values of Celtic civilization. The English and Yankees are repeatedly described as censorious and intolerant of Celtic culture. However, McWhiney wishes the reader to know that “when outsiders supply the discipline and constancy, Celts are capable of mighty achievements as British history has shown” (McWhiney 1989, Chronicles, p. 15) With friends like this, who needs enemies?

How often have we, as Southerners, embraced our Celtic heritage lock, stock, and barrel without understanding that people and cultures change over time? Yes, many of our ancestors came here from Scotland, and yes, there is almost always a factual basis for stereotypes of groups of people, but there is more to it than that.

People and cultures are influenced and changed by their surroundings. Dixie is very different from Scotland. The weather is different, the terrain is different, the government is different, the religious environment is different, the economic system is different, etc. The early Celts were Pagans - I am a Bible-believing Born-again Baptist. That is a very fundamental difference that has a huge effect on just about every part of life. The economic system here in America presents individuals an incredible opportunity that simply was not available in the Scottish Highlands of a couple centuries ago. We could go on and on with examples.

We need to be very careful about claiming to have a “Celtic culture” or any other type of culture. We have a Southern culture - and there is a huge variation in what constitutes that. As much as I dislike it, the “Redneck” has as much claim on being “Southern” as the Southern Gentleman. I have seen Southerners boasting about having “the finest whiskey” and loving to party, and listening to nothing but country music. I cannot deny their claim to being true Southerners, but they are very different from me - a non-drinker who prefers a church fellowship to wild parties, and enjoys classical music.

We need to remember that while we here at Confederate Colonel hold the Southern Gentleman, as exemplified by Robert E. Lee, as the pinnacle of Southern Culture, there are others who legitimately claim something very different as being “Southern culture”.

Before agreeing that we embrace “Southern culture”, we need to understand exactly what the other person means by “Southern culture”. Don’t fall into the trap of having to defend a Southern culture that does not reflect you.

Following our previous post on The Qualities of a Gentleman, here is The Qualities of a Lady from The Victorian Station web site:

A lady should be quiet in her manners, natural and unassuming in her language, careful to wound no one’s feelings, but giving generously and freely from the treasures of her pure mind to her friends. Scorning no one openly, she should feel gentle pity for the unfortunate, the inferior and the ignorant, at the same time carrying herself with an innocence and single heartedness which disarms ill nature, and wins respect and love from all.

The Victorian Station web site is well worth a visit for more great reading.

“Do you think you’re better than other folks?” How many times have we heard this or something similar when discussing our decision to hold to higher standards? Whether the topic is Southern Gentlemen or Christianity, there will always be the egalitarians who insist that higher standards equals snobbishness. To that question, my reply is, “Do you think that you are no better than some crack dealer or serial killer or sadistic rapist or child molester?” At this point, they must either agree that some people are indeed, better than others - or they testify that they are so morally bankrupt that there simply is no hope for reasoned discussion with them.

It is important to note that we are comparing people on man’s terms - not God’s terms. We are all sinners destined for an eternity in Hell without trusting in Jesus. Jesus died for all of us, so in that regard, we are all equally vile and in need of salvation. What we are talking about here though, is ranking people in terms of whether they are givers or takers; whether their presence means society is better or worse off.

Genuine humility is an important quality of the Southern Gentleman and of those who follow Jesus, so we need to make sure that we never give anyone reason to accuse us of such bad behavior.

Egalitarianism is one of the symptoms of socialism, and as this country descends deeper into socialism, it is bound to become more prevalent. What used to be commonly held beliefs are now seen as class snobbery. Don’t let the moral bankruptcy of egalitarianism and political correctness hold sway over your life. Have the courage to stand up to those who would claim that “everyone is equal” when they clearly are not.

This past Saturday, my wife and I were part of 116 Bible Believers who walked a five mile stretch of Orange City, Florida. We carried signs proclaiming the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. While the vast majority of the feedback we got was very positive (lots of horns honking, thumbs up, waves, and that sort of thing), it still amazes me that a group of Christians quietly walking along the road carrying signs could prompt someone to give an obscene gesture as they drive by. I can understand the guy who yelled, “He’s just a dead Jew.” That’s his opinion and, presumably, he is trying to “educate” us in the same way that we are trying to educate him. But to display outright hostility as though we were somehow directly attacking him? That, I simply do not understand.

I guess that is just to be expected when that many people are involved. There is bound to be at least one person who feels called to such incivility. I wish I could just ignore that and focus on all the encouragement we got during that afternoon. That kind of refocusing is just something I need to work on.

I wonder if the guy with the middle finger gesture has any idea that he ended up encouraging me with the knowledge that at least he read and paid attention to the message. I pray that before he dies, he will understand the gravity of his action, repent, and be saved.

The best history is your own history. Everyone has a history and discovering and documenting that history has a number of benefits:

An Appreciation for the past
So many of the wonders of modern-day life are taken for granted. Consider the every-day things that our ancestors didn’t have: dentists to prevent toothaches; anesthesia for medical and dental procedures; cross-continent travel in a matter of hours; instant communications; the ability to search a world of information on any topic from the comfort of your own home; and the list goes on.

A Personal Link with Historic Events
I am rather awe-struck by the fact that my great grandfather, William Pelham McGehee - the grandfather of my father (who is still quite sharp at 95 years old) - fought in the War for Southern Independence. That is just three generations ago! When I visited the preserved battlefields of that war, I stood on the very ground that he fought on and realized that the opposing sides were just yards from each other at Petersburg where he was captured. History is not an abstract concept for me because I have a personal link with it.

A Sense of Time and Connection with the Future
As I gather information on those who came before me, I do so realizing that it is being gathered for those who will come after me. Like an older adult planting a tree, it is done so knowing that its full benefit will be enjoyed by our descendants.

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Getting Started and a Software Review
My interest in genealogy comes and goes in spurts. After setting it aside for about the past 20 years, I have once again picked it up. The early records that I had worked on are now available only on faded dot-matrix-printed paper. The data files are so old that they are no longer usable. The good side to all this is realizing the progress that genealogy software has made over these years. I am using Legacy software, and it is an absolute dream to use. The old software that I used years ago forced you to work within a very narrow set of parameters. Legacy lets me record all sorts of information and either display it or hide it as needed.

Hide it? why would someone want to hide what they are entering? Identity theft - that’s why. Legacy lets me set an option on the reports that hides information about anyone who is currently living. I set that option to just show the word “Living” in place of their name. That is used for reports that will be posted on the internet for others to use. Legacy will also create a CD that I can distribute to other family members. That will be set so that all the information is displayed - unless I want to mark an individual as private. For example, if someone in the family had a failed marriage, they may prefer that it not be made a part of the family record. I can record it and set it to private so that future researchers will have that information, but not until those involved have died. Legacy’s privacy features make it so much easier to get distant family members to share their information when they know that it will be used in a way that respects their reasonable expectation of privacy.

What about photos? I am now able to include scanned images of all those old family photos that were once very difficult and expensive to share. There can be only one original, and for those who have been entrusted with them, there comes the responsibility to share them. Legacy lets me do that. I can add the photos and video and attach the files directly to the appropriate records. We have some audio recordings of those family members who moved from Alabama to Florida in a covered wagon. I will be able to add that audio to the CD to share with the rest of the family.

I did a rather thorough search for the genealogy software that best suited me needs, and Legacy was, without a doubt, the winner. There are other, more comprehensive programs available; there are other, simpler programs available. Legacy strikes the right balance for the serious amateur family researcher. I guess if you are planning to make a career out of doing genealogy research for paying customers, then perhaps the more comprehensive programs are worth the steep learning curve and the complexity. I can’t see the need for it, but perhaps there are better choices for those folks.

I might also add here that I write software for a living and have had my own software business (Adjutant Software, Inc.) since 1995. I can say with some degree of authority that Legacy is a well written program.

When I first started the Confederate Colonel forum, it was my intention to stay far away from all discussion of race. I believed that we, as Southerners, had been too closely tied with racial issues already; I did not want to add to that. It wasn’t until I watched the evolution of the forum that I realized that I was being quite naive in hoping to avoid all discussion of race. In no particular order, here are some key points on the topic:

1. If we had our way, The South would be a land where blacks and whites peacefully coexist as friends - either mixing together or staying apart as individuals see fit to do rather than by government enforcement. Blacks have certainly earned their place in Southern heritage, and they would be welcomed as fellow Southerners - not as “black Southerners”, but as Southerners. There is no doubt that our preference would be to simply not discuss racial issues here - because there were none; however, we are not given that option.

2. As much as we would like to see Southern blacks embrace Southern heritage and culture, it is simply not going to happen to any significant degree. That blacks fought in the Confederate Army is beyond question; that this fact is seen as an embarrassment by modern-day blacks is also beyond question. They are ashamed of the dedication, honor, and heroism of their ancestors who fought for their land.

3. The hostility that Southern Culture receives is, for the most part, either directed by blacks or by white liberals who are motivated by a false sense of guilt. There may be some hostility that is exclusively a matter of white Yankees without any racial overtones, but it is a very small portion of the hostility. The vast majority of hostility toward Southern Heritage and Culture can be either directly or indirectly attributed to racial issues.

4. We cannot turn our back and ignore attacks. “Turning the other cheek” is a well established Biblical principle given to us by God, but that is not what we are dealing with here. We will not respond by attacking that which blacks hold dear - but we will defend the honor of our ancestors and the rich cultural heritage which has been passed down to us.

5. I have read convincing, but circumstantial evidence indicating that the motivation for the NAACP’s attacks on the Confederate flag is primarily a fund-raising strategy. About 20 years ago, the NAACP was scandal-ridden, nearly bankrupt, and in desperate need of a “hot button” issue to motivate their contributors. Attacking the Confederate flag was a lot more palatable than something like a program to reduce the high illegitimacy rate of black children, encouraging responsible fatherhood, or encouraging black students to focus on getting a good education. They have apparently forgotten the meaning of their name: “National Association for the Advancement of Colored People”. The logic escapes me.

6. I understand the feelings of blacks regarding the history of slavery - as they see it. I understand that they see the Confederate flag as a symbol of slavery. The South is a nice convenient target as long as one ignores the facts of how those slaves were captured, who captured them, who bought and sold them, who transported them to America, the South’s efforts to peacefully end the practice of slavery, etc. What frustrates me is why some people pretend to be so easily offended and have so little regard for the beliefs and heritage of anyone but themselves.

It saddens me to see that racial strife appears to be a permanent part of Southern culture and heritage. At the same time, it is a relief to know that this is imposed on us by external forces rather than by our own choice. At Confederate Colonel, we welcome any Southern Gentleman or Lady, regardless of skin color. We have no use for “token” blacks to be paraded around to say to the world, “see, we aren’t racist - we have blacks among us.” No, we would welcome those of any race as fellow Southern Gentlemen and Southern Ladies - and hold them to the same high standards as any Southern Gentleman or Lady.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded of the proper position of a Southern Gentleman, so I am using this post as a reminder - to me most of all. It is far too easy to let the constant attacks that we receive become a festering sore and then lash out in anger. We strive to be Gentlemen here, and that means showing restraint in the face of adversity. All too often we fail; but then we get back up, admit our mistakes, and get on with life while striving to live up to the high standards we have set. Let’s remember that our focus here is on the Southern Gentleman and the Southern Lady - not on those who are hostile to those noble ideals.

Social and political forces are now lining up in a “perfect storm” against all we stand for. Let no one point to the Confederate Colonel forum and website and have reason to say we are not Gentlemen.

If we set aside the spiritual aspects and just look at the practical, the use of tools is what separates man from the animals. These are three of the most important tools that every man should own and carry.

Knife - Before the nanny-state took over, practically every boy in America - or at least every boy in The South - carried a pocket knife in his pants pocket on a daily basis. It was as normal and natural as wearing the pants that carried the knife. The usefulness of a good quality knife gives it the top spot on our list.

For most people, a medium size pocket knife is the best choice. Fixed blade knives are sturdier and better suited for many tasks, but a pocket knife is far more likely to be carried and available when needed. My own choice is the Buck Stockman.

Flashlight - The ability to see in the dark is a wonderful thing. From finding the right key and using it to open a car door, to reading the fine print in poor light, to identifying that noise you heard just before slipping off into a good night’s sleep, a good quality LED flashlight makes the number two spot on our list.

My choice for the flashlight that I carry at all times is a Fenix brand LED light powered by a single AA battery. My favorite all-purpose light is the Surefire A2. I am somewhat of a flashlight nut, so I will be quick to point out that the A2 is overkill for many folks. The Fenix or similar model would be an excellent choice.

Sidearm - The world includes a large number of truly evil people, and that number seems to be increasing at a steady rate. As society continues on its race to the bottom, the need to protect ourselves and our families and other innocents becomes ever greater. When it comes to effective personal defense, there is simply nothing that even comes close to a good quality pistol or revolver. Tasers and pepper spray have their place, but when your life or the lives of those you hold dear are being threatened, no other tool can match a sidearm in the hands of someone trained and practiced in its use.

My own choice for a personal weapon is the Smith & Wesson Model 640 - a 5-shot stainless steel revolver in .357 magnum. The caliber packs plenty of punch, yet the all-steel construction  means that recoil is still quite manageable. The rounded edges of a small revolver make it easy to conceal beneath clothing. Its internal hammer means that there is nothing to snag on clothing and makes it the ultimate in simplicity. There is nothing to think about other than safe handling, and identifying and hitting the target. It is the original point and click technology.

Something that each of these tools have in common is simplicity and reliability. Each must do its assigned task flawlessly. Make sure that you put quality first when purchasing important tools. This cannot be emphasized strongly enough. A poorly made knife will not hold an edge and can fail under stress resulting in a very nasty cut. A flashlight will not seem like such a bargin if it leaves you in the dark (it should go without saying that keeping good fresh batteries is a part of owning a flashlight). Hearing “click” instead of “bang” when you squeeze the trigger of a garage-sale bargin gun is going to leave you regretting that decision in the last few seconds of your life. Quality always pays when it comes to basic tools. There are places in life to scrimp - these are not among them.

How would you like to win one of the five new products from Vision Forum? We’re giving away one of the following (winner’s choice) to a Confederate Colonel forum member chosen at random. Please see the details at the end of this post.

*True Beauty: 8 inspiring CDs recorded at the 2008 Father and Daughter Retreat

*The 2008 Witherspoon School of Law and Public Policy: an up-to-date look at the most important constitutional battles we face, an overview of the biblical and historical foundations of Western law, and a training tool for Christians who aspire to speak with precision to the great ethical and apologetic battles of our day. This album includes 24 CDs.

*Let Freedom Ring: 13 CDs from the Philadelphia Faith and Freedom Tour

*Lights, Cameras, Action! Highlights from the 2009 Christian Filmmakers Academy

*History Has Been Made: Moments and Messages from the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival: Featured Speakers & Performing Artists Include: Kirk Cameron, Dean Jones, Stephen Kendrick, the Von Trapp Children, Charlie Zahm, Voddie Baucham, R.C. Sproul, Jr., Doug Phillips, George Sarris, Kevin Swanson, Chuck Bentley, Jon Erwin, and Ted Pittenger.

How to enter

1. If you are not already, become a registered member of the Confederate Colonel forum.
2. Post to the Vision Forum Giveaway thread no later than Friday, February 27, 2009. Please do not post more than once in that thread. (Not this blog - you need to post on the forum thread!)
3. We will select one post from the thread by using the Random.org random number generator to select a post number. We will post the winner and contact him or her by the email address used during the forum registration.

This picture really says it all. Just as the Clintons were well known for trashing the White House by doing things such as tossing half-empty coffee cups and splashing the contents on the walls, we see how the Obamazombies treat the site of the inauguration of their celebrity leader.

The White House and the area of Washington D.C. surrounding it are often referred to as “the people’s house”. This looks like a scene from the aftermath of Woodstock. Then again, it’s only fitting since so many of Obama’s supporters are the dried-up, worn-out  hippies of the Woodstock generation.

Even a dog knows to not mess in its own space. Apparently that bit of wisdom is lost on the “me first” culture that pervades American society today. The need for the Southern Gentleman and Southern Lady has never been greater - and never more lacking.

An article in The Telegraph asks “Could We Be A Little Bit More Polite, Please?”. Just as California seems to lead the rest of America in trends, the UK often leads America in trends. The trend toward increased rudeness is one trend we must do all we can to stop from coming to our shores. Here are a few quotes from this excellent article:

More and more last year, it seemed that many of us thought it our right to offend or inconvenience others. We considered consideration beneath us. Today, as we decide on our New Year’s resolutions for 2009, being more polite would make an excellent choice.

Go to YouTube and search for a video featuring your favourite singer. Below it, read the comments posted by other visitors to the site. Among them there’s almost certain to be an eruption of insults based on the singer’s character, intelligence, gender, sexuality, nationality or religion. Other visitors, more often than not, will have leapt to the singer’s defence – usually by posting messages insulting the original visitor’s character, intelligence, gender, sexuality, nationality or religion. On the internet, people now feel at liberty to taunt others in a way they’d never dare do in person – or so you’d hope, anyway.

And while many of the latest electronic means of communication were created to bring us closer together, they are also cutting us off from each other. If you’re reading your emails on an iPhone while walking down the street – an increasingly widespread habit last year – you may be keeping up with friends and colleagues, but you’re oblivious to pedestrians around you.

However, these new means of communication have succeeded in achieving one thing: they have given us the impression that we are entitled to get whatever we want, as quickly as we want it. Listen to music, check your emails, make some telephone calls – whenever and wherever you like. Being spoilt in this way means that, when we find ourselves experiencing the least inconvenience, we feel affronted, as if our rights were being trampled on.

A long queue at the cash machine, being kept on hold when telephoning the bank, waiting more than 10 seconds to cross a busy road – it’s almost a reflex, these days, to take such trifles personally. A phenomenon of the Nineties was road rage. Today, I’m sure that more and more of us feel pavement rage. There are too many people and they’re in our way.

More than a million members of Facebook have joined a group on the website, called “I Secretly Want to Punch Slow Walking People in the Back of the Head”. Getting angry, in this irrational and impotent manner, only makes us ruder. Either we barge other pedestrians out of our path or we snap, “Excuse me” in a tone more appropriate to a curse.

Perhaps the biggest problem is that rudeness is, in some quarters, no longer something to be ashamed of; it’s applauded. This is an attitude fed by reality television. We see it in every series of The Apprentice and Big Brother. Again and again, contestants who have said something tactless or insulting will protest that they’re merely being “honest”, while contestants who politely try to conceal their dislike of others are dismissed as “two-faced”.

As civilization continues to unravel at the seams and our economy and society race to the bottom of a pit, those of baser instincts will become increasingly rude and hostile. At the same time, Southern Gentlemen and Ladies will continue to take the high road. The code of the Southern Gentleman could easily be summarized in the single word, “polite”. There is absolutely no reason why we cannot revive that in today’s society. Let’s make that part of our New Year’s Resolution.