Political Expediency

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Stephen Clay McGehee

Watching Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry repudiate the Confederate flag is one of the least-surprising events of this election season. Changing positions, turning away from those who were once supporters, and an embarrassing amount of dishonor are all part of the American political scene. As one who has earned his living for the past 16 years with candidates and PACS as my customers (including being a candidate myself), I have had a grandstand seat at this game called politics. It has not been a pleasant sight.

Is the repudiation of the Confederate flag reason enough to reject a candidate for something as important and all-encompassing as the presidency? On its face – no, it is not; while it is important to many of us, given the problems that this nation is facing, the Confederate flag is pretty low on the priority list even for those of us who actively support The South. It is, however, grounds for crossing a candidate off the list if things like honor and dependability and reliability have any meaning. If he is willing to throw the heritage of Southerners under the bus in order to try to win additional support from the Left (and that is extremely doubtful), then what else is he willing to do? Will he stand up for what is right when faced with vocal opposition? If his flip-flop on the Confederate flag is any indication, he will not. That kind of political pandering to Cultural Marxism is clearly a deal-breaker for me as it should be for anyone who considers the character of a man to be more important than the details of his position on a particular issue. Even those who despise the Confederate flag would do well to consider the full ramifications of what Rick Perry has done. Their cause might be next.

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Exile or Ambassador?

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Stephen Clay McGehee

How does a Southern gentleman deal with an unavoidable move to a place far from Dixie? I have heard from several Southern gentlemen who have found themselves, for one reason or another, living deep among the Northern people. Being Southern gentlemen, simply assimilating into the Northern culture is not an option. They have to choose between two alternatives – being an exile or an ambassador. My hope is that every Southern Gentleman who finds himself in that situation will choose the role of ambassador.

Webster’s Dictionary defines an ambassador as:

a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or soverign as the resident representative of his own government or sovereign…
an unofficial representative.

That, sirs, is the role that should be assumed. Being a Southern ambassador does not mean criticizing Northern culture, nor does it mean boasting of the superiority of Southern culture. It means being a Southern gentleman

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Today’s Price of a Slave

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Stephen Clay McGehee

This CNN video clip discusses the price of purchasing a slave today. Yes, today. Despite the widely held belief that slavery started and ended with the Southern states, it has always existed, and still exists today – only at rock-bottom prices. As the report points out, a slave purchased in the 19th century would have cost about $40,000 in today’s dollars. That is a major investment. No one neglects and mistreats a valuable investment if they expect to make a profit. On the other hand, the price of a slave today is only $90, making them about as disposable as a Styrofoam cup.

Where is the NAACP? Why are they not demanding an end to slavery now? The answer: they are too busy being “offended” by the sight of the Confederate flag. Apparently, being “offended” is quite appealing when it comes to fund-raising and political pandering. Real slavery just isn’t very interesting to those who are busy claiming to be oppressed because some people of their race were slaves in America over 150 years ago.

Slavery Timeline created by Connie Chastain of the blog 180 Degrees Due South. Reprinted with permission.

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Teaching Our Sons and Daughters

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Stephen Clay McGehee

This is from Western Voices World News, but the text can be found scattered throughout the web. The way we raise our sons and daughters, and the way we influence our grandsons and granddaughters is the key to making a better world. It always has been. The Southern gentleman has many duties and obligations, but none are more important than shaping and molding the next generation into Southern gentlemen and Southern ladies who understand where they came from and why it is so important that they pass those same values along to their next generation.

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Why Anti-Southerners Won’t Listen

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Stephen Clay McGehee

Those who believe The South was filled with whip-wielding slave-masters have no interest in reading that which shows them to be wrong. Let me quickly point out that, by the same token, I would not really be interested in reading a series of articles trying to show what a great man Lincoln was (I was already forced to read that sort of thing when I went through the public school system). I am more convinced than ever that, for the most part, people are not going to change their views on North-South issues. I don’t say this to throw rocks at the anti-South people either – we Southerners do the same thing.

I believe that we greatly oversimplify what went on during the war and the years leading up to it for a very good reason – fully understanding all the factors involved is simply beyond human comprehension. There is so much involved that there is just no way that we can fully understand it, so we read and learn through the prism of our own background and experience. Those who consider themselves historians and academics do exactly the same thing, only they pretend to be so intellectually superior that they really do understand it all.

Those who see The South as the evil villain that was vanquished by the great and noble union forces can come up with plenty of evidence to support their belief – and can do so with a pretty fair degree of honesty. Those of us who take the opposite view – that The South was right and represented all that is good and noble – can do exactly the same thing with the same degree of honesty. There are ample facts and anecdotes to support either position. What does not exist is the human capacity to look at the entire situation, digest it all, and come to a full understanding that can be communicated to others. We simply can’t do it, and only the most arrogant of self-proclaimed academics would claim otherwise.

Paradoxically, that is why there can be no middle ground on this. We can read about the exact same period of history and come away with facts that support one side or the other. It ultimately comes down to our core beliefs and experiences. We Southerners have a very strong connection with the land – a sense of place that is largely missing in Northern culture. We generally have stronger family ties and those family ties extend back to those who fought for their country – the Confederate States of America. Southerners are generally more socially conservative than those in the North, and that causes us to see the struggle of the Confederate States as one of withdrawing from a tyrannical government that had drifted far from the America of 1776. The Northern view, with its social liberalism, sees the government as the enforcer of their social ideals rather than letting individuals and social structures sort it out.

So, what does this mean to those of us who take the Southern view? It means that we need to just get used to the idea that, no matter how many facts we know and present, those who take the Northern view are not going to be convinced – just as they aren’t going to convince us. We are both operating from facts – there are just so many facts covering so many different things that there is no clear-cut “Side A = good guys and Side B = bad guys.” If it was that clear-cut, then there is a good chance that the War for Southern Independence never would have happened.

Does this mean that we should simply end our efforts at educating people about that period of history and the role that our Southern ancestors had in it? No. There are new generations, both Northern and Southern, who have not yet been thoroughly indoctrinated in political correctness. We must continue to make a strong effort to present the Southern view of history. Give them the freedom to make up their own minds by having both views of history to select from. Remember – history is complex; both sides have facts to back up their position. The Northern side has the advantage of the full power of the government and the public schools to present their side as the only side.

We should also get used to the idea that the Southern view does not fit into the modern political mold and we will continue to be modern-day pariahs.

Posted in Culture and Heritage | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

Education in an Uncertain Future

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Stephen Clay McGehee

I recently learned that we are expecting our second grandchild. Our first is but a few months old at this point. As the euphoria of that news begins to drift into thoughts of the future that these children may be facing, the topic of education comes up. What kind of “education” does the current generation get in the public indoctrination centers schools? What happens if this whole “house of cards” simply collapses under its own weight, whether through economic collapse, political collapse, war, or perhaps some black swan event that is completely unpredictable? With virtually all information having been moved from paper to digital format, what happens if those computers are suddenly rendered useless junk? Will the knowledge gained over the past 6,000 years simply be lost to a people incapable of functioning without computers? This whole line of thought is something that I think about on occasion – along with considering ways to preserve that knowledge.

When I was in high school, math was still taught using a slide rule. As I started college, the portable calculator was just starting to make its presence known. Only the wealthiest families could equip their students with the most basic of calculators (the rich kids always sat near the power outlets so they could plug their calculators in). The school had a “calculator room” where there were about a dozen keypads wired to a large unit (made by the Wang Corporation). Students had to wait their turn to use these calculators – or use the “old fashioned” slide rule (a.k.a. “slip stick”). The speed of change was incredible. By the time I graduated, battery-powered calculators were cheap enough to be owned by just about every student, and slide rules were quickly forgotten. In the span of just a couple of years, the knowledge of how to use a slide rule had disappeared from the public education system. Crude though it may seem, this is the technology that designed the Apollo program and landed men on the moon. It is what produced all the calculations used in the design of the Boeing 747. It is what was used to design every skyscraper and every piece of machinery up until the early 1970′s.

Without computers, the only way to design something to scale is to use paper and pencil and drafting instruments. In high school and college, drafting was strictly a paper design effort. Even several years out of college, my job of designing material handling equipment for a textile mill in North Carolina was done using conventional paper drafting. Later employment called for facilities design using AutoCAD software.

The skills that built our technological society are rapidly disappearing. I am among the last of the generation that used the pre-computer technology that has become little more than a curiosity in a museum. What would happen if something like the Carrington Event that happened on September 1, 1859 were to destroy the electronics that keep our world running? It has happened before, and at some point, it WILL happen again.

What can be done?

I have been collecting a few slide rules over the past few years, as well as instruction books to teach others how to use them. I recently purchased a fairly complete set of home schooling books, teacher’s guides, and workbooks from Keepers of The Faith. Included in the package is the complete set of McGuffey Readers, spelling, phonics, writing and grammar, a set of math books, and various other school books.

On a recent trip to the ECHO library, I made a list of various books that I thought one would need to rebuild at least some level of technology. When I got home, I searched through used book stores and added those books to my library. In some cases, they were only available in PDF format on-line, so they were printed out and bound.

Most of the books I have were purchased used or were being discarded and just waiting to be picked up. That small investment in time and resources is our insurance policy. It is there to make sure that, no matter what may happen to our complex and fragile system, our grandchildren will receive a good education. The next time you hear of someone discarding an old set of encyclopedias because they “need the room and it’s easier to look it up on Google”, take advantage of the opportunity to provide for the education of a future generation. When the Roman Empire collapsed, it led to the Dark Ages. Imagine what would happen should the current global empire collapse.

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Lost Causes

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Stephen Clay McGehee

Why is the Lord of The Rings trilogy so attractive to so many of us? The reasons are many, but a big one is the theme that it shares with the War for Southern Independence – the idea of fighting for a Lost Cause. Anyone can join in on a sure thing. It takes no special courage or moral character to tag along with the stronger and more powerful – we see it every election cycle as candidates put forth enormous effort to prove that they are the front-runner in the race. People want to believe that they are backing a winner; it makes them feel like they are winners themselves. At the other end of the spectrum, we see those who rally behind “minor party” candidates and give their all for what appears to be a lost cause. For the past several elections, I have given my support for candidates of the Constitution Party – not because I believe that they will win, but because standing up for what you believe is the right thing to do.

It is the mark of a gentleman to stand for what is right, even if he stands alone. Those who pursue a goal because it is the right thing to do – regardless of the chances for “success” – are the men of true noble character.

“He affirmed that the revolution was predestined to succeed. I told him that for a gentleman only lost causes should be attractive…”
from The Shape of the Sword by Jorge Luis Borges

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Slavery and Secession – Another View

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Stephen Clay McGehee

The Faith and Heritage blog has a fascinating review of The Road to Disunion, Volume II: Secessionists Triumphant, by William W. Freehling. So much of what I thought I knew about the period leading up to the War for Southern Independence is a very simplified view. So often, we accuse the South-haters of oversimplification for their claim that slavery was the cause of the war. We usually counter with our own overly-simplified explanation of states rights, cultural differences, taxation, etc. This Faith and Heritage article has shown me an entirely new set of factors that led up to secession and the war. History is an incredibly complex thing to try to understand in depth. The only way that it can be presented in even a remotely understandable format is to over-simplify it – which is why two sides can make contrary claims and still be using factual information. It is up to us, as students of history and culture, to add layer upon layer of these simplified explanations until we get to a point of understanding beyond the norm of useless simplicity.

One matter that I was completely unaware of is that South Carolina was governed explicitly as an aristocracy, and there is ample discussion of that – enough that I look forward to learning more about it.

Another subject that caught my interest on a more personal level is the role – and rationale – of the abolitionist Cassius Clay, cousin of Henry Clay. These men are among my ancestors, and that is where my middle name came from (a middle name that I share with my father and my grandfather). Heavyweight boxer Cassius Clay (who later changed his name to Mohamed Ali) was named after Cassius Clay with the understanding that he was an abolitionist. He was, indeed an abolitionist, but I am confident that his father who named him was quite unaware of exactly why the original Cassius Clay embraced abolition. The article points out that Clay hoped to make Kentucky into a White ethnostate, and outlawing slavery was the means to exclude Blacks from that state. History has many little nuances like that when we take the time to look beyond the official “approved” story. Was this motivation more wide-spread? Was that part of the North’s enthusiasm for abolition? Interesting questions that beg for answers.

At 4574 words, this is not a short article. If you are not prepared to read it in its entirety, then either understand that you may be missing key points, or don’t start at all. Read it with an open mind and you will gain a much deeper insight into the circumstances that led up to secession and the war, what the political landscape looked like, and perhaps even a few “alternative futures” had things gone differently. This is “Part 1″ – I look forward to reading what follows.

Posted in history, slavery | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Paying Homage to What We Know is Wrong

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Stephen Clay McGehee

In a recent comment, James (“A New Jersey Copperhead”) said something that begs for further discussion. He said:

The Confederate Colonel Project is one of the few forums where one can still oppose the presently dominating egalitarianism, and defend our principles, without immediate condemnation.

That is one of the highest compliments we could receive. So often, I see “disclaimers” on blogs and websites proclaiming that “this is not a racist site”, or “no hate allowed”, or “no hate speech permitted”, or any of a number of variations on the theme. Why do so many people feel obligated to bow down at the altar of political correctness to preface everything with such remarks? Why does virtually every single Tea Party event bend over backwards to “prove” that race has absolutely nothing to do with their objectives? Why are Blacks put “front and center” in such organizations when their numbers are statistically insignificant? And the more important question – Why are Blacks able to talk about important issues that a White could not without being physically thrown off the podium?

You will note that none of these so-called “disclaimers” can be found here at the Confederate Colonel project – nor are they needed. You will also find that all discussions of egalitarianism and racial matters are done in a fair and impartial and honorable manner. There is one reason for that: we strictly adhere to the words of Robert E. Lee to his students at Washington College (later renamed to Washington and Lee) :

We have but one rule here, and it is that every student be a gentleman.

That was Lee’s Golden Rule – that every man be a gentleman. That means that we speak the truth, but always do so in a fair and considerate way that does not needlessly hurt another. Robert E. Lee’s classic Definition of a Gentleman goes into further detail:

“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 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 himself when he cannot help humbling others.”

We will, at all times, do our best to follow the example and the words of Mr. Lee in everything that appears on Confederate Colonel – both in the posts and in the reply comments. If everyone followed that advice, there would be no need for any “disclaimers” and places like this would no longer be an island in a sea of crude and thoughtless words.

I am using racial matters to illustrate the point, but it applies to any topic that we might cover here. In all we do – no matter what the topic may be – our adherence to both the example of Robert E. Lee, and the wisdom found in The Holy Bible will be our guide. Much of what we discuss here is rejected and hated by the vast majority of the world. That’s OK. Our purpose is not to be popular, but to be right. Throughout history, the one consistent theme in every society is that the majority never stands for what is right and just and good. It is our intent to not stand with that majority, but to always do what is right and just and good. We may fail at times, but that is our goal.

Let me also take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to all who comment here and do so in the manner of Robert E. Lee. It is a privilege and an honor to be associated with you.

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

A Judge With Common Sense

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Stephen Clay McGehee

Judge Joseph G. Will
Seventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida

Every once in a while, I take advantage of my role as chief scribe at Confederate Colonel to post something quite unrelated to our main topic. This is one of those posts.

After my previous post in which I pointed to “power-hungry judges wanting to write law rather than interpret law”, it is only fair to point to a judge who does indeed fulfill his intended role. He also does so with a great deal of common sense – and a sense of humor. The attached Mandate, issued by Judge Joseph G. Will here in my home of Volusia County, Florida, clearly spells out the law and stops a law enforcement officer from twisting the law to suit his own purposes – while still taking a poke at the defendant where appropriate.

Here are a few quotes from this ruling:

The court finds that any person who did not fall off the pumpkin truck last night would understand the charge as described on the face of the ticket.

… the officer would wait in the weeds to bring hapless drivers to justice for speeding or other reprehensible conduct.

One wonders in passing if the driver would have been ticketed if he had been signaling other drivers to be cautious because of the presence of a warm puppy or a kindly grandmother using a walker to cross the street.

Thank you, sir, for faithfully fulfilling your duty to interpret the law and administer justice – with common sense and without losing your sense of humor. If only more men like you sat in courtrooms across America.

To view a PDF of the original document, please click here.

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