Celebrating Heros and Virginia
by Ross Catrow
Today is a holiday unique to Virginia: Lee-Jackson Day. Lee-Jackson Day often confuses non-Virginians and Northerners — my father included. “How can you celebrate, even honor, those men” he would say. “They chose the wrong side.” With Lee and Jackson so firmly planted on Virginia’s side of the Mason-Dixon line, doesn’t that plant them on the same side as racism and bigotry? No, I don’t think so.
Lee-Jackson day is about two things. The first is celebrating two great Virginians who were amazing military strategist, models of duty and honor, and strong Christian leaders. Secondly Lee-Jackson day celebrates pride in being Southern. What does that mean exactly? A lot of people have claimed to be proud Southerners and they turned out to be fascist idiots. I’m not talking about those people. Today, while reading RVABlogs James Atticus Bowden over at Bacon’s Rebellion had this to say about Southernness:
Southern culture isn’t about being a sovereign nation. Southern culture isn’t about race any more for the White majority. Southern culture is about Christian identity with Bible reading and believing, as well as absolute, unchanging, truths in the Ten Commandments, Declaration of Independence, and Constitution, extended families, love of land, sense of place, men are men and women are women, honor, personal freedom, more fun-loving than money/work-driven, admiration for the military and willingness to fight.
I think this is an excellent, and perhaps one of the best I’ve read, descriptions of Southern culture. There are some powerful things to be proud of in that statement. How can you not get excited about a culture that values things like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, family, land, and personal freedom? Whether or not the statements on Christianity apply to you (they do for me) there is a ton of great stuff in there!
If you read this blog ever you know how I love a strong and independent state government. It isn’t just that. I love Virginia. I love that I can feel proud to be a Virginian. I love that I feel related, somehow, to my fellow Virginians. It is a strange and intangible feeling (I guess most feelings are?), but whenever I think about it, it gets me excited.
So that is what Lee-Jackson day means to me and makes me sad when people see it as a symbol of hate and racism. Because it’s not.
i like the fun-loving is greater than work/money. that is for sure. and the declaration of independence is also rad.
most of the rest doesn’t apply to me.
but the south is awesome. i mean its histroy is awesome. there are incredible places in the south. and sweet tea.
Dude personal freedom? That applies to everyone. Unless you want the government telling you what movies to watch…
true i forgot that one. but i meant to not forget it.
my favorite is also fun-loving over money/working. That is why we moved back to the south after being gone just 15 months.
I just keep re-reading that and it is awesome. I mean a willingness to fight for what you believe in is awesome. Seriously, Sic Semeper Tyrannis.
extended families, yee-hah!
right or wrong, the civil war is about racism/slavery to most people. to many people, celebrating civil war heroes of the south = celebrating racism. to celebrate them even as “amazing military strategist” is to like celebrating Hitler as such. this may be an incomplete/incorrect/ignorant point of view, but it is still a very common one. i’m not arguing against the views already expressed, only laying out another held by some. and i’m not suggesting we tiptoe around this view with political correctness, only that we consider it and go forth with an understanding of it’s possible prominence. keep in mind that a holiday listed on a calander does not carry with it an explanation of the heritage of southern culture.
Lee lead the South in its early reconciliation with african americans. The well-known story of the black man that came and prayed at the altar of a white church, after the Civil War, and the congregation, not knowing what to do was quiet. All eyes fixed on Lee as he calmly went up to the altar and laid one hand on the man’s shoulder and prayed with him.
Jackson lead a Sunday School for African Americans in Lexington before the war.
Both men had incredible faith. I think the celebration of their names and legacy is not one of say, military strategy, but as your statement later recounts of the greater dignities of man. Without heroes, we become present-day Russia.
It is important to recognize the inner character of these men–to allow a culture to move on and have stars on which to aim for. These men were educated, devoted, intelligent, well-groomed, polite, faithful leaders that kept the South together, and perhaps came out on the wrong side, but carried it out with such respectability that reconciliation was possible, because humanity remained in the troops with such exemplary commanders.
It was right for ML King to have his own day, but it is important not to toss into the ash heap of history the names Lee or Jackson. South needs them as much as King, just as every society needs its legends, its heroes.
They didn’t perhaps come out on the wrong side, they went in on the wrong side. Not to take away from Lee-Jackson, I’m sure they were gentlemen, but they did side with a confederacy of states that were circling the wagons around bigoted policy. Even with the 3/5 clause, after the 1860 election the South knew its grip was loosening and decided it was more important to salvage their sovereignty (meaning, ultimately, the preservation of slavery) than to resign control to the majority. It was a good dare, but it is clear the motives were more racist than not.
Wolf has a point. So why have Lee-Jackson Day? Why not Heritage Day? Southern Culture Day? If that’s what we’re celebrating it doesn’t have to be done in memory of confederate generals. The holiday name is a hoo-yah to whites who want to feel rebellious, if no longer racist.
So love of land, fun over money, and extended families, yee-hah!
The US has a long history of honoring those who feel rebellious.
Thank God for rebellion.
Jefferson, Washington were rebels (slaveowners too, tragically, to their legacy).
In the end, I believe, the South had to lose, as you are right to mention, slavery was a key issue–though there is debate if it was THE issue. Certainly, Lincoln skillfully manuevered it to become THE issue.
we’re still talking racist slave-owners here. my point is that some people (black and otherwise) view this to be far more pertinent than their military tactics or how nice they were to pray for a slave once. being perhaps the least sensitive hadukener ever, i am suggesting senstitivty to these views. that is all.
true, and it is good to say that out loud, lest some take our support the wrong way.
i love lee. he and TJ are my two heroes. read “lee: the last years” by charles flood and youll know why.
i don’t really consider myself a southerner i dont think. i consider myself a virginian.