Great! He's seriously making me ashamed to live here with each move, this is embarrassing to me.
(CNN) - For the first time in eight years, Virginia's Republican governor has issued a proclamation declaring April as Confederate History Month in the state, drawing criticism from Democrats and a civil rights group.
"It is important for all Virginians to reflect upon our Commonwealth's shared history, to understand the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens during the period of the Civil War, and to recognize how our history has led to our present," Gov. Robert McDonnell's seven-paragraph proclamation reads in part.
He quietly made the declaration after two previous Democratic administrations refused to do so.
"This defining chapter in Virginia's history should not be forgotten, but instead should be studied, understood and remembered by all Virginians," the governor's proclamation reads.
It does not mention slavery.
"I wish he would have followed the examples of Gov. [Mark] Warner and Gov. [Tim] Kaine, but obviously he has declined to do so," state Sen. Don McEachin, a Democrat, told CNN affiliate WWBT. "I also find it interesting that while he issues his proclamation, there's no mention of slavery."
The Virginia chapter of the NAACP also condemned the proclamation, The Washington Post reported. The group did not immediately return phone calls to CNN.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans asked the governor to declare the month Confederate History Month. Virginia seceded from the union on April 17, 1861.
Brandon Dorsey, a spokesman for the group, told CNN Radio that Confederate History Month isn't about slavery or race, but about studying the 4-year history of the Confederacy. He said it will also help draw visitors to the many Civil War battle sites in Virginia, helping to boost tourism.
"The proclamation's main goal is to call attention to the fact that there is Confederate history in the state of Virginia, of course, across the South. It's simply a tool to expose individuals to that history. It's not a mandate in any way. It's a symbolic gesture."
He said the group doesn't consider the history of the Confederacy or Virginia's Confederate History Month racially divisive. "It's not meant to discriminate against anybody," he said.
He said that the Confederacy wasn't about continuing the institution of slavery, but that it was really about the states' rights vs. the rights of the federal government. He said there were abolitionists in the group.
Other Southern states have issued similar proclamations for April. In Alabama, Republican Gov. Bob Riley declared April, the month the Civil War began, as Confederate History and Heritage Month. The statement condemns slavery.
CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Virginia governor declares April as Confederate History Month - Blogs from CNN.com
Why is it embarrassing? The Civil War played a huge part in shaping our history, denying it happened would be like denying all the fallen veterans from this area that fought in the war. It doesn't mean that we are racist, it means that we are embracing our history.
I'm not denying it happened, its just something I'm ashamed my state was part of. We were on the losing end of a fight for slavery, that's nothing I'm proud of or think should be celebrated. Virginia has and continues to live in the past when it comes to things like this, we're about 50 years behind when it comes to major social issues, history of intolerance in a lot of ways...that's something I'm ashamed of, I love this state with a passion, but that part I hate. McDonnell keeps solidifying my belief of being to the right of a Rush Limbaugh, from his budget cuts, to his essay about women working outside the home being damaging to the family, to this...its scary, but sadly represents a good deal of this area.
To think that the Civil War was only about slavery is terribly narrow minded.
"Call me crazy, but I want to buy the Dallas Cowboys end zone and have the star right at the foot of my bed. That way when I score, I can spike the ball right on the star!" -Woody Paige, Around the Horn 10.9.08
Anyone who thinks that the Civil War was over white southerners wanting to have black slaves please go back and read history again. The only slavery was the north wanting to enslave the south.
Kind of reminds me of how this end of the state breaks their back to just send money upstate and reaps none of the benefits.
crack is whack
I don't necessarily agree with all of McDonnell's policies either. What keeps you in Virginia? Racism is not just in Virginia, it is everywhere.
Ah yes, the war of Northern Agression! Lmao. Were there smaller underlying reasons? Sure. The war boiled down to slavery without a doubt, we were on the wrong end and the losing end, I'm happy we lost too. The south had nothing and it wasn't the North's fault, they invested in factories and technology, we had our money in slaves and land. We want to blame the North now just like Monkeyhead just did, but how much do we really contribute? There isn't even enough jobs here to think we contribute all that much to the state, we have a much smaller population to that doesn't need as much money either.
One of these days your going to here that POP sound, the one where your head finally pops out your backside lol.
crack is whack
What do you agree with really? He's proposed cuts to programs for lower income people(a lot of seniors also) and 1/3 of it was to education, his policies really scare me. And like I said, I love Virginia, born and raised here and literally all of my family is from here to Northern VA...there's just some aspects of it that I am embarrassed of, we've been very intolerant of a lot of groups of people, we're behind in the times in a lot of areas and an extremely conservative in this area. We have a certain reputation with outsiders, this furthers it.Originally Posted by cosmo99
So because we have different views than others outside our little hillbilly nation, that makes us wrong?
What ever happened to free speach and freedom of expression? Or does that only apply to liberals, gays, and such?
crack is whack
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks