The statue and flag thing has really gotten a lot of attention in the last while. I try to be objective when I look at issues, and sometimes that has both sides giving strange looks at me. Like any kid, I grew up knowing in general about the Civil War, I knew there were statues, and I knew that some southerners still liked to fly the rebel flag, as did some southern rock and country groups, and it was in one of the shows I enjoyed as a kid, The Dukes of Hazard. I never thought of it as negative or racist; it just wasn't talked about in that sense in those days. It didn't really affect me in a negative way and really still doesn't.
After giving it more thought as an adult, however, it does seem a little weird. Statues aren't erected just for the general sake of not forgetting history, but it's to honor certain individuals; the person is important enough that he needs a statue to celebrate the deeds and the cause that he represented; after all, not everyone gets a statue. The South lost, so what is it really celebrating? Do some feel that even though the South lost, they still represented the more noble cause of the Civil War, therefore, it should be glorified? I'm sure if the South would have won, slavery would have continued a while longer; I don't really see the glory in that. Jefferson Davis was actually born in KY, but I've never felt any strong connection to him or felt like he was somebody I need to celebrate.
In modern times, the idea of slavery is repulsive, so it's easier today to pretend the Civil War wasn't about slavery as much as it was philosophical differences or state rights. I really don't know what the parades, statues, and holidays are glorifying. I live in KY, and I have always identified more with Southern customs than Northern, but I would truly feel like a weirdo if I had a rebel flag on anything I own or if I glorified confederate leaders.
