The Slow Death of Ole Dixie

[DaShuckster]

My family and I lived in Virginia for ten years back in the 90s. We loved our time there but, as a native Midwesterner, I was a bit taken aback by the Confederate culture we found there. The Shenandoah Valley where we lived was full of all sorts of tributes to Confederate Generals--which I thought was a bit strange. People also loved to joke about the Civil War being the War of Northern Aggression but their jokes had an edge to them. I was surprised to discover visitors to Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello were told that the idea that any of Jefferson's offspring could be Black was nothing more than "scurrilous rumors." This was before the DNA breakthroughs we've seen in genealogy research but even back then it was well-known that Jefferson fathered children by Sally Hemings.

Mrs DaShuckster and I returned to the Shenandoah Valley this summer for a visit and it was nice to see a few things had begun to change. For instance, we took a tour of James Madison's home and were pleased to see they had a special tour of the slave quarters there and highlighted the contrast between Madison's words vs his actions as a life-long slave holder.

Today, the giant statue of Robert E Lee came down in Richmond. (link below) Change is often slow, but its encouraging to see things are FINALLY changing in this country south of the Mason-Dixon line.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/robert-e-lee-statue-removal/2021/09/08/1d9564ee-103d-11ec-9cb6-bf9351a25799_story.html

 

[Crazyhole]

Should have taken Abraham Lincolns advice i guess.

 

[NinjaKnight]

I just read "Robert E Lee and Me" by a retired army officer from Alexandria, VA ( REL's childhood home).

He writes about many of the things you speak of, how REL was idolized, the "war of northern aggression", whitewashing slavery and the treatment of enslaved people to make it seem like they were happy being enslaved.

Highly recommend for someone from the south in general, and VA in particular. Eye opening stuff.

 

[goodknightfl]

Need to get rid of Biden, he is a relic leftover from his grandfather's slave owning past.

 

[Gvilleknight]

My family and I lived in Virginia for ten years back in the 90s. We loved our time there but, as a native Midwesterner, I was a bit taken aback by the Confederate culture we found there. The Shenandoah Valley where we lived was full of all sorts of tributes to Confederate Generals--which I thought was a bit strange. People also loved to joke about the Civil War being the War of Northern Aggression but their jokes had an edge to them. I was surprised to discover visitors to Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello were told that the idea that any of Jefferson's offspring could be Black was nothing more than "scurrilous rumors." This was before the DNA breakthroughs we've seen in genealogy research but even back then it was well-known that Jefferson fathered children by Sally Hemings.

Mrs DaShuckster and I returned to the Shenandoah Valley this summer for a visit and it was nice to see a few things had begun to change. For instance, we took a tour of James Madison's home and were pleased to see they had a special tour of the slave quarters there and highlighted the contrast between Madison's words vs his actions as a life-long slave holder.

Today, the giant statue of Robert E Lee came down in Richmond. (link below) Change is often slow, but its encouraging to see things are FINALLY changing in this country south of the Mason-Dixon line.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/robert-e-lee-statue-removal/2021/09/08/1d9564ee-103d-11ec-9cb6-bf9351a25799_story.html

Richmond, for so long, seemed frozen in time. It was as though the Civil War was the only noteworthy thing that ever happened there. I too, was through the Shenandoah Valley about 5 weeks ago, and passed through Lexington, Staunton, Harrisonburg, Winchester. Still a few Stars-n-Bars flying, but noticed that Hwy 11, The Robert E. Lee Highway, is now just "E. Lee Highway." Hmmm...E.Lee.....Eddie Lee? Ernestine Lee? Even grudging changes reflect progress.