MY COMMENT
Liking the Confederate flag is not the same as racism, and it is not the same as supporting racism, and it is not caused by racism.
I don't even like to take the space on my FB to address such an obvious point of view, and I will not give space on my FB to argue for or against this statement. So please do not comment on this post.
Just don't let anyone mislead you to think that you have to be anti-Confederate flag in order to not be a racist. It is not true.
ANOTHER'S COMMENT
David E. Gould, relative from Mississippi and family historian.
I wanted to post this to address what`s going on in South Carolina and the fury which the Old Confederate Battle Flag is engaged in by many in that State as well as in the rest of the country.
Some of us who memorialize the flag do not view it as a racist instrument or an instrument of hatred. Some of us who had ancestors fight, bleed and die for this flag honor it for what it represented to our ancestors. Not everyone who fought against the U.S. Government during the War for Southern Independence were fighting for Slavery, some were fighting against what they perceived as a threat from an over-reaching Government that was imposing its will and beliefs on what was supposed to be a free society.
My 3rd Great Grandfather, James Alford Gould (1828 - 1905) was one of these men who joined the Confederate cause and fought for the Confederacy from 1862 - 1865, not to protect and advocate for slavery, as he did not believe in the practice and was not a Slave owner, but rather he fought to preserve and protect what he perceived was his right to live life according to his convictions and morals. So to me the First National Confederate Flag (Stars and Bars) and the Confederate Battle Flag (Rebel Flag) have more to do with declaring to an impulsive Government and those who would support such a thing to "Don`t Tread on Me", and to allow me to live life as I see fit based on my convictions and not yours.
The collage of photos which I posted include an image of my 3rd Great Grandfather, James Alford Gould (1828 - 1905) who served and fought with the 2nd Alabama Cavalry Regiment and was attached under Brigadier General Samuel Wragg Ferguson for the vast majority of the Civil War. The States which are mentioned in that memorial are where he fought during the Civil War from 1862 - 1865. The other two flags come from the American Revolution; the "Don`t Tread on Me" Flag and the "Join or Die" Flag, which was actually created by none other than Benjamin Franklin one of our Founding Fathers and signers of our Declaration of Independence from King George III (1738-1820) and Great Britain on July 4, 1776.
Both of the above mentioned Flags represented to those who fought the American Revolutionary War from 1775 - 1782, what the First National Confederate Flag and Confederate Battle Flag represented to my 3rd Great Grandfather during the War for Southern Independence from 1861 - 1865.
To me all three flags represent the same message, do not impose your will on me, rather allow me to believe how I choose to believe and allow me to live the life that I choose to live without a Government coming in and trying to tell me what I should believe and how I should live in accordance to their beliefs and values as opposed to my own. So to me and so many others in our Country this Confederate Battle Flag does not stand for racism, hatred and prejudice like many would have you believe, but to us it stands for disobedience and it is a loud statement to any corrupt Government which may impose itself on a freed people that we will not allow ourselves to be oppressed and that we would rather die on our feet fighting for what we believe in than to live on our knees subjugating ourselves to the Government`s Tyranny.
Mississippi has been fighting this battle for a long time with many progressives and Liberals trying to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from our State Flag stating the same argument that they are making today in South Carolina. I am seeing a Government today telling me what words that I can say and what I can not say, what God I am supposed to worship, how I am supposed to believe and what I am not allowed to believe, what I can and can not eat, what I can and can not drink, what clothing that I can and can not wear, where and when I can pray and where I can not pray, telling me my views on Social issues and so many other infringements on my daily freedoms. So as far as I am concerned we need something to tell the Government to back off and allow us our freedom to live and associate as we see, based on our convictions and beliefs and not that of the Government, a political party or an organization.
I wanted to post this to address what`s going on in South Carolina and the fury which the Old Confederate Battle Flag is engaged in by many in that State as well as in the rest of the country.
Some of us who memorialize the flag do not view it as a racist instrument or an instrument of hatred. Some of us who had ancestors fight, bleed and die for this flag honor it for what it represented to our ancestors. Not everyone who fought against the U.S. Government during the War for Southern Independence were fighting for Slavery, some were fighting against what they perceived as a threat from an over-reaching Government that was imposing its will and beliefs on what was supposed to be a free society.
My 3rd Great Grandfather, James Alford Gould (1828 - 1905) was one of these men who joined the Confederate cause and fought for the Confederacy from 1862 - 1865, not to protect and advocate for slavery, as he did not believe in the practice and was not a Slave owner, but rather he fought to preserve and protect what he perceived was his right to live life according to his convictions and morals. So to me the First National Confederate Flag (Stars and Bars) and the Confederate Battle Flag (Rebel Flag) have more to do with declaring to an impulsive Government and those who would support such a thing to "Don`t Tread on Me", and to allow me to live life as I see fit based on my convictions and not yours.
The collage of photos which I posted include an image of my 3rd Great Grandfather, James Alford Gould (1828 - 1905) who served and fought with the 2nd Alabama Cavalry Regiment and was attached under Brigadier General Samuel Wragg Ferguson for the vast majority of the Civil War. The States which are mentioned in that memorial are where he fought during the Civil War from 1862 - 1865. The other two flags come from the American Revolution; the "Don`t Tread on Me" Flag and the "Join or Die" Flag, which was actually created by none other than Benjamin Franklin one of our Founding Fathers and signers of our Declaration of Independence from King George III (1738-1820) and Great Britain on July 4, 1776.
Both of the above mentioned Flags represented to those who fought the American Revolutionary War from 1775 - 1782, what the First National Confederate Flag and Confederate Battle Flag represented to my 3rd Great Grandfather during the War for Southern Independence from 1861 - 1865.
To me all three flags represent the same message, do not impose your will on me, rather allow me to believe how I choose to believe and allow me to live the life that I choose to live without a Government coming in and trying to tell me what I should believe and how I should live in accordance to their beliefs and values as opposed to my own. So to me and so many others in our Country this Confederate Battle Flag does not stand for racism, hatred and prejudice like many would have you believe, but to us it stands for disobedience and it is a loud statement to any corrupt Government which may impose itself on a freed people that we will not allow ourselves to be oppressed and that we would rather die on our feet fighting for what we believe in than to live on our knees subjugating ourselves to the Government`s Tyranny.
Mississippi has been fighting this battle for a long time with many progressives and Liberals trying to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from our State Flag stating the same argument that they are making today in South Carolina. I am seeing a Government today telling me what words that I can say and what I can not say, what God I am supposed to worship, how I am supposed to believe and what I am not allowed to believe, what I can and can not eat, what I can and can not drink, what clothing that I can and can not wear, where and when I can pray and where I can not pray, telling me my views on Social issues and so many other infringements on my daily freedoms. So as far as I am concerned we need something to tell the Government to back off and allow us our freedom to live and associate as we see, based on our convictions and beliefs and not that of the Government, a political party or an organization.
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