Lost cause
Contrary to the Myth of the Lost Cause, slavery was not a benign institution that benefitted whites and blacks alike. It was a cruel institution maintained by force, torture, and murder. It thrived on the exploitation of black labor and on the profits made from sales of surplus slaves. The latter practice resulted in the breaking up of black families and the absence of any contract of marriage between slaves. Masters’ rapes of slaves resulted in additional profits, a whitening of the slave population, and white marital discord, which was “remedied” by idolization of white Southern womanhood.
MYTH OF THE LOST CAUSE
You may have seen that Lady Antebellum, the music group has become Lady A. The Dixie Chicks are The Chicks (their new video is dope!), the confederate symbol is coming off the Mississippi flag and that NASCAR forbade the use of the confederate flag in their races. The racists are losing their shit and I’m cackling. Because fuck them all.
#Confederate monuments and symbols represent white supremacy and hate. They MUST come down! #LoseTheLostCause #WhoseHeritage pic.twitter.com/KFfdPEWAws— Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) June 30, 2020
The confederacy lasted only about five years. If you want to have an idea of that 'historical moment', Will and Grace lasted longer than the confederacy. Absolutely Fabulous lasted more than the confederacy. Queer as Folk in America lasted longer than the confederacy. But still, there's a huge push in the Southern states to keep it alive. It's ingrained in their culture of bigotry and racism.
It's also part of their everyday life. That's why the decry the dismantling of the monuments that have lionized that shameful moment in American history. Those children of the confederacy who sang the praise of the South by rote? They grew up to have children who believe the lies of The Lost Cause. History books were especially written by white supremacists to erase and modify the history of the confederacy. And that's nothing new. Check out this snippet of the Golden Girls (with Dan Cheade *squee!*). Blanche learning anti-racism. Who knew the Golden Girls could be so woke?
The Daughters of the Confederacy (and the KKK) put up those statues and monuments when they saw that segregation was not going to work. They knew they would become a stain in American history and decided to re-write it, starting three decades after the war was over. Oh, you live too far North to have those monuments? Remember you CAN find if there are racist monuments in your neck of the woods. The SPLC provides this handy 'Whose Heritage?' map that can be used to track hate. Apparently, there are not many in Illinois, but the more you get to the south, they spring up like mushrooms after the rain.
So the next time your racist cousin decries the 'destroying of history' because statues and monuments made to immortalize the losers in a shameful war are being torn down, you'll know what to say. You don't put up statues to immortalize the losers. May they all come down one day.
#BLACKLIVESMATTER
#ANTIRACIST
XOXO
_en_una_actuacio%CC%81n.png)
white southerners sure are the stupidest people.
ReplyDeletemy spouse has supported the SPLC for years.
FUCK THE IGNORANT RACISTS!
Excuse me but not all white southerners are like that..their are also smart respectful empathetic people who just happen to be liberals..now if your talking about your run of the mill right winger the " I'm not racist I have black friends " asshole then your dead on ..but yes there are a few of us down here too...
DeleteWhite southerners do have the most baggage, that's for sure. And the SPLC is fantastic. I've also donated. I loved it when they sent me those little address stickers with your name to put in letters.
DeleteIt was a statement I liked to make.
XOXO
I get it when people talk history, because it is part of our shared history, but that doesn't mean it needs to be celebrated; it simply needs to be remembered so we don't keep on making the same mistakes.
ReplyDeleteBut if you say it's your heritage then you're saying you're a racist and that you agree with what that flag stood for.
It's not heritage, it's history. It's not heritage, it's hate.
That said ....who knew Don Cheadle was on The Golden Palace????
Correct. Not all history needs to be celebrated. Especially when it's been hurtful to a group of people. Nobody in their right mind celebrates Hitler. They say it's their 'heritage' because their heritage is racism.
DeleteAnd I was surprised too! I have to rewatch the GG.
XOXO
A great post!!!!!!!!!! I never like the Chicks songs much but they are very cool. Now I do love me some Lady A!!!!!!!! Did I hear you pass out?
ReplyDeleteHave a nice Fourth Weekend! Will you be servicing your rocket?💥
Yes, the Chicks are super cool. I do like some of their songs even though I am not into country. I really like the harmonies. And Lady A is only remembered in my house because of the redneck booty call song. The one about wanting to bone while drunk?
DeleteAnd I wish I had a rocket to serve right now!!! LOL
Hope you had a happy 4th!
XOXO
The "monument" recently removed near where I live, was put up in 1901, not exactly done by grieving mothers after the war, it was a monument to white supremacy. It was on city land, but owned by the daughters of the confederacy, who quietly had it "removed for secure storage".
ReplyDeleteCorrect. All those monuments were put up to glorify oppression. And they have been 'removing for secure storage' a lot of their legacy of hatred. Despicable.
DeleteXOXO
There's one place in the North with calls for destruction. I know the history of the treatment of Native Americans, and that's another history which isn't taught. But, instead of taking sticks of dynamite to Mt. Rushmore, how about we pay to have Crazy Horse finished? After 70 fucking years, it would be about time.
ReplyDeleteWhite America has a lot to make reparations for - especially when it comes to Black Americans and Native Americans.
I remember that episode with Don Cheadle. Many of the sitcoms made socialistic statements. I'll bet if we studied them all, we'd find lots of areas they tried to make a difference in thought and behavior. Hugs and smooches!
Ooh. That would be awesome. Having Crazy Horse there would be the nail in the coffin. Also, did you know that the original sculptor was a white supremacist?
DeleteAnd Native Americans have put up with so much shit. Really. And they're being devastated AGAIN with Covid-19. *Sigh*
I had never seen that episode of GG. And you are right, many sitcoms used to have those subversive moments. I love it!
XOXO
Destroy it all.
ReplyDeleteNot one brick left standing.
DeleteThey don't deserve less.
XOXO
Nicely written
ReplyDeleteAmen
Thanks!
DeleteI was so ticked off, though.... LOL
XOXO
I don't know why they don't start posting signs on those statues: This Loser Lost the War... Badly, for a while before they take them down.
ReplyDeleteHaha
DeleteI know! A statue for someone who hated America AND freedom? Idiots.
XOXO
I have an Independence Day tradition. I watch a performance of the 1812 Overture and “1776” with William Daniels and Otto Preminger who plays Benjamin Franklin spectacularly. One of the key moments of the play is the discussion of slavery in the southern colonies. It’s the final sticking point in the vote for independence. The stain goes back to the founding of this nation.
ReplyDeleteNow that does not excuse the glorification of the confederacy. As the Golden Girls episode shows, there’s the fantasy and the reality. It’s time to grow up and bury the fantasy and all the hate associated with it.
XOXO 👨❤️💋👨
Ohhh I have to watch that! Sounds very interesting.
DeleteAnd it's true that the stain goes way back. And the Confederacy was the final touch. Those monuments are reminders of the hatred they harbored.
XOXO
Marvelous post. Succinct and well put together. I am amazed at how long we have lived with and allowed this lie to propagate. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt really has lasted a long time. I didn't know about it until about two years ago, when a friend gave a talk on the subject and I went to listen to him. I was speechless.
DeleteXOXO
These are statues of America's enemies. They deny the evil of slavery, the perpetuation of which is the cause of the war. There should be a plaque at each statue site stating the above.
ReplyDeleteHi, commenting on this again. This one article of yours gave me a perspective I have never been exposed to. Absolutely stunned... I have been thinking about this ever since I read it and was able to use some of what I had learned when I had to explain to my mother that Native Americans are right to topple a statue of Columbus at Minnesota's state capitol. And that morphed into my telling her about the daughters of the confederacy and the propaganda behind those 'historical' markers. None of which I would have been able to do without reading this on your blog. Continue to write. Continue to educate. Thank you for doing both.
ReplyDeleteOMG that's great!
DeleteIt's funny how many things we catch just by browsing blogs. I'm glad you have that convo with your mom. Seriously, so many people do not have information that's essential to make very important decisions...
XOXO