I am squarely on the side of the Confederacy concerning the issues of the war. Specifically, the main provocation of the North was using their higher populations, through the democratic process, to place a disproportionately high portion of the national tax burden on the agricultural products of the South. For decades this issue fermented and was loudly contested in the congress to no relief. After having their arguments for tax parity rebuffed, the South attempted to put into action the political theory of the "consent of the governed" and through their state legislatures, declared their separation from the Federation. This too, was rejected. In final frustration, the South started the shooting. From this lack of political respect for the South, the most terrible war this nation has ever known erupted, taking the lives of 620,000 Americans and destroying the property, economy and culture of the South.
As right as the South was in their political grievances, it is nearly impossible to be taken seriously when you have a severe cultural flaw, which manifestly renders your arguments of "rights and liberty" moot and hypocritical, as does slavery. Every man of conscious and good will abhors slavery. It is ugly and glaringly wrong. This is why, as noble as was their defense of the pure political ideals as enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the Southern cause will always always be tarnished. This is why their proud flag will always be a hated symbol by many. Let this be a lesson for all of us, regardless of how noble you are in your work, how grand your achievements, if you besmirch your character with a grave sin, it is all diminished.
Today, rather than talking about how we raise our children, how we have let slip the ideal of solid, conventional families, how we have neglected any kind of true teachings on right and wrong in our educational system, we are talking about purging the image of the Confederate flag. Well...OK, if the Confederate flag is offensive, I'll take mine down. The Confederate cause is dead anyway. The good ideals, so dearly and honorably fought for, have slipped away from our entire country without notice or concern.
Racism is wrong. That is a truth. Everyone has the God given right of individual dignity, the right to life, to safety, to property, in short, the right to live. The South further tarnished their flag and their noble legacy through their 100 year pity party in which they enacted and enforced racial discrimination laws. To deny civil dignity to anyone based on their race, culture or gender, is simply wrong. The civil disobedience of the black peoples of the south was right and it was a noble effort which proved effective, because it was right.
Homosexuality is a grave evil. I am not being inconsistent here. There is a huge difference between being of a race of people and committing a sinful act of an abominable nature. Everyone born, of any time, was born for one reason, to know, love and obey God in this life and to be with Him in the next. Any willful action, which destroys that raison d'etre, is by definition, a sin and cannot be excused or tolerated. It is an act of charity to admonish the sinner and to not ratify his sins. To look the other way, with indifference, is only to wave "bon voyage" as the poor soul travels the short route to hell. Worse, agreement with a sin, is to partake of the sin. Concealment of another's sin, is to partake of it as well. This is why cake bakers are right in refusing to take part in sacrilegious marriage ceremonies. To refuse to support those ceremonies is not evil discrimination, it is an act of love, love for God and love for the persons involved.
Our society is severely confused on what is truly right and wrong. If symbols help, if the conversation could be pressed back on a proper path through images, then the flag I raise, as I lower the Confederate flag, will be the flag of the One - Holy - Apostolic - Catholic Church. In Her, the confusion is erased and Truth reigns. In Her, the good fight lives!
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