What is with all of this Civil War stuff - again and again and agin!

I hail originally from New Jersey, but I was only 1 year old when I came down to Florida, where I have remained. I guess I ‘have sand in my shoes’, as people say, though I do not have a massive Southern Accent, which I have deliberately avoided developing.

I love to watch the educational channels, like Discover, History and so on BUT, the CONSTANT hashing and rehashing of the Civil War is getting to be real damn annoying. Do they do this ABOVE the Mason Dixon line? Every friggin’ week there is SOMETHING on about the Civil War. If it is not historical discussions of various battles, it is exposing the dirty underwear of assorted heroes of both sides. Then it goes into the development and discussion of guns and ships, followed by the actual life and hardships of various soldiers. The politics are discussed time and time again, along with the stupidities, the errors and the assorted blunders. They discuss everything except how many times the average soldier took a shit!

PLUS, here in the South, there are whole groups of people who like to reenact battles of the war, in full uniforms! Some of these things go so far as to have the participants hand make their clothing and gear from similar materials and then they actually LIVE like the soldiers did – i.e., they don’t wash, sleep in huddles and stink!

I’m tired of it! I think I’ve learned about as much about the Civil war as my teachers knew in high school, if not more! Now, of course, they’re digging into the Black participation in the war and how they were discriminated against even by the North and promptly executed by the South and generally had a miserable time of it, including hardships AFTER the war. Before long they’ll be showing hour long docudramas about the whores of the North and south who followed the regiments into battle and screwed the eyeballs out of the soldiers for a good cause, and some money.

Is it just me? Am I being testy? I loved CONNECTIONS, but they took that great show off of the air and now insist on rehashing the Civil War again, and again, and again! By now, after years of this crap, I can make and cook a hoe-cake, know what hard tack is and can make it, can sew up a woolen uniform, forge a black power rifle (they showed how to do it in detail), load and fire one, perform battle field surgery (back then it was just hack and slash with no worries about being clean or sterile) and make bullets.

The next person who shows up on an antique show with a genuine, one in a million Civil War sword, a hard to get original and unwashed uniform jacket, a battered and rusty Civil War pistol or a handful of lead ‘balls’ from the guns is probably going to make me barf!

I’m probably stomping all over ‘SACRED GROUND’ by saying this down here in the deep South, but, hell, put something else on. A friend of mine is investigation medieval times, where they hold various meetings dressed up in hand forged armor and stuff to have fun – with no battle recreations. He’s building his own armor – which ought to make him look interesting considering that he is about 5 foot 8 inches tall and built like a tank. Naturally, his weapon of choice just has to be a war hammer.

BUT during these festivals THEY GO HOME AND SHOWER! The blend in all types of warriors and people from a whole mass of years, unlike the Civil war nuts. Nor do they rehash, over and over again, LOST BATTLES! They do drink a lot of home made mead and ale, and I LIKE that. Everyone gets kinda friendly after a while at these things.

PLEASE! No more damn Civil War movies on television.

Sorry, but you’re talking about a war that divided the entire nation in twain and a wound that has yet to fully heal. There’s no WAY we’re going to forget about it.

The Civil War was the last war to be fought on US soil, and unlike the other wars, had the juicy sub-plots of brother vs. brother, racism and good ol’ American politics, things which always capture this country’s attention.

That said, I wish that people here in the South would get over it already. As much as I try to convince them that nowhere North of the Mason-Dixon do cars have bumper stickers which read, “We WON the war” on them, they still seem to have a grudge.


Yer pal,
Satan

First Place
Most Popular Poster of the 20th Century Competition
As overseen by Coldfire

As for why the Civil War is so popular…

First off, you’re in an area that probably saw some battles or skirmishes (sure, it’s Florida, so it’s not like I get in living around D.C./Northern VA), so it’s easier for people to ‘understand it’- people can visit the local sites of interest and get a better understanding of the war in a way that, say World War I isn’t available (in the U.S.).

Second- The Civil War is often called the first ‘literate’ war. Most of the soldiers involved in the conflict had a basic level of literacy, and between letters written home, newspaper reports, and the new photography industry of the time, it’s probably one of the more well documented wars in American History. Therefore, it’s easier to research and discuss (as opposed to, say, the War of 1812 or the Revolutionary War).

Third: The results of the Civil War still affect us today, from civil rights to differences in Southern culture vs. Northern culture. Therefore, people feel a need to discuss and explore the Civil War as a way to understand the way things are today.

Fourth: Undoubtedly, many of the people you live near had ancestors who fought in the Civil War, and a lot of people study the Civil War and do re-enactments in order to get better acquainted with their roots and their forefathers.


JMCJ

Not Even Mentioned
Most Popular Poster of the 20th Century Competition
As overseen by Coldfire

I can understand how you feel…but it comes in cycles…Vietnam is always on the History Channel…I think I’ve seen the same documentary on it about 25 times now…then they’ll switch off to something else and come back to it…so be patient…it’ll move on to something else…with the next program you can learn to sleep in the jungle in full gear in the rain…


“Do or do not, there is no try” - Yoda

You wanna know something about me…ask me…not my friends…

Nightgirl44: I am willing to bet that your TV set came with a marvel of technology built right in. I am referring to a “channel changer,” sometimes called a “tuner.” Most of the more current versions have an accessory called a “remote control.” The purpose of these devices is to permit a selection of viewing channels. If you do not like what is being offered on one station, then change the damn channel. If you are unable to find a channel offering a program that you find suitable, make use of another marvel of technology called the “on-off” switch. Then, and this is radical, pick up and read a book. A book that you and you alone have selected.

Suggestion: not Sharra’s Killer Angels. :slight_smile:

  • Rick

Kudos to Nightgirl 44! For goodness sake we’re in the 21st century now! It is time to let the wounds heal finally! Get over it! Those who disagree are living in the past and must come to accept “modern” concepts such as civil rights and humanity.

Unfortunately, Nightgirl 44, even above the Mason-Dixon line they re-enact these battles,
such as Gettysburg, ad infinitum. Studying history is good, but glamorizing war is not.
We should all look to improving our future instead of living in the 19th century!

I’m sure this topic is highly contraversial. But, now it’s time to say “physician heal thyself”, close the wounds, and grow a bit.
Expand our minds and broaden our horizons.


The scary thing is that 90% of the people think they’re above average! - unknown

Jinx wrote:

Um, well, actually…
No, NO, NO!!! I can’t bear to say it. I won’t start that again.

On the actual topic: you can still find re-enactments of the Revolutionary War and things like “Colonial Williamsburg,” so what makes you think any piece of popular history will ever be let to rest in peace? It’s all Historyland, folks, a tamed version of real history suitable for the whole family and only a short car ride from wherever you are!


…but when you get blue, and you’ve lost all your dreams, there’s nothing like a campfire and a can of beans!

Whatever floats your boat; the pseudo 21st century of which the media, advertisers, and spindoctors has been thrust upon us. Just bear it this year, ok? You get the gist! :wink:

Duck Dodgers in the 20.9999999999 century!

“Happy b-b-birthday, you thing from another world, you!” - Porky Pig

Know that lil channel changer button on your remote? Punch it. :slight_smile:


“I think it speaks to the duality of man sir.”
(Private Joker in Full Metal Jacket)

Why is it that when some Damn Yankee comes to the South to live amongst us, they seem to be compelled to “straighten us out?” They complain about our accents, bitch about our history, denigrate our food, occupy our space and breathe oxygen that we might someday require. If the South, our ways and our traditions are so distasteful to y’all, get the hell out and go back up North. We did quite well without you and somehow we would be able to struggle along without you again. And before you say it, I moved about as far north as I could get. And I stayed up north for quite a few years. And I hated almost every minute of it but I would have never been so rude as to attempt to impose by belief system on people who were happy wit their own. And now I am back in the South, where I was born and raised and, God and Robert E. Lee willing, I will never stray again.

Speak for yourself, Satan!

As a guy who was born in northeastern Ohio, schooled in New England, and lives in Brooklyn, I take EVERY OPPORTUNITY to rub it in!

Whenever I meet a Southerner, I manage to weasel a mention of the war (or at least the Brooklyn abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher) into the conversation during the first five minutes. With a wink and a broad grin.

People from Atlanta are the best…they REALLY blow up when you start saying nice things about Sherman.

Bumper stickers that say “We WON the WAR” ? Where can you get 'em?


Uke

welcome back Crystalguy…I agree with you…but believe me…many will not…


“Do or do not, there is no try” - Yoda

You wanna know something about me…ask me…not my friends…

Uke

You found a native Southerner in *Atlanta</>?

I’ll believe that when I see it.

(And as for those bumper stickers, I’ve seen pictures of 'em, but I understand it costs an arm and a leg to pay the postage to have them shipped from Viet Nam.) :slight_smile:

Aw, come on now, Florida ain’t really the South!

I agree with the spirit of the OP - enough is enough. You don’t have to reenact to remember. You don’t see jews & poles starving themselves intentionally, stripping butt naked, and climbing into authentic ovens and gas chambers every year while hundreds of onlookers with little children take pictures.

I admit a facination with the War between the States - I’ve visited over fifty battle sites and used to frequent Colonial Williamsburg. It’s a small but sure step toward insanity to climb into that filthy, itchy gray wool suit and live off baked beans and whiskey in a small white tent for a week.


Hell is Other People.

I was with a group of CSA reenactors in Charleston, SC once who wouldn’t even speak Shemans name.

Not only that, but not enough Union guys showed up, and some of the CSA guys absoultely refused to change uniforms to even out the sides. (Nearly sabotaging the film that was being shot there)

It is truly amazing how a 130 year old war still affects people.

Uh, they wouldn’t speak Shermans name either.

Oops.

Sake: Florida is not as “pure Southern” as Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and a couple of others, that’s true. But Florida men did fight and die in The War Between The States and the Southern courtesy did prevail. At any rate, I am a native of Texas and I will agree that Texas is also not as “Southern” as some. But—a lot of people, my maternal great-grandfather among them, immigrated to Texas simply because it was less destroyed by Sherman that a lot of other States. Remember, Sherman said “War is hell” and then proceeded to demonstrate that it was. He loosed his troops to war against women and children and to put into practice a scorched earth policy. He tolerated pillage and some say he set the example. Remember that he also is credited with saying “If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent out Texas and live in Hell” to which many Texans responded “to each his own.” It is widely held that the South is not still fighting the “Civil” war but is still fighting reconstruction. Grant proved himself to be a good general and a mediocre President. Lee proved himself to be a gentleman and that is where the South is at.

How 'bout this:

The Federal Gov is still fighting the Civil War, too.

The Voting Rights Act(s) mandated racial gerrymandering, IIRC, instead of the time-honored partisan gerrymandering.

However, in the South in recent years, those have become interestingly similar.