My grandfather thought Hitler was cool, he was helping Germany. (He was a German immigrant to the USA.) He was wrong.
Who the hell cares about anyone’s great grandfather and great great grandfather? Move on.
Well, yeah, I understand how the white supremacists of the time may have felt like they lost their “property”, but I don’t see how someone today would say that the South was punished.
South Carolina government offices were closed today for Confederate Memorial Day.
By percentage of population, CSA losses were twice those of the USA. And almost all the Civil War was waged on southern soil.
Compared to what happened to Germany towards the end of World War II, and after, the punishment of the white South was much less. But losing a major war is a punishing experience.
Reconstruction. The South was treated like hell. Johnson was hated for trying to bring the country back together. Of course White supremacy held on, and people taught their children to hate on both sides.
Why don’t you guys bitch about New Jersey and Maryland?
New Jersey aplogized for slavery in 2008, Maryland in 2007.
I think that actually indicatesa problem in history education. These people are so used to the lionization of the US in American history that this seems a big deal to them. It’s pretty obvious that our ancestors were not these great and wonderful people.
It also shows a lack of nuance in that education, like the only choice is paragon of virtue or complete monsters. I wish that racism and slavery were only ever defended by complete monsters. No, otherwise decent people get caught up in these things, too.
For example, as much I am against everyone lionizing Robert E. Lee for his actions, I do acknowledge that his logic was that he was fighting for his homeland, and not necessarily for slavery. I personally think the slavery part should have overridden the loyalty part, and thus am against him being celebrated too much, but I acknowledge that things are not as simple as saying he was a horrible person. Heck, what I tend to point out is that he himself did not think he was worthy of honor or statues in his name.
And Lee was someone higher up. Most ancestors I assume were not. They themselves may have various reasons to fight that weren’t as simple as thinking there was nothing wrong with slavery and wanting to preserve it. It’s just clear that this was the primary issue for those in charge.
The South was not “treated like hell” during Reconstruction. Its people gained civil rights and liberties which many of them had previously been denied. Before Reconstruction, the people of the South could be held in bondage, forced to hard labor, bought and sold like chattel, raped and murdered with impunity. Their families could be broken up and separated at any time. Southerners were not only not provided with public education, it was actually illegal to teach them to read and write. During Reconstruction, Southerners were given civil rights, including the right to vote and own property.
Only a delusional racist would claim that Reconstruction was somehow harmful to the South.
Because that’s not really the topic? The discussion is about those who argue the Confederacy was formed for some reason other than to try and preserve slavery.
This is exactly the problem. Attacks on Confederate apologists are treated as attacks on the statesthesmelves. . There is no reason that Confederate apologia should be considered part of state identity. I am an Arkansan just like you, but I am not a Confederate apologist.
No one attacked our state (or any other state), so there’s no reason to ask why they aren’t attacking other states.
Can you provide some examples of how they were treated like hell?
That’s not punishment. That’s losing a war they started.
Really? How? How many of their military and political leaders were hanged for being traitors? How much congressional representation did they lose permanently for trying to destroy the country? How were they treated like hell?
I’d say we are being treated like hell on the SDMB. 
Nope, we’re just telling the truth, and it feels like hell to you.
Then you should be aware that our legislature seceded, not the general population, and Northern Arkansas was pro Union, and still suffered Reconstruction. If you are not attacking the statesthemselves, quit using “The South”.
Again, explain what you mean by suffering reconstruction.
People lost property and voting rights, among other things. I suggest that you might read about it.
Could you be less vague? When you say property, what property? And who lost voting rights?
The appeal of suppressing black people is strong to millions of people. That’s why the myth survives, because they believe there is natural hierarchy of races and that black people need to be subjugated for the common good of America.
This isn’t all that helpful. Can you at least point to some cites? I’d prefer you summarized it here, of course.
Query: did the general population of Arkansas then rise up in revolt against the actions of the Legislature, to override the Legislature’s decision to secede from the Union?
I’m also guessing that the people who suffered under reconstruction were all white? Are you including the formerly enslaved blacks in the people who suffered?
Perhaps in the Gone With The Wind version of history this is true. But in actual history, Col. Lee and his merry band of traitors got off on the gentlest possible terms of anyone in history who’s ever taken up arms against their own country. And that extends to the bulk of reconstruction. In objective terms, what as actually “hell” about southern reconstruction? Why did they deserve greater lenience, if that’s what you’re suggesting?
The south screwed themselves and blamed their situation on meddling outsiders, same as they do now, same as they’ve always done. Lost-causers are a childish people with a child’s understanding of both the past and the present.