On July 7 the Memphis City Council voted unanimously to exhume the body of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest from its 110 year resting place and move it to another location.
The body of Forrest’s wife will be exhumed as well.
According to Local Memphis, the council voted to exhume Forrest’s remains from Health Sciences Park on Union Avenue. They plan to sell a statue of Forrest as well–they are thinking of “selling the statue to anyone who wants it.”
Anyone want to buy a statue?
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In an attempt to rid our country of anything that smacks of racism against Blacks, I guess we need to blow up Mount Rushmore? Implode the Washington Monument? Tear down the Jefferson Memorial? Go to Gettysburg and tear down any signs that tell of a Confederate victory?
Remove and burn any "Gone With The Wind" books or DVD's in every library? (I heard that someone actually wants to do this.)
Meanwhile, there is a "challenge" on Face Book for Blacks to post pictures of themselves wiping their bottoms with the American flag. I won't post any of those photos because they truly are disgusting.
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My ancestor's came to America, some at a very young age--leaving their parents and family behind. When they got here, some were indentured servants or farm workers--working hard for other, rich people. Life was not easy, but they realized that America was the place to be to have a better life. I do believe my ancestor would have been overjoyed to have been given, "40 acres and a mule", back in 1865.
Instead, he had to work off his debt and then start to find a way to make his own living. So he went to work for someone who would pay him. Little by little. Inch by inch--they all found their way and ended up being land barons in their own right.
Maybe some descendants of people from Africa could be happy that their ancestor's ended up in America too? Look at the lives they have now--good paying jobs in the factories--lawyers, doctors, educators. Yes, many were brought here against their will, and many were trapped by the "catchers", people in their own tribe, and sold to the slave ship owners.
The early Chinese, who worked so hard to build our railroads. Some of them were brought here by captors, treated like animals and yet, by their ingenuity, they were the only ones who figured out how to get tunnels through the mountains, using only pick-axes and shovels.
What about the Japanese who were put into the internment camps. While they were held captive, they couldn't pay the property taxes on their land in Napa Valley, so the government took their land, and they had to start all over again.
The Irish, the Italians, the Jews--all were scorned, beaten and hanged because of their race.
I do not hear any of them whining about their mistreatment. Most of them are thriving.
That was a long time ago. Can't the descendants put all that anger away and be grateful that they are here now?
You can be a slave, no matter what color you are. IF it is in your will to make a better life for the next generation, you can do it--even if you are beaten down, time and time again. Racism isn't only directed toward Blacks.
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In my opinion, American owes nothing to any race, except the Native Americans. We came onto their Continent and kept pushing them further and further west. Our government made treaties with them and then broke those treaties when we wanted to expand further west.
Then we "gave" them acres of land for their own. Land where you couldn't hardly grow a weed, let alone anything decent to eat. We killed their food supply and we forced their children to learn the white way and tried to take their native ways from them.
They too have survived. They figured out how to beat the government. Their land, given to them, is Tribal land, governed by them, not State or Federal Law. They have their own council and their own police force. Now their Casinos bring in a good profit to help the Tribes.
I've never been a bigot in my life, but when I see the disrespect, the continual whining, the killings of Black on Black, AND the total disregard (from the higher ups) when a White person is killed by a Black--well let's just say, I am becoming very angry.
I blame the man in the White House and his cronies. He/they had an opportunity to bring us all together, in unity because we are all Americans, and he/they chose to make everything worse. You keep on telling a people how under privileged they are and they are going to act that way. Keep telling them that America "owes" them and they will believe it. Keep telling them they are treated unfairly, and you are going to incite them to protests and riots.
Every race needs to be empowered, but not at the expense of any other race.
Just because some mentally, deranged kid decided to wrap himself in the Stars and Bars and kill innocent people? Tearing down flags, digging up corpses, isn't going to change a thing!
Remove and burn any "Gone With The Wind" books or DVD's in every library? (I heard that someone actually wants to do this.)
Meanwhile, there is a "challenge" on Face Book for Blacks to post pictures of themselves wiping their bottoms with the American flag. I won't post any of those photos because they truly are disgusting.
======================
My ancestor's came to America, some at a very young age--leaving their parents and family behind. When they got here, some were indentured servants or farm workers--working hard for other, rich people. Life was not easy, but they realized that America was the place to be to have a better life. I do believe my ancestor would have been overjoyed to have been given, "40 acres and a mule", back in 1865.
Instead, he had to work off his debt and then start to find a way to make his own living. So he went to work for someone who would pay him. Little by little. Inch by inch--they all found their way and ended up being land barons in their own right.
Maybe some descendants of people from Africa could be happy that their ancestor's ended up in America too? Look at the lives they have now--good paying jobs in the factories--lawyers, doctors, educators. Yes, many were brought here against their will, and many were trapped by the "catchers", people in their own tribe, and sold to the slave ship owners.
The early Chinese, who worked so hard to build our railroads. Some of them were brought here by captors, treated like animals and yet, by their ingenuity, they were the only ones who figured out how to get tunnels through the mountains, using only pick-axes and shovels.
What about the Japanese who were put into the internment camps. While they were held captive, they couldn't pay the property taxes on their land in Napa Valley, so the government took their land, and they had to start all over again.
The Irish, the Italians, the Jews--all were scorned, beaten and hanged because of their race.
I do not hear any of them whining about their mistreatment. Most of them are thriving.
That was a long time ago. Can't the descendants put all that anger away and be grateful that they are here now?
You can be a slave, no matter what color you are. IF it is in your will to make a better life for the next generation, you can do it--even if you are beaten down, time and time again. Racism isn't only directed toward Blacks.
================
In my opinion, American owes nothing to any race, except the Native Americans. We came onto their Continent and kept pushing them further and further west. Our government made treaties with them and then broke those treaties when we wanted to expand further west.
Then we "gave" them acres of land for their own. Land where you couldn't hardly grow a weed, let alone anything decent to eat. We killed their food supply and we forced their children to learn the white way and tried to take their native ways from them.
They too have survived. They figured out how to beat the government. Their land, given to them, is Tribal land, governed by them, not State or Federal Law. They have their own council and their own police force. Now their Casinos bring in a good profit to help the Tribes.
I've never been a bigot in my life, but when I see the disrespect, the continual whining, the killings of Black on Black, AND the total disregard (from the higher ups) when a White person is killed by a Black--well let's just say, I am becoming very angry.
I blame the man in the White House and his cronies. He/they had an opportunity to bring us all together, in unity because we are all Americans, and he/they chose to make everything worse. You keep on telling a people how under privileged they are and they are going to act that way. Keep telling them that America "owes" them and they will believe it. Keep telling them they are treated unfairly, and you are going to incite them to protests and riots.
Every race needs to be empowered, but not at the expense of any other race.
Just because some mentally, deranged kid decided to wrap himself in the Stars and Bars and kill innocent people? Tearing down flags, digging up corpses, isn't going to change a thing!
Amen! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJust so you'll know, the 40 acres and a mule never really came to pass.The law that required it after the war in April of 1865 was overturned in the courts during reconstruction and any land that was given out reverted back to the original owners. Overturning the "40 acres and a mule" Order happened in the fall of 1865. No blacks after that had free land, and those who had worked the land that summer, thinking it was theirs, were driven off.
DeleteA military park wants the statue and I'll bet that is where it will end up. There is more to this story than your article explained and the decision to relocate it and exhume the bodies is far from over. Many people believe the proposed expansion of the University of TN has a lot more to do with it than the city council is letting on. Many think they are just paving the way to sell the property to the school for a lot of money and recent events in SC was just a convenient opportunity to "sell" the proposed move to the public.
Wow, you get some strange and offensive postings on FaceBook! I know there was a similar flag challenge back in May but none of my friends or family have passed those postings around. Very sick.
I understand everything you wrote. And I could not be more agreeable either. It just irritates me every day when I read something new how these so-called "people" are bitching and moaning. The past is the past ~ get over it I say. It's history. Let a sleeping dog lie. But I guess some people can be such @ssholes and just need to grow up.
ReplyDeleteAs far as that "person" in the WH stirring things up? Yes, he wants this country to be divided and I am sure that is why he wanted to sit behind that desk in the oval office. He knew exactly what he was doing when he went after the presidency. Now he is talking about integrating every city, town, and community in this country. WTH?
I get so sick and tired of reading these type things that I just want to get the hell out of Dodge, find a good hiding spot and set up a teepee..
I hope that the statue finds a good home!
ReplyDeleteI hope that the statue finds a good home!
ReplyDeleteVERY well said! Things are getting beyond ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteIt's as though they want to erase the South's total history!
ReplyDeleteI'm just sickened by it All!
hughugs
Hopefully they will find an appropriate place for the statue. It's probably located on valuable real estate. City councils are like that. I've seen some lovely things moved or destroyed by city councils. The next thing you know, condos are sprouting up where that park with those 100-year-old live oaks used to be. It's usually about money.
ReplyDeleteWe had a big, old brewhaha down here when they tried to build a statue of Grant downtown 10 or so years ago. Richmond was having none of that. Some people take this stuff very seriously. They don't know the war is over. They think we're still fighting the North. The South's gonna rise again and all that.
A statue of Jefferson Davis belongs in Richmond, certainly not a statue of U. S. Grant!! I don't blame them. :-)
DeleteThe South HAS risen again. All the old people and tourists from up north come down there to spend their green backs. LOL Keep Virginia Green. Spend your money here.
In l959 a new school was built here, and my friends & I had the option to continue with our senior year at the old school or start at the new one.
ReplyDeleteWe chose the new one, and had the ability to vote on the name of the school. We named it Nathan Bedford Forrest High school. Then, last year the "powers to be" decided that the name should be changed. UGH Made us sick! But, you know not matter what the powers to be did, we graduated from the very first graduating class, and proud of it!
I agree with you, Judy. You can write what I think but in better verbiage. When I saw that pic of the people acting like they were going to stuff OUR flag in their butts, I really just wanted to throw up. Made me SICK!!!!
Love you now and always.
xoxo
There is no way I would ever share that link on Face Book Sally. I didn't want any of my friends to see it because it made me, not only sick to my stomach, but oh, so very angry. Hey--maybe your high school would like the Statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest? Oh--you said they changed the name of your school. Sorry. I cried my eyes out the day they tore my school down--I mean I really sobbed and cried. I think our town/school is named after Lord Byron. and even if someone DID find out something bad about him, I daresay none of the town's residents would allow a name change. :-)
Delete