To the editor,
Some recent letters to the editor were helpful in forming my opinion of the memorial to soldiers of the CSA. Why all the fuss over a relatively insignificant matter? It’s all about posturing, verbal bullying as it were, and nobody likes to be shoved around by self-appointed morality police. It’s about authoritarian control by small extremist elements of the society.
A number of acquaintances have objected to an amateurish diagnosis of our motives in supporting the memorial. The motive of my great-grandfathers was to avoid prison or execution if they refused to join the First Georgia “Volunteer” Regiment. None of my ancestors ever held slaves. Now I’m informed that we use this “as a valid reason to honor the confederates.” This is true. It’s a valid reason and I honor my ancestors. But now it seems that there’s something wrong with families who never owned slaves as well as those who did.
A Nov. 5 comment stated of the antebellum economy: “This explosion of prosperity was enjoyed by all, excluding the slaves.” Really? The Irish side of my family worked the fields beside slaves, sometimes treated even worse. The Scotch commoners of the rural South were not treated much better.
Owing to several corrupt federal administrations, the South was in a severe depression for 30 years. The abuses of human rights even continued well into the 20th century. The former slaves were equally subjected to the malfeasance. So I understand neglect and injustice. For many years, I supported the equal treatment of every legal citizen. But now your demands have disrespected my ancestry. This is the worst thing you can do to promote your agenda; to dishonor the honorable deceased who have no recourse in their defense. You have lost my support for any of your causes. And you will always need the support of an overwhelming majority or your cause is lost, same as the Confederacy. It’s house social justice works.
William D. Hay
Covington
