Blacks want to stop southern ball participants from dressing up in confederate uniforms claiming the attire condones historical American slavery. Well, what about college fraternities? Fraternities are based on the Greeks… who had lots of slaves! If you have to throw out one you should throw out the other. Gary reports on the inconsistency.
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Gary is a graduate of Western Michigan University (1973) and earned his M.Div. at Reformed Theological Seminary in 1979. Author of countless essays, news articles, and more than 27 book titles, he also hosts The Gary DeMar Show, and History Unwrapped—both broadcasted and podcasted. Gary has lived in the Atlanta area since 1979 with his wife, Carol. They have two married sons and are enjoying being grandparents to their grandsons, Calvin and Paul. Gary and Carol are members of Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA). 
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If you have ever seen a real Confederate uniform, believe me, it is not something anyone would wish to wear to modern social occasion, let alone a ball, unless is were Halloween. I am as proud of my Southern heritage as any man and I resent attempts to cast my ancestors in the roll of perpetrators of a system introduced into the South for the profit of Northern shipping interests. But no one in his right mind is going to wear one a facsimile of one of those old uniforms. You must be thinking about the modern Citadel dress gray uniform, or that of VMI or West Point. Now that's a uniform. As for the Greek system, I was a part of it and I think it should go. I agree with the post above, it is exclusionary and whatever bonds are formed could as easily be formed in an open system without the ostracizing of those less polished than the most desirable candidates. I can't say one good thing about it and the schools where it is most prevalent are generally marked by excessive drinking – even to the point of death in some published instances and other behavior that disregards the rights and feelings of the non-initiated.
Actually I would not mind it one bit if Greek fraternities went away. Having been in one, I can definitely state that they serve no benefit to anyone, especially Christians, and the initiation ceremonies reek with idolatry – much in the same line as Freemasonry.
Point 1: Those who criticize the history of the south really haven't taken the time to investigate the true nature of the people or what they really stood for. I believe American Vision offers a resource to help enlighten those who really want to be informed. It's called "The War Between the States – America's Uncivil War". Excellent read, and it'll really open your eyes to this sad and horribly misunderstood conflict in our past. Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.
Point 2: Spell-check police – I agree that words should be spelled correctly, however, I think that there are many intelligent people through-out history who may not have known how to read or write. Dismissing another individuals thoughts simply because they may not have been afforded the same opportunities as us is a bit unfortunate. In saying that, if you do know how to write, it would be nice to take the time to construct a persuasive argument without the distraction of misspelled words.
I ,personally am offended by black people and any other race who are citizens of this country referring to themselves as African Americans or Mexican Americans. If you are a legal citizen then why not say I am an American. If race is
asked then why no say I am black,white,Native American or yellow.
So the Confederacy is part of my heritage. Slavery is evil but it has been around since the ancient times. We in the south celebrate this heritage not slavery. by the way, the Civil War was about states rights, Lincoln knew the war was becoming unpopular so he decided to use abolishing slavery. A lot of Northerners were not all that happy about ending slavery. No rich men of the north or the south fought those battles. White Southern farmers and Northern workers died for this war.
Please excuse all the typing errors in my statement above. I did not proof read it close enough to see that due to some sticky keys they didn’t get corrected.
As usual, when anyone does not understand or value their heritage, when they see or hear of anything of Southern tradition they immediately think of slavery andwant to stamp it out.
Regardless of the outcome of the Cvil War, it is part of our American History. I do not find anything about the Union troops or Northern States to be offensive. There are many things on both sides that were not for the betterment of America.
It is only prejudgiced people who want to keep the Black people in bondage and belittling themselves that keep fostering this hatred of anything Southern. Like the Black Congressman that said someone spit on him and called out racial slurs. He had to back up and say it was not true when someone offered several thousand dollars for a recorded copy of this. The tape the news people who were following him and Ms Polosi as they deliberately walked thru the T Party group deliberately trying to stir up trouble, proved that he was lying.
Instead of being thankful that their ancestors were brought to America and saved their race from being starved and murdered in Africa as it is today in many African nations, the Black leaders never fault the African government or the people who rounded up the African people nd sold them. They won’t even stand up for people who are most likely also descendants of the same Black families as Americans. I have never heard AL or Jesse nor the Black legislators say anything about it.
The United States which by the way , the Southern States are part of and of which a major portion of tax revenu that funds al these projects, comes from, has spent trillions of dollars on all sorts of social programs including housing, medical research for diseases and health issues which are largely peculiar of Black race, they have magnificent all Black Colleges [which if we tried to have an all white or all Jewish or all any other race college, the Black instigators would be up in arms screaming ‘discrimination”, they have the very same education facilities and opportunities that Whites or any other race have, they have the same o pportunities to serve in major corporations as well as in the government, they have equal access to all the medical options as any poor White person does, if they are considered in the ‘poor’ class of people, they have access to free or almost free childcare while they work, if they are blessed with a good job they have insurance to cover their medical needs. All this is just as true in the South as it is in the North. In fact most of the tax money to fund most of these programs comes from the rich resources in the South that get shipped to the North because they are not available to them up there.
I am proud of my Southern heritage and I do not see anything wrong with anyone wearing a Confederate suit any time anywhere. It is part of our culture and every race in the US is proud of their culture. The Blacks have a whole month to celebrate their culture. I don’t know of any other race that has that. Some of my own ancestors came over from England as servants but I do not cringe in fear every time I see someone in an Union Uniform.
I am thankful someone in the past had enough self pride and courage to fight for what they believed in right or wrong as we might like to describe it now. To me they were both right. I had ancestors that fought on both sides and I am proud of them all. I have had family in every war since then and I am thankful and proud of them also. I only hope I have raised my children to be as courageous as they were.
It is time for you racial hate mongerers to stop filling the Black community with fear and telling them how disadvantaged they are and how racially discriminated against they are.
I just wonder how many Black people Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have set up in business? How many disadvantaged Black students have they personally sponsered and paid for their education. How many Drs have they set up Drs offices for when they graduated from medical college out of their own millions.
How many cars have they bought and given to single Moms who need a way to go to work and take their children to the DR. and go grocery shopping. I have heard that in a mostly Black part of New York City, there isn’t even one grocry store. Well Al and Jesse and all you hate mongerers, heres your big chance to put your money where your mouth is. Set some Black family up in the grocery business. Keep that single mother from having to ride a bus for miles to buy groceries. I don’t hear any money crinkling as it comes out of your wallets.
They are a disgrace to the Black people everywhere in the US because all they ever do is spout hate speech and racial discord.
They talk real big but they do nothing to help the “plight’ of the Black community. And now at last, we have a Black President who spent millions of dollars to get himself elected. I would like t o hear of one person he or his wife ever paid a light bill for. Or set up in a bank in a predominanly Black neighborhood, or even just built a grocery store or pharmacy in their neighborhood. So far I have not heard of it.
Oh he talks big too just like Al and Jesse. But he never spent any of his own money on any one, one on one that is. Not even his own relatives, if the reports are true. . He wants everyone else to pay for it with higher and more taxes. I wonder if the Black lady that was so elated that he got elected she screamed out, words to the effect, Now I won’t have to worry about paying my light bill and my rent, etc. I wonder how much the President has paid for her so far? About zero$$$!
There is not one Black person who was here in 1865 so there is no reasonat all for any of you to be scared of or offended by a Confederate flag or suit. I do not think any of you has been threatened by either one. The only thing you have to fear is the hate mongerers who re really only interested in keeping you thinking that you have no hope. Yes you do. Quit cowering under the oppression of the Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson types. Get the good education available to you. Quit saying I can’t.
Instead of feeling threatened by anything Southern and wanting to do away with it, be thankful that one day someone decided to fight for what they believed in. If it wasn’t for the Confederate suit and flag, you might still be working as slaves. So when you see them, say yeah, that suit/flag is what bought my ancestors liberty and now look what a great future I can have.
It is part of your heritage,too. Be proud of your heritage and thankful for how far you have come because of it. No one deserves a free ride in our society. It is everyones duty to contribute to it.
The ones who do not understand heritage and want to wipe every page clean of what they choose not to understand or like the previous writer think they are so high and mighty are not worthy of you or anyone from the North or South. Me thinks if one digs deep enough there are some bones buried in his snobbish back yard, too. Be careful of them because one day they will decide they do not understand Black heritage and decide to remove yours, too
Gary,
Please tell me you are joking. I don't know who it was that decided that it is 'Blacks' who would like to see people stop wearing Confederate uniforms to balls – I am as white as they come, and I would also like to see it stop. I would agree on one point that you propose, though – I would also like to see the entire Greek system done away with. As a Christian, I have always felt that a social organization based on the principle of excluding those deemed socially undesirable would be a poor reflection of my faith. I know this is not really your point, but I would welcome people following your lead on being consistent – dumping both Confederate uniforms and the Greek system would, I believe, be a great improvement to our university campuses!
Back to the main topic – is it possible that we can recognize that despite the fact that the Civil War was 150 years ago, that there just might be a legitimate basis for blacks living in the South to feel differently about Confederate uniforms and togas? Fraternities are not in any meaningful way based on any 'traditions' of ancient Greece – the letters and togas are window-dressing on exclusive social clubs that, as far as I can tell, are about networking and drinking. Confederate uniforms are not just window-dressing. Again, as a westerner, I can only speculate as to why someone would want to wear one, but I would have to believe that it would have a real connection to the actual Confederate States of America, even though I assume that when these same students wear togas that they are not really being nostalgic for the social and political institutions of ancient Greece.
You guy's at AV keep up the good work and I'll be praying for you.