Civil War Truths

The subject of the Civil War is brought up a lot, but we rarely hear true facts. The name itself is a misconception, there was never a civil war. A civil war means a war within a country. In truth, this was a war between a union of states within the United States and the Confederate States of America. The southern states of the United States of America seceded and formed their own country. They even had their own currency and was trading with foreign countries.

Those who don't know true history might be wondering what I meant by a union of states. When the US government became upset over the secession of states, they decided on going to war. There were several states that refused to go to war against the the confederacy because they believed in the right of secession. Those states are referred to as border states and that's why it was a union of states that invaded the Confederate States of America. Lincoln did the same thing to the CSA that the British did to the USA when the colonies declared independence. 

Interacting With Police

Today, we hear over and over how police single out blacks for abuse. I am sure there are many times when this is the case because we find racism everywhere. There are other forms of prejudices that are rampant. Because of past violence, there is sometimes prejudices against bikers. Bikers have often been stopped simply because of their mode of transportation and appearance. The LGBT community also faces discrimination by police.

Red-Blue Biases and Misinformation

Salon.com posted an article by Alex Henderson, titled: States That Mooch Off The Federal Government Partner. The article listed ten so-called red states that receive more federal dollars than paid out. This argument has often been used to prove that Republican economics don't work. I take offense that free market practices are attached only to republicans, but that's another argument.

Let's first ask where red and blue labels originated. The red label is less simpler as it's the color used for the enemy on a military strategy map, at least according to the New York times. Some think it might have been an attempt to associate republicans with communists. Attaching colors and symbolism to movements is a common tactic. That makes sense if we use history's reference to the red menace, the Soviet Union. The blue state monicker came about because of geographic location. Most blue states are located along the coast, especially Pacific blue states. It was during the 2000 election that states got an official color designation because of how they voted in the presidential election.

The American Worker

The above photo is a common sight after any major storm. Although in this case Santee Cooper is state owned, something of which I am no fan, the distribution is a member owned Cooperative – the workers are with private contractors. In the rural south nonprofit cooperatives are a common phenomena.

Now that is out of the way let's talk about the photo itself. I might not know the men in that photo, but I personally know many like them. These men and women sometimes left school early, and with determination they managed to get that GED . Some went to a technical college while others simply started at the very bottom. No matter their start they work side by side in mountainous regions or low country swamps.

When there is a major outage these men and women find sleep wherever it can be found. They might be found taking an hour nap in one of the trucks while still wearing their soggy clothing. These are the men and women who make sure your house is cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

You won't find this labor force filled with illegal immigrants. When you see one of them in a mud filled ditch with a pick and shovel, you will find someone who grew up in the region. Their flesh might be a variety of shades, but they are all Americans and South Carolinians.

A Look at The Gettysburg Address

Today is the anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Many see this speech as a great day in history, but every story has two sides. President Obama is being slammed for not mentioning God in his recitation. The reason could be simple, be chose one of the versions that didn't include the word 'God.'

I'd like to add a little commentary before listing the different versions below. Some of us don't see the Gettysburg Address as something great. Some of us in the south never saw this as a civil war. From the southern perspective it was an attack from another nation. I bring this up because either by force or choice we are today all Americans and we must always remember this period in history isn't always seen with the northern perspective.

Some might ask why this is important. The very words of Lincoln tell us why this is a topic that needs discussion, especially in today’s turbulent political environment. He said, “a new nation, conceived in Liberty, “ We must understand the meaning of liberty. True liberty is the right to secede. If states lose the right to secede there can never be true liberty. For a state held at the point of a gun there is no true liberty. This was no different than attacking nations in order to force our brand of democracy on them.

Today, we have states threatening to divide, at least one seceding and joining Canada. There are others with threats of secession. If any of these secessions come about, will more people die while trying to achieve true liberty? Will the heavy hand of the US government use armed force to stop the will of the people?

A look at Voter ID Laws

The left keeps telling us that passing laws requiring photo ID at the poll is voter disenfranchisement. The informed, and those who don't fear being called racist, know why the Democratic party is against these laws. In many areas they depend on the illegal alien vote in order to get elected. Some in the party of favors often pushes for laws that allow non-Americans to vote.

Only people in this country illegally fear getting an ID

Judges and the Justice Department have either struck down or challenged voter ID laws in states like Wisconsin, Texas, South Carolina, and others. As long as we have a democrat controlling the executive branch states will face strong opposition to such laws.

Since democrats feel such laws prevent Americans from expressing certain rights, I thought we should take a look at laws, which democrats often support and enacted, to see which rights Americans without proper ID lose.

Here is a small list I compiled.

Driver's license Buy alcohol Buy cigarettes Apply for welfare Apply for food stamps Cash a check Purchase a firearm Buy ammunition Make any large credit card purchase Open a bank account Get a marriage license

The ability to buy certain prescription medicines Adopt a pet(some states) Get Medicaid Return items to a store (Usually if you request cash in return) Write a personal check Purchase car insurance To get on a military base (even a museum on a base) On occasion to board an airplane Rent an apartment Be admitted to a hospital

Voting ‘R’

I remember standing in the voting booth staring at Lindsey Graham’s name trying to make a choice. I had the choice of sending a newcomer to Washington, or sending someone with experience and power. In the end I chose power, and since that moment I have had to grimace each time I watched the senator I sent to Washington deal and compromise with the Democrats. If Graham was at first honorable, he was quickly corrupted by the power in which John McCain offered.

Since that time I have become a part of the Tea Party movement, and I know I haven’t done as much to help as I should, but I have come to terms with the fact that we can effect change in the United States. The day has come where others and I don’t feel we have to vote for the likes of Graham, despite pressure from beltway Republicans.