The South Is Rising Again

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT:  Hate crimes go both ways.  People can be persecuted for their race, ethnicity, religion, national ancestry or even political beliefs.  This case involves the last two classifications right here in my home state of Missouri.

On October 11, 2011 a Civil War monument in Cape Girardeau, honouring Missouri's confederate veterans, was vandalised in an unusual way.  Typically, anti-Confederate vandalism usually includes references to racial issues, citing the Ku Klux Klan or the Nazis, displaying the perpetrator's ignorance of history.  In this case however, the perpetrator's vandalism referenced pro-Union and anti-Confederate slurs.  This is highly unusual, as it demonstrates at least a modest level of historical knowledge, and a clear pro-Union political agenda. 

In response, Clint Lacy, a Dixie patriot, decided to protest this act of vandalism with a confederate naval jack in one hand, and a home made sign that read "Stop the Hate" in the other.  He drew some considerable attention, not just locally, but nationally, and even internationally.  Good job Clint!  With just three words and a flag, you encapsulated the entire message of the modern Dixie independence movement.  All across the Southland of Dixie, there are millions of Southerners who love the symbols of our Confederate heritage and the political message of independence they convey.  Yet at the same time there is not a racist bone in their body.  A considerable number are even black.  Granted, in border states like Missouri, this is seldom realised.

What I find striking about this whole affair is the nature of the protests against Southern heritage.  While protesting next to the monument that was vandalised with pro-Union slogans, Clint Lacy reported that many people drove by, including many blacks, and he had no trouble from them at all.  The only negative response he got was from what he reported to be wealthy looking white men in a Cadillac, who yelled obscenities at him and shouted pro-Union anti-Confederate slogans.  This is all very interesting.

This recent episode in Missouri is just the tip of the iceberg.  All across the Southland of Dixie, and even as far north as Gettysburg Pennsylvania (deep in Union country), Confederate war monuments are being vandalised, Confederate cemeteries are being desecrated, and the symbols (particularly flags) of the Confederacy are being attacked.  Now this is nothing new in particular.  This sort of thing has been going on for the last thirty years or so.  However, in the last five years (since about 2007) is has increased in intensity and frequency.  What is even more interesting is that it is taking on a distinctively pro-Union and anti-Confederate tone that is atypical of the usual ignorant race slurs.  Something different is happening here, and it is something significant.

Why all of a sudden, since about 2007, have the frequency and intensity of these 'hate crimes' ramped up?  What changed in 2007 to make this happen?    This may sound strange, but I believe it is economic in nature, and when I say that I am referring to the economic collapse of the United States of America (the Union).  The housing bubble began to burst in 2007, marking the beginning of the end for Empire America.  This was the pop that brought the United States to its knees (economically) in late 2008 to early 2009.  The current Market rebound is artificially inflated by government stimulus bailout money and everyone knows it.  A double-dip recession is lurking in the shadows.  It's generally agreed that it will strike, but nobody seems to know when.  Through all of this the United States national debt has ballooned to levels unprecedented in American history, currently at $14.9 trillion, surpassing our national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  No empire in history has ever survived this trend.  Empire America is in decline, her days are numbered, and everywhere people have a palpable sense of this reality.

Meanwhile, the only region in the United States that appears to be experiencing somewhat of a cultural and quasi-political revival is the Old South -- Dixieland.  While the rest of America rots away, Dixie is hanging on to life, and some of her patriots are actually talking about rebuilding a new independent South once the American Empire finally and inevitably collapses.  Does this explain the sudden rise in pro-Union anti-Confederate 'hate speech,' threats of violence and acts of vandalism?  Perhaps it does.  Perhaps the reason why this has all increased with such intensity is because some 'pro-Empire America' people are beginning to realise that the South is indeed rising again, and they view this revival as a threat.  In other words, Southern patriots are having an impact, and in these tough days of decline for the Empire, many pro-Union sympathizers are understandably discouraged, frustrated and angry.  It's not so much a sign of our persecution as patriotic Southerners, but rather a sign of our success in getting the message out.  We are having an impact.  It is positive.  It is gaining popularity.  Some people don't like that.  So showing their true colours as the hate-filled bigots they are, with no respect for the rule of law or Christian decency, they vandalise our monuments, desecrate our cemeteries, while they steal, burn and slander the symbols of our nation and our people.  Their rage gives them away.  Paraphrasing Shakespeare "Thou dost protest too much!"  They've unwittingly revealed their own weakness.  We (the South) are beginning to win this propaganda war (with the truth!), and that is starting to make them very uncomfortable.