Ozarks Alive: Advocating the Death of Our Heritage

While scrolling through Facebook today an article published by Ozarks Alive caught my eye. The article entitled "Just My Opinion: Thoughts on the Confederate Battle Flag" written by Kaitlyn McConnell, a self-described "seventh generation "Ozarker". As suspected the article was more about "feelings" than facts. McConnell writes:

While I can’t speak for all African-Americans, I don’t think I would be. I wouldn’t know why the flag was being flown. I wouldn’t know if I would be seen as equal because of my skin.

I would know that the people there cared so little about my feelings that they chose to fly it. - Kaitlyn McConnell

"Today, I feel it’s impossible to separate the issue of racism from the flag.

People who fly the flag may passionately say they simply do it for the aforementioned reasons. That it’s about exercising their rights; that they see all people as equal; and that they would never, ever look down on someone because they are a different color. That it’s about heritage, not hate.

But let me ask: If you were African-American, and were out driving around on a back road and your car broke down, would you feel comfortable approaching a home with a Confederate flag to ask for help?

While I can’t speak for all African-Americans, I don’t think I would be. I wouldn’t know why the flag was being flown. I wouldn’t know if I would be seen as equal because of my skin.

I would know that the people there cared so little about my feelings that they chose to fly it.

To me, that fact illustrates the issue with Confederate flags today. If this flag really represents something other than racist attitudes — and we truly feel that all people deserve to be treated equally — can’t we find another symbol to use instead?"

I seriously doubt that Black Lives Matter cares about my feelings. In fact they have proven that they don't. All one has to do is look at the Confederate monuments that have been taken down or vandalised  in Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana ,Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina and Texas.

When  "feelings" determine the decision making process one runs the risk of giving up more than originally intended. On the other side of the spectrum, one who gets what they want on the basis of their feelings are seldom satisfied.

Case in point: No sooner had New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu ordered the removal of four Confederate monuments in the "Crescent City", protestors demanded more.  On August 19, 2017 Breitbart news reported:

"Although Mayor Mitch Landrieu already removed four Civil War-era monuments throughout the city, as Breitbart Texas reported, Black Lives Matter leaders say it was not enough."

The August 19, 2017 report also quoted the protestors as saying:

"The mayor did a half-ass job,” one activist told the crowd. “He proposed removing four, and there’s many more. So four is not enough.”

And

"BLM and Take ‘Em Down NOLA have previously stormed the Jackson monument, chanting “No justice, no peace” and “F*ck the police."

A recent poll by National Public Radio (NPR) recently found that a whopping 62 percent of Americans oppose the removal of historical monuments."

General Andrew Jackson (later President) was the hero of the War of 1812 predating the Civil War (and the Confederacy) by 49 years.

Now that we've discussed feelings, let us turn our attention to facts.

The Confederate flag is a Christian symbol. Information found on the Southern Party of Georgia website states that the Confederate Battle Flag was inspired by the St. Andrew's cross.

St. Andrew's Cross, the flag of Scotland

"Saint Andrew was the first apostle of Jesus Christ. Brother of Simon Peter, and follower of John the Baptist. He went through life leading people to Jesus, both before and after the Crucifixion. Saint Andrew was a missionary in Asia Minor and Greece, and possibly areas in modern Russia and Poland. Martyred on a saltier (x-shaped) cross, he is said to have preached for two days from it..."When the Pictish King Angus faced a large invading army, he prayed for guidance. A white cloud in the form of a saltier cross floated across the blue sky above him. Angus won a decisive victory, and decreed that Andrew would be the patron saint of his country."

The Scots-Irish settled the Upper South section of the United States , an area that includes Appalachia and the Ozarks. They are a people who have a history of being independent. It is part of what makes our area unique and it also explains why Kaitlyn McConnell has seen so many Confederate flags in our region.  I think it is safe to say most of these people would not take too kindly of her telling them what to do.

I don't know if Mrs. McConnell is motivated by feelings or financial reasons but (to me) it seems she has a vision of making the Ozarks one big Bransonesque tourist attraction at the expense of our history.

 Most Missourians joined the ranks of the Southern Army and Partisan fighters because their families were attacked.

Missouri lost 1/3 of its population during this conflict yet many do not realize that a large number of Missouri's prominent Unionists were slave owners. At the same time no one will ever convince me that any poor Missouri farmer joined the ranks of the Confederacy so that a rich man could own a slave.

Clint Lacy- is the author of Blood in the Ozarks: Union War Crimes Against Southern Sympathizers and Civilians in Occupied Missouri.