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Mike Moser Let's let the dead One of my favorite books and movies is To
Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The book is a classic, and
the movie is an all-time favorite that starred Gregory Peck in
the role of Atticus Finch. Near the end of this wonderful movie when
Atticus and Sheriff Heck Tate debate how to best approach the
death of Bob Ewell in the presence of Arthur "Boo"
Radley and Jem, Sheriff Tate in frustration finally says, "Atticus,
let the dead bury the dead." It is a powerful and pivotal moment, and in
real life the human race would be so much the better if we would
adopt this simple truism as a way of life. This week I received from the fax machine
of Heritage Covenant Schools, under the letter head of the Tennessee
League of the South, a press release calling for reparations
for Southerners for so-called war atrocities by the Union against
Confederates. I find that perplexing, the proposal raising
a host of emotions from sadness to incredulousness. The release said TLS is petitioning Congress
to conduct a thorough, non-partisan study examining the long-neglected
injustices arising from the war crimes committed across the South
from 1861-'65 during which the private property of non-combatants
was ravaged, burned, stolen and destroyed as a deliberate policy
of an unconstitutional war of invasion, conquest and occupation. It has been said by a participant in the Civil
War that it is good that war is so horrible; otherwise we would
grow to like it. I thought that was what war was all about.
Someone wins, someone loses. Someone is the conqueror and someone
conquered. War is war, and where does the thought process come
from that reasons anyone is due money for damages suffered in
a national conflict held over 100 years ago? I am sorry, but
I find all this incredulous and so short-sighted that I have
trouble bringing a logical response to such an illogical request. Since receiving the fax I have wondered if
TLS's position is a response to some requesting money for atrocities
suffered by slaves at the hands of slaveholders. That is equally
incredulous. History is littered with the evil doings of
men. Where would you begin to try and make things right with
dollars? Would the sufferings of all parties in these issues
be cheapened by the offering of cash to even the slate? And what
precedence requires any country to take such action? My goodness, it was war! What does the Tennessee
League of the South expect - mint juleps in the shade of magnolia
trees? And better yet, is TLS trying to say all the atrocities
were confined to one side? My great-great-grandfather suffered horribly
from a wound to the hip during the Red River campaign and siege
of Vicksburg. He nearly died and took a full year to recover.
His son was wounded in the shoulder during Sherman's March to
the Sea. Who is going to pay me for my ancestors' suffering? And if we are going to talk about the evil
one man did on another, let's talk about Andersonville or Johnson
Island. Movies may glorify war but reality tells us
there is nothing worse we can do as nations than to release armies
on each other. Bad things will happen, on both sides, and that
is the plain, cold, hard truth. Congress has more important issues than to be tied up in some frivolous claim that someone didn't fight a war fairly. Let's let the dead bury the dead and get on with taking care of today and tomorrow. |