Regressive Uber-Patriot Gets Schooled....Then Typically Fails To Respond

What is an Uber-patriot? 

The best explanation would be a Leftist regressive who uses the mantle of extreme patriotism - in this case blind devotion to and allegiance to government rather than principle of law and its origins - to put themselves unjustly above those they feel do not meet their own dubious standards of loyalty. 

Today's delicate little snowflake is an Uber-patriot named Curtis Fiers of Atlanta. A Leftwing writer and anti-Confederate heritage reactionary who recently posted quite the little manefesto on why he doesn't feel Confederate soldiers should be honored on US Memorial Day - or any other day for that matter.

Naturally, his post was put on a page that has no comment section and no way to respond to his poorly thought out talking points. These folks don't like counter-arguments at any rate. So, as usual I will post the entirety of the mindless rant, adding to it in red my responses in detail.

Please enjoy.

http://reverbpress.com/discovery/confederate-veterans-memorial-day/

5 Reasons I Don’t Give a Sh*t About Confederate Deaths On Memorial Day

Alternate Topic: I am A Self-Hating Crybaby Snowflake

Memorial Day started out as a way to commemorate those who had lost their lives during the American Civil War.
It started out largely due to the efforts of Southern women to honor the Confederate dead in point of fact. Later it was adopted by Union officers and veterans to honor their own dead. There is debate about who and where the first Memorial Day service took place, one that I will address in some detail in a future blog post. 
After World War I, this day of remembrance was expanded to honor all individuals who had served and died in American wars.
Actually it started about the turn of the century after the Spanish-American War of 1898. You were only off by a couple decades though. 
Individuals in the South — the place I myself call home — like to claim that they began the tradition of Memorial Day after the “War of Northern Aggression.”
Uh, I think I just said that. 
But while it may not be the most popular opinion on Memorial Day, (truth rarely is popular these days in America unfortunately) I literally couldn’t care less about the Confederate soldiers who lost their lives over 150 years ago.
The fact you can say that and claim to call the South your home makes me pity you to no end dude.

Confederate Veterans on Memorial Day?

To the areas that were once Confederate states, Memorial Day served as a time to remember deceased soldiers of the Confederate States of America. The day would eventually become a time of reflection for soldiers on both sides, and a few kind ladies from Mississippi undoubtedly had a role in this tradition by placing flowers on the bare graves of Union soldiers in 1866.

Actually soldiers on BOTH sides have always been honored since there were a number of Southern-born Unionists who did serve in the blue uniform. Not to mention plenty of Yankee dead buried on Southern soil....you know because they were the invader for the most part. Southerners have always honored and tended the dead of the Union soldiers because we show respect to our "guests" - even the uninvited ones. Your statement is a factual error - no doubt one of many more to come. 

In all honesty, though, I simply cannot force myself to reflect kindly or even remember fondly those who fell in service to the Confederacy. 

That is your perogative  - narrow-minded and reactionary such as it is. 

Now, don’t think that this is some sort of outrageous statement trying to get attention.

Its not? 

There are actually several reasons I don’t care about the Confederate fallen. In fact, here they are.

Now for the fun part.....NOT!

 

1. They were fighting for slavery: You may find this hard to believe, but there are actually people out there who deny that the Civil War was over slavery. 

I am not one of them in point of fact. 

In fact, a 2011 Pew Research poll found that 48 percent of Americans believed the war was over states’ rights. Yeah… states’ rights to own slaves.

Wow, never heard that clever little play on words before....oh wait, I have about a million times from other regressive little nobodies who thought it was amusing anyone but the two other friends they play around with. 

Maybe actually look up the definition of the term itself, go back and read the Federalist Papers and other documents from the Founding Fathers to the time before the War. Then maybe you can pretend to stand with the learned and sound like you know what you are talking about. 

There is undeniable proof the Civil War was about slavery, 

More like undeniable proof the events leading up to secession were largely about slavery. But secession itself didn't cause the War. The war itself was started over territorial disputes concerning Federal forts between two distinct American governments.  

so even discussing this is pointless. 

A single point of agreement, who knew?

In the words of the Confederacy itself, the war was over slavery. 

Secessionist documents and the words of certain politicians do not constitute the "Confederacy itself". Perhaps you mean the Confederate government? In that you could have a point, but your wording and turn of phrase is terrible.
I’m sorry, but I find it difficult to honor anyone who was fighting to keep humans as property. 

I take it then you don't honor the Americans who fought for the Continental Army, the veterans of the US military between 1787 - 1861, nor the Southern-born Unionists in so-called "border states" where slavery was still legal until 1865 either. 

 

2. Memorial Day is for American military: It’s funny to hear some southerners (you mean Southerners - emphasis on the capital - don't you son?) call the Civil War the “War of Northern Aggression.” Actually I prefer the War Between The States - you know, because that is the formal name of the War used by the US Congress. 

It’s almost as if they think the Confederacy was a legitimate country whose rights were trampled upon by the United States.

Weeeeeeell......yup, pretty much were, from a certain point of view.

You know what? Okay, let’s give that to them.

We thank you for the concession. 

If the Confederate States of America was a real country, that means that its soldiers were not American citizens. 

If the Confederacy remained a country until their surrender, it means that every man who died for the south did so while the Confederacy was a separate entity from the U.S.. This means that not a single soldier in the South was an American citizen when they died.

Nice try, but no cigar. This is where you and other Leftist "uber-patriots" always seem to get it wrong.

The term "American" does not belong exclusively to the United States government. People born in what was the Original 13 British American colonies - while even at the time British subjects - considered themselves "Americans" long before there even WAS a US government. 

The men and boys who fought for the Confederacy never denied themselves the proud title of American - even the Confederate State of AMERICA as a government still went with the term American. 

If that’s the case, then Memorial Day isn’t for them. After all, we don’t remember the fallen Revolutionary-era British on Memorial Day. Actually, some people in the US east coast DO in fact honor the British and Loyalist dead on certain days. Need to do more research here, kiddo.

We don’t honor Al-Qaeda just because they’re involved in battles with us.

Just about all members of Al-Queda are foreign-born enemies who were never born in America - your comparison is as pointless as it is obscene. 

Heck, we don’t even mention the Native Americans we fought for land so many years ago, and they were actually the good guys.

Much like your other argument about the British dead, this one is also quite wrong. Native Americans are honored all the time by people - many of whom are not themselves Indians. matter of fact Southerners are among the first to honor Native Americans...especially those who fought for Dixie. 

 

Thomas Cherokee Legion Veterans - CSA.

Again you do need to research your asinine statements a bit more, this just gets embarrassing. 

We honor Americans on Memorial Day — except for fallen Native Americans defending their land, of course (see previous statement contradicting your little error here) — and if you think the Confederacy was its own nation, then your guys don’t count. 

That is your wrong-thinking, reactionary opinion, little man. 

You don’t get to retroactively rejoin the party just because your party sucked. 

Know this from real life experience do you?These men were just another series of unlucky souls who took on #TeamAmerica.
And here I thought hashtags weren't invented until a few years ago. Derp!

 

3. We don’t honor traitors: For Reason 2, we played out a fairy tale in which southerners got to imagine that the Confederacy was a legitimate country, but now we have to but on our “big boy pants” and come back to the real world. The simple fact of the matter is that every single soldier who fought for the Confederacy was a traitor.

Ah now comes the Uber-Patriotism. Let's get out our Chinese-made fireworks, put on our US flag caps (also probably Chinese made), cross our eyes and chant: USA! USA! USA!  

There’s no doubt that there were southern (again capitalize the S in Southern) soldiers fighting for something other than slavery. General Lee simply stood by what he viewed as his homeland. Some soldiers undoubtedly fought with the idea that they were protecting their families. 

The majority of letters home and personal diaries more than attest to that, but then again most know this, even regressive historians who vilify the Confederate soldier grudgingly admit this is accurate. 

Whatever their reasoning, though, they were willfully taking up arms against the United States of America.

Against being invaded by the United States of America certainly. I don't deny that to be true.

As it turns out, treason is the only crime that the United States Constitution specifically defines, like this:

“Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort…”

Additionally, Chapter 115 of Title 18 of the United States Code further states:

“Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason…”

You do realize, of course, that these particular codes in their current form were written well AFTER the conclusion of the War ended. No? Oooh, well, again you might wanna do some research into these codes and their origins. 

More so, I would advise you to look up the US Supreme Court case Brown Vs. Texas (1869) which ruled secession legally unconstitutional. The significance? Prior to the War the legal issue over the so-called right of secession was never settled. This case - one made FOUR YEARS AFTER THE WAR ENDED - closed the discussion. 

Now I don't know what rule of law you believe in - being a Leftist I have little doubt your view of that changes with the next person you talk to - but in the land where we wear our big-boy pants, a person cannot legally be charged with, nor declared guilty of an alleged "crime" if said "crime" hasn't been formally made illegal. 

Your argument has fallen flat on its face and broken its nose pal. LMAO! 

 

These men, who were American citizens by birth or naturalization, picked up arms and levied war against America.

Again we established that the US Government isn't in and of itself America. America belongs to WE THE PEOPLE, not to government. 

This is the very definition of treason. 

Which I pointed out was false. 

When Memorial Day rolls around, we don’t celebrate or commemorate Benedict Arnold or the Americans who fought for the Nazis in World War II, so why on earth should we do this for our homegrown traitors?

ROFL! Oh man! Dude, I really hate to do this to you....no wait, I don't!

America DOES in fact commemorate the efforts of Benedict Arnold at the Saratoga National Battlefield. There's even a neat little monument too. Further at least one US college DOES in fact commemorate alumni who fought for Nazi Germany in WW2 and in the First World War as well. And the butthurt continues for you. 

 

4. They weren’t war casualties: One of the main reasons I don’t honor or respect fallen Confederate soldiers is again related to the very definition of treason. 

Since your definition of "treason" was soundly torn apart, this one will likely have little foundation in reality either. 

I left out a key part earlier: the punishment for levying war against the United States. If you are guilty of treason, the law says that you

“shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000.”

The traitorous soldiers who survived got lucky. The war lasted 4 years, 3 weeks, and 6 days. 

Depending on which group surrendered in 1865 from Lee at Appomattox to the CSS Sheandoah in Liverpool, and which one a person considers the last surrender, that time frame is subject to much debate.  

This means that a Confederate soldier could have been captured and imprisoned on the first day of the war and still not have served the minimum sentence that modern-day traitors serve. In case you missed the first part of that punishment, though, take another look. They actually wrote it down a few times:

“such person or persons shall be adjudged guilty of treason against the United States, and shall suffer death.”

That’s right: death. There’s no doubt that every soldier in the Confederacy was committing treason, and if they were killed during the conflict, we shouldn’t consider this a military or war-related death. We should consider it a lawful execution. 

Try asking yourself why the Union didn't just round up all of the Confederate soldiers and servicemen and mass execute them like the Nazis, Soviets, Vietcong, and Maoists did to their so-called "traitors" and undesirables? The answer would be that maybe the Union government realized that they had no legal or moral ground to stand on to do so. Maybe they knew something that you didn't skippy? 

Moses Dunbar was executed for high treason against America, and you don’t see us celebrating him during Memorial Day.

Considering that Moses Dunbar was executed before there was a US Government, let along any of your vaunted US Codes, and about eight decades before there even WAS a Memorial Day I have no idea where you are going with this. Your argument is losing coherence. 

Wait, do you not recognize the name of Moses Dunbar?

Actually I do, but then again I know as much about the American Revolutionary War as I do about the War Between the States. 

There’s a very good reason behind that: traitors aren’t meant to be remembered. Traitors are meant to disappear into the fabric of time.

Then what is your point about Benedict Arnold, who is quite well remembered despite of - and because of - his treason.  

Every soldier who went into battle under the Confederate flag was a traitor, and thus, they have no right to be remembered on OUR Memorial Day.

Were it not for those Confederate soldiers and their widows you would not even HAVE a Memorial Day - FYI. Of course, many Southern States honor Confederate Memorial Day as a separate holiday for these men, so maybe that should be the case? Is that your argument here?

5. Because the South will “rise again”: Let’s pretend I could forgive the treason. Let’s just say I could forgive the fighting for the right to own other human beings. Let’s even pretend that I could forgive the hubris that led these individuals to think that they could just form their own country because they didn’t like perfectly reasonable laws.

While we are at it, let's pretend you aren't talking out of your ass. Let's say that I could feel anything more than pity at your weak ineffectual talking points. Let's even pretend that I don't feel sorry for you as a lost Southerner. 

Even if I could forgive ALL of that, I simply couldn’t forgive these individuals for spawning generations of people who blame the North for the war and throw out inept statements like “The South will rise again!” Had southerners (Southerners for the third time) of the time simply said “Okay, you’re probably right. We shouldn’t own people,” there would be no Confederate pride or rebel flags waving on the back of giant pickup trucks.

And now we get to the meat of your particular butthurt....no pun intended. 

What we have here is you, a man (and I say that loosely) who has accepted the worst of his ancestry as truth; who feels a great deal of self-pity, self-hatred, and worse - imagined "guilt" that it eats him up badly. So badly he has to lash out at the world and at those who feel pride in their ancestry because he has nothing in his heart and mind but a massive - and utterly useless - inferiority complex. 

Because of the Confederacy, I have to deal with this stupidity on a nearly daily basis, simply because they instilled this idea of the south as a rebel who will rise to the occasion and break free from the yoke of Northern tyranny. 

Wow, projecting quite a bit about what you think that term means, aren't we? 

Remember last time they tried that? Between 600,000 and 800,000 Americans lost their lives, and that I can never forgive them for. 

Whoa! Wait a minute?!  

Um, didn't you just try to tell us all earlier that the Confederate soldiers we "not Americans" and offer what you claimed were proofs of that? So, since about 360,000 of those numbers mentioned were in fact acknowledged by you to be Americans....dude, can't you try and be at least a little bit consistent? Or is your head really so far up your behind you can't see the contradiction?

The south will rise again? All right, y’all have fun with that. I’m moving to New York.

Please don't let the door hit you where the Good Lord split you. 

Well folks, there y'all have it. Another hater schooled with just a little Southern Fried Common Sense.  

Naturally, I sent my responses to this guy in hopes of inviting debate, or at least a reasoned response. I have gotten neither so far. Will update you should I ever do.  

Happy US Memorial Day 2015

US Memorial Day is a national holiday formally recognized on the last Monday in the month of May, and honors the service of all US servicemen and women who fought and died in all of America's wars, and all those who wore the uniform of the various services of the US military.

In memory of those who fought and died, those who never came home, take time out from your barbeques and family gatherings to remember these men and women for their proud service in defense of American freedom and constitutional ideals.

While you take time out today think about those US Veterans both living and those laying on US flag decorated graves, also remember that as disgraceful as it is, some of our US veterans today have no jobs, some are homeless or living on government assistance. It's a disgrace that in one of the most prosperous countries on this earth that those who volunteered to defend this nation of ours should be in poverty, or homeless. Many denied medical and mental care resulting from said service in our defense.

You can however help in a small way by donating to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Thank You And Have A Happy US Memorial Day 2015!

Night Sky Photography -- 05-23/24-2015 -- Luna, Jupiter & Venus On Memorial Day Weekend 2015

Photographs taken of the planets Venus and Jupiter with the Moon (Luna) over US Memorial Day weekend. The second photograph also includes the bright star Regulus. Both photographs were taken at 9:00 PM EST.

The Turtle Road Rescue Project

What is your first instinct when you see a turtle cross a highway, or even a country road?

(1) Do you move around it?

(2) Do you keep going forward too concerned about going out of control by swerving and hoping you don't hit it?

(3) Do you take an opportunity to use your vehicle's wheels to show off how much of a wannabe badass you think you are, or want people to think you are, regardless of how pathetic and petty such a cruel and inhuman act would be?

(4) Do you take the time to pull over and help the little fella across the road: either by picking it up and moving it, or simply helping direct traffic around it while the critter makes it slow journey across the hot summer tarmac?

Growing up in upstate South Carolina, I've seen all of these events done at one time or another, and in many unfortunate cases, I've witnessed both the actions and terrible results of numbers two and three.

When I was a little boy, I would ride my bicycle around the outskirts of town, along the bypass and back-roads. Occasionally I would see an Eastern Box Turtle, or some other species crossing the hot asphalt. I would pull over and help take the turtles cross the road before it would get run over. I would end up helping about half a dozen a year, on average. I could never stand to see one that had been run over - worse, I've seen more than just a few that had been killed, mostly by drivers who would actually go out of their way to run them over. This act is far more common place than one would realize. The results of such actions are leading to a very high mortality rate and a sharp decline in the species.

Once I found a Box Turtle that had been wounded by a careless driver. It's shell smashed and one leg crushed. I managed to find a box and took it to the vet. Eventually I helped nurse the now 3-legged box turtle back to health and then by the end of summer took him to Landsford Canal State Park and turned him loose near the Catawba River. Years later I would learn that while my actions relocating the turtle from where I found him were good intentioned, it's not always advisable for their survival...the reasons for which I will address below.

Now as an adult I continue to be a part of a very personal conservation project, one shared by others across America, to help prevent the needless injuries and deaths of these mostly harmless and inoffensive creatures. 

About American Box Turtle

The American Box Turtle is made up of four different species: carloina, ornata, nelsoni and coahulia. Of these four species, only two are commonly found and include ornata (Western Box Turtle) and carolina, of which where are six subspecies, four of which are common to the United States. These subspecies include: Terrapene carolina carolina (Common Eastern Box Turtle), Terrapene carolina trunguis (Three Toad Box Turtle), Terrapene carolina major (Gulf Coast Box Turtle), and Terrapene carolina bauri (Florida Box Turtle).

The range of the Common Eastern Box Turtle can be found from the US State of Maine to Georgia and westward to Michigan, Illinois, and Tennessee. The Three Toad Box Turtle is commonly found in Texas, Alabama and as far north as Missouri. The Gulf Coast Box Turtle is also found in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and western Florida. The Florida Box Turtle is exclusive to the State of Florida.

    The Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina).

During the year, turtles can usually be seen crossing roads between late April - early May till October. In the spring, male turtles are looking for mates and territory to call their own, while females are looking for places to nest. During late summer and fall, hatchlings are digging up from nests, seeking water and later on males and females are seeking places to hibernate for the winter. Sometimes they migrate to a more suitable spot to live.

For whatever reasons turtles are traveling, their destination and range can take them miles away from the water they live in. With more and more human development, turtles must cross more busy roads. This is one of the many reasons that these species are now listed an nearly threatened and endangered.

How You Can Help 

We can help these creatures by taking just a few minutes out of our day to protect them. But in doing so, one should be aware of several safety rules and certain protocols in dealing with turtles.

First of all, be careful. Busy streets and highways are dangerous for both the turtles and would be rescuers alike. Put on your hazard lights and pull your vehicle all the way off the road. Make certain that other drivers see you before stepping onto the road. An orange or yellow safety vest is also advisable. Thick work gloves are optional. I keep a pair in the compartment of my passenger door for just such occasions.

When picking up small, or medium-sized turtle, grasp it on either side of its shell behind the front legs. The turtle will still be able to kick at you, though many will choose to stay safely tucked in during the short time you are moving them. (I find that if you tap lightly on the top of their shell they will usually retreat long enough to move them to safety and keep you from being scratched, or bitten.)

Keep the turtle low to the ground when moving them. Small turtles have surprising strength. If a turtle manages to push free from your grip, you don't want it to fall far and injure itself. 

If you are dealing with a large turtle, like Snapping Turtles and Cooters, they can be a bit aggressive and you might not want to attempt picking it up by hand, turtles can reach almost halfway around their bodies with their neck and head. But you can still help it across the road. If you have a pickup, or larger truck, or vehicle, sometimes keeping a wide shovel could be handy in this case. Try to get the turtle on the shovel and then just drag the shovel on the pavement until you reach the other side. If you don't have a shovel, one of your car's rubber floor mats will do the same trick.

Be Careful Not To Hurt Them When You Do This! Sometimes They Will Crawl On The Shovel Themselves. 

Another thing, if you are dealing with a Snapping Turtle, or any other kind of turtle, never pick them up by the tail! You can inadvertently cause them injury to their spines this way.

One important thing, always move them in the same direction they were traveling and set them down. Do not try to relocate them. While this might seem like a good idea, it can actually cause several big problems. Turtles that are relocated and released box turtles have a very strong homing instinct and will try to return to their home territory. This frequently forces the turtle to cross roads, increasing their mortality rate. Also, relocating turtles can spread diseases from one population to another. So, if you find a turtle, just leave it where it is, even if you feel it would be better off in another location.

If you find a turtle that has been wounded by a car, carefully slide it on a shovel, floor mat, or other flat surface - do not try to pick them up by hand - and take it to the nearest veterinarian, or wildlife conservation center for treatment. When you transport them, be sure to do so in a box with a wet towel or damp paper towels to keep them moist and calm. Never transport an injured turtle in water, they could drown. Hopefully they can be saved and then returned to their home territory.

Finally, please do not take them home as pets.They need to be left in the wild. The ecosystem needs them. If you take a turtle out of the wild, then its no longer there to play its role in the environment and to breed with other turtles to sustain the population. While it may live a long life in an aquarium - the average Eastern Box Turtle can live over 100 years (WOW!) - by taking it out of the environment, you will have eliminated an animal from its population - a population that is sadly on the decline. Also, proper care for turtles is not common knowledge. Many pet turtles become sick in captivity. The best thing you can do for a turtle is leave it right where you found it.

It is not a big deal to take just a minute out of your life long enough to help the turtle population. Indeed, this is but a small part that one can do for overall turtle conservation efforts, but one that anyone can do Just remember to do it properly and help protect one of America's oldest species from the very realistic prospect of extinction. 

Thank You.