Originally posted by Cohibacristo: If it wasn't for Nathan Bedford Forrest, we wouldn't have Forrest Gump!
Forrest Gump? let's see, he played football for the University of Alabama under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, won the Congressional Medal of Honor in Vietnam, and became a millionaire. I would have to say thats one hell of a list of accomplishments for anyone regardless of their mental capacity.
*********************** "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Anonymous
OMR probably does require a few meds to assimulate into today's society, but he deserves credit. He has presented facts which others can only refute by saying its our southern pride and history.
Still, I ponder why he initiated the thead in the first place. If he wants to boycott Jack Daniels, may I suggest Jim Beam Black. Much smoother and its made in Kentucky.
- - - - - - - Life is all about ass - you're either covering it, laughing it off, kicking it, kissing it, busting it, trying to get a piece of it, behaving like one, or you live with one!
1. To punish CAO for NBF? Are you sure you're smoking tobacco?
2. I lived in Alabama for several years, and discovered a huge diversity of opinions and passions as to why the CSA sought independence. Many soldiers fought for states' rights and state loyalty, others had financial interests at stake.
3. NBF was a remarkable tactician, and a cold blooded murderer and racist. Ask a Civil War historian about the Fort Pillow Massacre. I guess you can admire him for military brilliance in the same way one could admire Joachim Pieper, the SS general who helped to lead the '44 Ardennes Offensive, and who was responsible for the Malmedy Massacre.
It is unfortunate that many low life racist groups like the KKK use the Confederate flag and General Forrest as icons. I believe they are misrepresenting the Confederate flag and General Forrest. I also believe the more the general population view these as icons of these trash racist organizations the more these groups use these icons for their own twisted opinions about race relations in our country. The more people like OMR are offended by these icons the more they are misrepresented and is a never ending assault on the Confederate flag and GeneraL Forrest like we see on this thread. You are just playing into the hands of these worthless racist groups.
Is it fair to judge a person who lived 100 or 200 years ago by todays standards? What about the Founding Fathers of our country? Most of them were slave owners soooooo does this mean they were racist? What about George Washington, father of our country, he was a slave owner as was Thomas Jefferson.
As far as the Ft Pillow Massacre goes, it was in responce to commanders from the north ordering the murder of any and all soldiers under the command of General Forrest when captured. This was not the case with SS General Pieper and the Malmedy Massacre.
*********************** "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Anonymous
The Joint Committee of the Conduct of the War concluded that soldiers under Forrest's command had shot most of the garrison after the fort's surrender, and that several of the wounded were intentionally burned to death or buried alive.
Also, although 60% of the white Federals soldiers at Ft. Pillow were taken prisoner, only 20% of black Federal soldiers were taken prisoner.
Fort Pillow prompted Lincoln to insist that the CSA treat captured black Federal soldiers as prisoners of war, the CSA refused, and prisoner exchange ended between the United States and the CSA.
But perhaps you'd be happy to know that my coffee cup at work flies the Stars and Bars...
I can certainly agree with you that one can't condense the entirety of the Confederate cause as racist. It was an entirely different manner by which Americans viewed their identity - the notion of a continental national identity that we have today really didn't exist.
During my stay in Alabama, I did learn to appreciate "Fightin' Joe" Wheeler...and Gibson's BBQ in Decatur!
