Politically Correct Civil War Reenactments

A major Civil War battle was fought in 1864 in Franklin, TN. There are annual remembrances of this battle and those who fought and died in it, but this year, you better leave your Confederate flag and replica rifles at home:

FRANKLIN — A Confederate battle flag and the crack of rifle fire were two of the sights and sounds Civil War soldiers faced 140 years ago.

Yet top Franklin officials contend those things, each fraught with modern symbolism and conflicts, should not be present during a Nov. 30 ceremony to commemorate those killed during the 1864 Battle of Franklin.

Mayor Tom Miller is urging that a color guard planned for the event not fly the Confederate flag. Police Chief Jackie Moore wants re-enactors to keep their rifles away from the ceremony.

"In the strongest terms possible, let me suggest that flag not appear," Miller told officials Monday night during a committee meeting to approve funding for the event.

Afterward, Miller acknowledged he might face criticism.

But he said he wants to avoid controversy that might come from flying the flag.

Moore said he wants to keep rifles away because of security issues.

"I do have serious concerns about the safety and our being able as a police department to vouch that firearms used and borne in this event are safe," Moore said.

While both men say they want to avoid conflicts, their stances have raised thorny issues about race and history.

Anyone who insists on associating the Confederate flag with just racial issues is ignorant of the facts. Most soldiers who fought for the Confederacy were not fighting to preserve slavery. They were fighting to preserve the right of their states to decide for themselves how they wanted to live without Federal interference - otherwise known as state's rights. Poor education and political correctness has turned the Confederate flag into the symbol of racism.

Like it or not Confederate soldiers fought and died in Franklin, and their efforts deserve to be recognized with the flying of their battle flags.

As far as the rifles go, what are the reenactors supposed to do - stick out their pointer fingers and go "Bang!, Bang!" at each other. C'mon, cops, that's just stupid. I'm a bit of a Civil War buff and I'd love to see a full scale reenactment sometime. It must be quite a spectacle.

Let's leave the wannabe Civil War soldiers alone and let them have their event without stupid government interference.