Governor McDonnell's Rebel Yell

Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell is being said to have "stumbled" badly with his decision to announce that April would be "Confederate History Month" in Virginia. McDonnell's office issued a proclamation to that effect, one that, unbelievably, managed to omit any mention whatsoever of slavery. The governor then, when confronted with an entirely predictable uproar, tried to rationalize the omission by explaining that "There were any number of aspects to that conflict between the states. Obviously, it involved slavery. It involved other issues. But I focused on the ones I thought were most significant for Virginia." He then dug himself in deeper by mentioning tourism as being a significant factor in his calculations.

I am wrestling with this a bit as I try to decide how to approach it. First of all, I am not at all convinced that McDonnell was in any way surprised by the reaction to his proclamation. The governor, or at least someone in his office, had to know that there would be a ferocious backlash almost immediately. That they chose to go ahead, regardless of the consequences, leads me to almost believe that they welcomed the controversy. It is not exactly a secret that McDonnell is being outflanked on his right by Virginia's attorney general Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II. So, what better way to shore up your conservative bona fides then by invoking the glorious "Lost Cause"? It really is quite ingenious. First you issue a proclamation that is sure to provoke a strong reaction from just about everybody. Then, weather the storm for a day or two before making the obligatory apology, followed up by calls to various civil-rights leaders.

My decision to use images of both the Confederate Battle Flag, and the battle flag of the Third Reich, is obviously designed to provoke an emotional response. Southerners will undoubtedly cry foul, and condemn any association with a government as odious as Hitler's. The point that I'm trying to get across is simply that both flags stand for things that are basically repulsive to a good many people. During the Civil Rights Era, the rebel flag was used by opponents of desegregation as a symbol of defiance, and it is impossible to ignore that history. My thinking is that both flags should be consigned to museums where they can be used for educational purposes. They should not be flying over government buildings in either the United States or Germany. Yes, they are a part of history, but it is not a history that anyone should be celebrating.