Senator Bartle - "Hard to Celebrate" Union Victory
Matt Bartle, in a column (.pdf file) intended to dress himself in the flag of patriotism, writes:
On July 4, 1863, America was in the midst of the Civil War. The day before, on July 3rd the Union had won a decisive battle near the sleepy town of Gettysburg; followed the next day by a victory at Vicksburg. Yet it was hard to celebrate a victory that came at such a cost.
I guess he's right - in an era when the governor of the state of Missouri flies the Confederate flag, it's hard to celebrate a Union victory.
posted by Dan at 7/04/2005 10:33:00 AM
2 Comments:
You disappoint me. In the full context of the article, Bartle is discussing the horrible loss of life of 40,000 Americans at Gettysburg. He is discussing the death of Americans at Vicksburg - from both the Confederate and Union armies. You know that in this conflict, there were brothers fighting against brothers, neighbors against neighbors.
I hate the racism and slavery of the old South. If you read your history, though, there was more to the war than slavery. Even if there weren't, it would take a callous person not to be saddened by the horrible loss of life that occurred in that war. Its sad that the issues weren't resolved without the loss of life. Matt Bartle's comment does not make him a Confederate sympathizer or racist.
If your point is simply to make a jab at the governor for supporting a group who wanted to fly the Confederate flag, I can understand that. But Bartle's comments in the column you cite do not put him in the same camp.
Res - sorry I disappointed you. And, in a way, I have to admit that it's a bit of a cheapshot to link Matt Bartle to the pro-Confederacy Republicans. Except that he is in their same party, and, as far as I can tell, took no steps to thwart or even distance himself from Blunt's disgusting flirtation with racists.
I read what Bartle wrote, and it was a lame attempt to equate the American Civil War with the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
I really don't know whether Matt Bartle is a Confederate sympathizer. I do know, however, that he is a member of a party that is influenced by Confederate sympathizers.
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