MyThreeSons Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 I am still trying to take it all in. I was there when the Confederate Battle Flag was brought down from in front of the South Carolina statehouse this morning. I am so glad that I made the effort to get up early and drive down there. What an experience it was! 24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Oh how neat! You have something to tell your grandchildren. How very cool! Good job getting up early!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Wow! What a great event to witness in person! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 :hurray: As a historian-in-training, I have a request. Would you please write down your experiences and feelings about today, just like diary form. That type of information is so vital to history and with an event like this it will be valuable to the future to have several perspectives. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 I'm glad you went. That was important. On a related note, I visited the Civil Rights Museum in Atlanta today. It was a very powerful experience. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 I am still trying to take it all in. I was there when the Confederate Battle Flag was brought down from in front of the South Carolina statehouse this morning. I am so glad that I made the effort to get up early and drive down there. What an experience it was! How very cool! I just watched the video about an hour ago. I got choked up watching a black man take away that symbol of racism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 That's great!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 :hurray: As a historian-in-training, I have a request. Would you please write down your experiences and feelings about today, just like diary form. That type of information is so vital to history and with an event like this it will be valuable to the future to have several perspectives. I have begun to do so. I have shared some on Facebook, and will copy over here if you're interested. I actually wrote an "essay" the night before to explain why I felt compelled to go. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I have begun to do so. I have shared some on Facebook, and will copy over here if you're interested. I actually wrote an "essay" the night before to explain why I felt compelled to go. It would be a great addition to the other thread I created. (I created that thread because I was interested in your story and wanted to give others an opportunity to share their stories without derailing your thread.) Please, share! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 Here is what I wrote Thursday evening: Throughout this week, I have heard a lot of people talk about “honoring our heritageâ€. Tomorrow morning, the Confederate Battle flag will be removed from its position flying outside the South Carolina statehouse. I feel compelled to be there, to watch this historic event. This evening, I realized that by being there, I will be honoring my heritage. No, I don’t know of any family members who fought for the Confederacy. Or the Union, either. But, here are some stories of the heritage of my family: My great-grandmother came to the United States in the late 1800s. She loved America, and was the matriarch of her family. During World War II, her family was questioned by the authorities, because someone had reported them for being spies. Her “crime†was that she kept a world map on the wall, and every evening she gathered the family together to listen to the news from the war fronts, using the map to trace the movements of our troops. This was considered suspicious activity, simply because her last name was of Italian origin. Granny was able to show that she was a loyal American, supporting our country. And she stayed loyal to her adopted country throughout her long life. Also during that same war, my grandfather spoke out against the internment of Japanese-Americans. My mother, as a little girl, stood and watched – confused -- as some of her friends and classmates were loaded onto buses and sent away. My grandfather refused to take part in the buying of his neighbors’ possessions at greatly reduced prices as they hurriedly sold what they couldn’t take with them. He turned down a lucrative business offer during the war because the reputation of his family name was more important than the money he would have made. He was a man of integrity. (He was also a great story-teller, but that’s another topic…) My father is my hero. He was raised in a small town in the middle of the country, where narrowly held views of “others†were rampant. He grew up hearing some awful things about people of different races and nationalities. He was able to overcome those prejudices as he moved away to go to college, then served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, and finally settled in another state. He taught me that we don’t judge people by the color of their skin, by their nationality or ethnicity, by their economic status, or any other such thing. He taught me to do the right thing, even if it’s not the popular thing. He taught me to treat people as I’d like to be treated. He taught me that we must use our words carefully, to build up and not tear down others. He taught me that we can disagree with someone on an issue and still be civil. He taught me that honesty and integrity were important. He taught me to take a quick inventory of myself at the end of the day, to confess any wrongdoing, and vow to do better the next day. I hope that I have done well in passing along this heritage to my three sons. I have taught them that we use the word “hate†only when referring to a sin or injustice. (Or sometimes the Dodgers or Yankees.) I trust that Granny Ida, Pa and Dad would be proud of the young men they have grown to be. I know that I am! So tomorrow, I plan to honor both my ancestors and my sons as I go to Columbia to observe that flag coming down. Joe, John, and Timothy -- please don't lose sight of your heritage. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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