Monday, January 18, 2010

Lee-Jackson-King Day

Yup, that's what today is called here in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Kinda embarrassing.  We had to add in Lee and Jackson, as if to save face, and ended up with egg on our face instead. 

Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson both have huge memorial markers along Monument Avenue.  For all I know, perhaps wreaths will be laid there today, or have been already.

Yes, they were both heroic figures.  In a way.  But face it, no matter in what terms you cloak the War Between the States (or "the War of Northern Aggression," as people from here prefer to call it), no matter how much you invoke lofty-sounding principles, the fact is that for the South, it was all about defending slavery.  That was the main "right" implied by "States' Rights". 

To me, it's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

7 comments:

Anam Cara said...

We always called it "The recent unpleasantness."

Rosko said...

Disagree with slavery being the primary and/or sole cause of that sad war, where brother fought brother. But, the fact is, just as we celebrate MLKDay near his birthday, we celebrate RELee Day on a day near HIS birthday. However, in other states, it's celebrated on his actual birthday (which is today).

Objectively, though, Lee was a great man, a wonderful leader, and a better general than Grant. Lincoln wanted him, but he was loyal to his home state: Virginia. So, I think it is proper to celebrate him!

Anonymous said...

I would just like to add that in the Commonwealth of VA the Lee-Jackson holiday was celebrated on this day years before the MLK holiday.

Matt said...

Wikipedia is your friend. It hasn't been Lee-Jackson-King Day in Virginia since 2000.

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

Matt, this is delightful news - thank you!

Anonymous said...

If you had taken the time to research the fact that Lee-Jackson Day is now always celebrated in Virginia on the Friday preceding what is known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, just as it has been since 2001, you would not have made a total idiot of yourself as liberal suckasses typically do. No such person as Martin Luther King, Jr. legally exists. His legal name was Michael King; he is not a reverend nor is he a doctor. This is very typical with negro heroes-all "style" and "hype" to excite the White girls but no substance whatsoever-an empty shell inside a crumbling facade, just like the communist in the White House

starchild said...

As you know the State of Virginia is doing this to celebrate Lee-Jackson, not MLK Day.. This is a trick as they did the Indians.