Destroying The Past

by Al Benson Jr.

Member, Board of Directors, Confederate Society of America

Years ago a Southerner said “The past is not dead. It is not even past.” Though many will not grasp what he said or meant, he was right. Our past should really be a guideline to what our future should be. That doesn’t mean that everything in the past was perfect, but then, as long as sinful people administer our systems the future won’t be perfect either. The point is that, imperfect as the past may have been, it was still a guide to where we should be going.

For years, when I published my newsletter, The Copperhead Chronicle, I had a saying right under the masthead on the first page that said If our view of the past is faulty then our vision for the future will be also.

I think the cultural Marxists understand this better than most of us do. They realize that to mess up our future they must destroy our past I think it was George Orwell that said that “He who controls the past controls the future.” The cultural Marxists have grasped this truth. I’m not sure most of us have even begun to consider it. We need to. Programs such as Critical Race Theory that I recently wrote about and this latest monstrosity called History 1619 that is being forced into public schools are telling our kids egregious lies about our history and our heritage. Thankfully President Trump has sought to expose both of these and get them out of the federal government. Let’s hope he does not get lots of blowback from these efforts You can bet if Biden gets elected, by whatever means, in November that both of these horrible agendas will be put back in place. The absolute last thing the leftists want your kids to learn is real history. If the kids learn real history then they will, at some point, begin to reject the lies of the left about our past. The reason we have so much trouble with some of our kids is that these lies about our history and heritage have been peddled in public schools literally for decades.

The left realizes that if they can lie long enough and big enough then kids in the South and kids in the far West will learn to reject their heritages, which are both much better and more positive than they are portrayed and so you have this barrage of communist crap out there about how horrendous and how “racist” our cultural heritages are and, quite frankly, it is all a pile of cow chips.

Years ago, in order to preserve their cultures the Scots and Irish had what they called “hedge schools” meaning that they were taught behind the hedges so no one would know about them. Maybe we need something like that again here, where our history and culture can be taught to our young folks because they sure ain’t getting any of that in school.

If the truth be told, not all of our ancestors were evil racists whose sole interest in life was keeping black people under their thumb. Were there some like that? Sure there were, but they were not the majority even in ante-bellum days. I recently did an article on terrorist John Brown, to which I got a reply from one leftist personality that told me John Brown was a hero for killing all those racist Southerners in Kansas (none of which owned any slaves). I replied back to him that I wondered if those blacks that owned black slaves were also racist. I put that to him as a question. I’m glad I haven’t been holding my breath waiting for an answer. Because when you put an honest question to the leftists they don’t have answers–all they have is name calling and insults. Which means they are political frauds.

We have got to start teaching our kids to be thankful to God for their heritage and not to be ashamed of it. And we need to start learning enough about our history and heritage that we can throw the cultural Marxists lies back in their teeth because when we do that they don’t have answers and such becomes apparent when they reply.

The other day, when we were riding down Route 2 in north Louisiana we saw a big black pickup truck with a big Confederate flag in the back of it flying in the breeze. That was the first time I had seen anything like that around here in at least four years and I was surprised. Maybe it’s a harbinger of things to come. Let’s hope so!

Cultural Marxism In The Classroom–it ain’t new folks!

by Al Benson Jr.

This is not a new subject for me. I have written about it for several years now. I guess I keep writing about it because so few people seem to get the message. When it comes to Marxism in the public school classroom people just don’t want to hear about that–and so they tune it out, pretend it doesn’t exist. That way they don’t have to do anything except ignore it and maybe it will go away. It hasn’t and it won’t and you are heaping “coals of fire” upon your children’s heads if you can do something to get your kids out of that situation and you don’t bother.

I just read an article by John Eidson for 9/25 on https://canadafreepress.com about what cultural Marxism is doing to public schools in this country. Mr. Eidson states, quite accurately that “Cultural Marxism is the gradual process of grinding down western democracies by subverting the pillars of their culture, the structures and institutions of family, religion, education, politics, law, the arts and the media, as they provide the social cohesion necessary for a functioning society. Undermine the principles these structural institutions embody, and a capitalist society can be overthrown from within without firing a shot. Like termites eating away at the foundation of a house, cultural Marxists in our midst have plotted since the 1960s to radically transform every cultural institution in America, including the secondary education system.”

It occurs to me, in retrospect, that what we fought against in the textbook protest in West Virginia in the mid-1970s was an experiment in cultural Marxism. Only we didn’t have enough understanding at that point to recognize it for what it was.

Part of Mr. Eidson’s material was a video showing “Union teachers” discussing how to push communism in the classroom One of these teachers, a Los Angeles high school teacher, is an activist who contributes to The Socialist Review. The other one, a New York City teacher, has affiliation with the International Socialist Organization. The question arises, are these people first and foremost teachers or are they, in fact, Marxist change agents promoting Marxist dogma in public school classrooms?

These may seem like extreme examples to many, but even here in flyover country, how many teachers are doing the exact same things, with possibly a little less flair? Eidson noted a 6th grade lesson plan from some school that would have students designing a flag for “a new socialist nation–not just any nation, but a socialist nation.

He cited several more examples of blatant Marxist indoctrination in public school classrooms. He observed, again accurately, that “What children are taught in school today will determine what our country will be like in the future. He noted Cleon Skousen’s book The Naked Communist which listed several Communist goals to be implemented in this country. One of them, number 17, was Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for Socialism and current Communist propaganda. And that’s just what cultural Marxists in our schools have done.” I am not saying every public school teacher is a communist. Most are not–but some are.

There used to be a saying years ago about preachers that said “Most preachers don’t become communists but many communists become preachers.” That still holds true today when you look at the clergymen who endorse Black Lives Matter or/and Antifa. You could just as easily apply the same comment to public school teachers. “Not many teachers become communists but lots of communists become teachers” and it ain’t to educate the kids either!

Any parent who can do so ought to get their kids out of public education, immediately if not sooner. Your children’s future and the future of the country may be at steak. I have often said that public schools to not exist to educate but rather to indoctrinate. Regardless of some dedicated school teachers I have yet to see anything coming out of public schools to make me change my mind.

Whose Agenda Is Fauci Following?

by Al Benson Jr.

Just a few days ago I pulled up an article on https://republicanpost.net that dealt with Dr. Anthony Fauci and his leftist friends–and those on the left are his friends. It had to do with “…this year’s annual Atlantic Festival of esteemed progressive thought leaders. The two top highlighted speakers at the event, which this year will be streamed virtually online and free to access, are Hillary Clinton and Dr. Anthony Fauci.” So it would appear that Fauci is listed as being among “esteemed progressive thought leaders.”

For those who follow political trends, the term “progressive” means you are a kissin’ cousin to the socialists. And it is a known fact that Fauci is wildly supportive of Hillary Clinton. We’ve commented on this in previous articles.

The article continues: “Also on the bill are Nancy Pelosi; Stacey Abrams; Bill Gates; and the Marxist co-founder of Black Lives Matter, Alicia Garza. Another speaker is Chesa Boudin,the San Francisco district attorney who was raised by unrepentant Weather Underground (W.U.) domestic terrorists Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn after his birth parents, who were also W.U. terrorists, were convicted and imprisoned for murder during an armed robbery. In addition to Fauci, all of the other 112 speakers at the four-day-long event are leftists, progressives, and social justice influencers of various stripes.”

You could possibly see Fauci getting into a situation where there might be one or two leftist speakers along with a whole mixed bag of other types, but for him to be on a program where all the other speakers are leftists of one stripe or another is no accident. Fauci is here identifying with the political left, even though he might try to deny it. These are his people and their leftist causes are his causes–even if he tries to deny it. Nobody ends up in a situation with over 100 leftist speakers on the same program without knowing what the score is. If Fauci is really that ignorant then Trump should not be taking his medical advice. But let’s don’t kid ourselves, Fauci isn’t that stupid!

Several months ago an article on The American Thinker described Fauci as “a deep-state Hillary Clinton-loving stooge.” The person that wrote that was right on the money. No one could have said it any better. The article said: “Do we need anymore evidence that Fauci is returning to his fold and from all appearances is looking ahead–and feathering his nest–in advance of what he expects to be the Democrats retaking power after the November 3 elections?” Almost makes you wonder if he knows something we don’t.

I also noticed, in a recent video, that Fauci jumped all over Senator Rand Paul because he contradicted some of Fauci’s medical pronouncements from on high. Rand Paul is also a doctor so he is not ignorant in this area, but Fauci could not let his comments go unchallenged, lest people possibly listen to what Paul said. That can’t be permitted.

Fauci is indeed a part of the deep state and Trump would do well to realize that and replace him with someone with a less leftist agenda.

Critical Race Theory

by Al Benson Jr.

I recently read that Donald Trump has banned the use of something called Critical Race Theory by federal entities, particularly public schools, which are, contrary to what many think, federal entities. If they were not federal entities we would not have a federal Department of Education at the cabinet level. But we do, so they are federal entities whether we care to admit that or not.

A site called https://www.gotquestions.org talks about Critical Race Theory. It says, in part, “In short, critical race theory presupposes that everything about American society is thoroughly racist, and minority groups will never be equal until American society is completely reformed. This position is extremely controversial, even in secular circles. Critical race theory is often posed as a solution to white supremacy or white nationalism. Yet, in practice, it essentially does nothing than inverting the oppressed and oppressor groups.”

In other words, instead of “white racism” we would end up with black racism. But for the people that promote this hogwash that would be okay. If you think this sounds like something straight out of the Marxist playbook you are right on target.

The article also noted that “From a political standpoint, critical race theory closely aligns with concepts such as communism, Marxism, nationalism, progressivism…and the modern version of social justice. Strictly speaking, the Bible neither commands nor forbids Christians regarding specific political parties or philosophies. However, believers are obligated to reject any aspect of a philosophy that conflicts with biblical ideals. Critical race theory is deeply rooted in worldviews that are entirely incompatible with the Bible.” In other words, critical race theory is unbiblical, or anti-biblical.

As for its use in public schools, I also read an article on https://mpmacting.com/blog by Michael McCaffrey. I am not sure of the date on this as it did not turn up on my printout of the article but it can’t be too old. Mr. McCaffrey noted, in part, “This summer, I got an unpleasant initiation into the culture war when, in the wake of the George Floyd killing, my five-year-old child’s elementary-middle public charter school here in Los Angeles went from being an academic institution interested in preparing students for the workplace and college to an ideological hotbed devoted to promoting Critical Race Theory (CRT) over all other subjects…A shameless example of CRT indoctrination in action is that the very first lesson to my child’s kindergarten class this autumn was “how to be an activist.” Five-year-olds do not need to be taught this socialist drivel, nor kids at any age for that matter. They need to be taught, when they are old enough to understand, the truth about Marxist and socialist propaganda, but don’t hold your breath waiting for public schools to do that. Most Christian schools don’t even attempt that. But at least with Christian schools you won’t get critical race theory shoved down the kid’s throats–unless the school is Christian in name only. And if that’ s the case your kids need to be somewhere else.

President Trump has banned this for use in public schools. It will be interesting to see how quickly those public schools that are now using it will get rid of it. My guess is they will drag their feet as long as they can. Trumps “education secretary” should be on top of getting this out of public schools. Again, I’m not holding my breath! I am afraid she is learning how to be another Washington bureaucrat.

The public schools have had, and will continue to have major problems of education vs. indoctrination–with the emphasis on indoctrination. As such, Christians need to avoid them like the plague and other patriotic Americans should also. Their foundations are extremely shaky and leftist and they should be avoided by those that care about their children.

Terrorism in America Isn’t New–Nor will it cease anytime soon

by Al Benson Jr.

Member, Board of Directors, Confederate Society of America

Recently a friend at church asked me a question that showed he had been thinking. He said “Was there anything like the BLM around before the Civil War?” It was a good question, one most people would not have thought of in our day of gross historical ignorance.

After a bit of thought what popped into my mind was terrorist John Brown’s atrocities in Kansas and his attack on the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The parallels to today are quite striking. Brown was a 19th century terrorist trying to do away with slavery. I have seen comments that he was some sort of communist. I would not doubt that. He had two Forty-eighters in his merry little band of terrorists when he was in Kansas. I don’t think they came east with him.

While in Kansas he made a point of attacking Southern families, even if they owned no slaves. John Brown and his “Northern Army” made war on Southerners even before Abe Lincoln did–just because they were Southerners. Terrorists always make war on innocent people. It scares most people into non-resistance to the terrorists efforts and goals.

I found an informative article by Steve Byas in the Feb. 7th, 2017 issue of the New American Magazine entitled John Brown’s Lethal Legacy. Mr. Byas went into quite a bit of detail about Brown’s terrorist activity and also about the wealthy northeasterners that financed and supported it. You should be able to find this on the internet. I did.

In referring to Brown’s terrorist killings in Kansas, Mr. Byas noted: “These brutal murders took place during the struggle between violent pro–and anti-slavery forces for control of the Kansas territory–known to history as ‘Bleeding Kansas.’ While the body of John Brown, as the song says, is ‘moldering in the grave,’ his example still inspires modern radicals, who justify violence upon the innocent if the cause is ‘just.’ Following the election of Donald Trump, Brown was specifically cited by some extremists to justify a violent response…and behind similar violent protesters today–are the radical men with the money,…” Indeed, the group that is called The Secret Six that supported and financed John Brown were the George Soros’ and Rockefellers and Fords of their day–“willing to invest money in treason” as Unitarian Thomas Wentworth Higginson said in that day.

If you want to check out what some of the present day radicals on the left are doing then do an internet search on The John Brown Gun Clubs.

Another interesting site you might want to check out is https://www.redneckrevolt.org/principles This site claims it is “putting the red back in redneck.” Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what they are talking about. Where Black Lives Matter is directed at blacks, this site is directed at whites, but they stand for the same things that BLM does–tearing down capitalism and “white supremacy” and their (not your) right to revolution.

And one more for your reading pleasure https://www.unz.com/mwhitney/blms-war-on-the-deplorables The sources listed here should give you some idea of what is going on in our day–and what has gone on since the War of Northern Aggression–and before. It’s nothing new, folks. To figure it out all you need is a sense of history and being willing to connect the dots. It’s like the Bible says in Ecclesiastes, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.”

Leftist radicals in the 1850s had the same goals as they do in our day–the destruction of our country and its culture and its real history. Didn’t know it had been going on that long, did you? That’s because most of us were never taught real history–but it’s not too late for us to learn.

Black Lives Matter and Communists and Spiritualists

by Al Benson Jr.

I have been following the leftist Black Lives Matter movement recently and have noted how many universities, churches, and public schools seem to have embraced it. All I can say about this is that the leadership in these groups is either hopelessly naive or they are in sympathy with the leftist agenda promoted by BLM. I have my own opinion on this but readers will have to form their own opinions.

The publisher of our conservative weekly paper here The Ouachita Citizen noted this situation in regard to a university right here in Louisiana in the September 17th issue of the paper and he wondered if the university was aware that it was supporting a group with Marxist principles. My guess would be they are and that’s okay with them.

In a recent issue of the New American Magazine writer James Murphy noted that “If you needed anymore evidence that Black Lives Matter is, at its heart, a Marxist sub-group intent on overthrowing capitalism and the American way of life, consider the following. The advocacy group Black Futures Lab, which lists BLM founder Alicia Garza as its principal, is ‘fiscally supported’ by the pro-Communist Chinese group Chinese Progressive Association (CPA). Garza–who was described by BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors as a ‘trained Marxist’ who is ‘super-versed on…ideological theories–helped to create the Black Futures Lab in 2018…Among the stunts CPA has pulled over the years was to hoist a Chinese Communist flag on Boston’s City Plaza last September to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Communist takeover of China.”

Lest you think that Black Lives Matter is just a political movement, there was also an article on https://www.crisismagazine.com for September 8th of this year by Dan Burke called The Occult Spirituality of Black Lives Matter. This seems to be a Catholic publication but the author is right on target on this issue.

He quotes Patrisse Cullors where she says: “In my tradition you offer things that your loved ones who have passed away would want. Whether its like honey or tobacco…things like that…It is important that we be in direct relationship with the dead. Hashtags for us are way more than a hashtag. It is literally almost resurrecting spirits that are going to work through us to get the work done.” And Burke observes that Melina Abdullah concurs “What happens as we invoke those names is the invocation of their names that goes beyond remembering them. We call out our ancestors, we call them out for specific purposes.”

Another commentator familiar with this said “Christians, How much evidence do you need? It’s right in front of you. She told you that every time the hashtag is shared it is not just a hashtag. There are spirits of the dead that we are invoking. Every time they mention the name ‘Say his name–George Floyd’–that is a seance. That is calling forth the dead spirit to invoke chaos on the nation..Everything we have seen go on, buildings burning, all of that, there are witches laughing…They are laughing at how complicit the Church has been.”

I have to agree with his assessment here. Churches have been complicit, probably because they don’t know the real truth about Black Lives Matter, but possibly because some of them do and they are willing to support Marxist subversives over the objections of their congregations. Churches supporting communism would not be a new situation. I’ve seen churches supporting Marxism for over 50 years and it no doubt went on long before that.

As for colleges and universities supporting Marxism, that, too, has been going on since before I was alive. The absolute last people that seem to figure this out are the parents who subject their kids to that Marxist indoctrination and pay the big bucks so their kid’s loyalties can be tampered with. They never seem to get it–even when you explain it to them.

And then there are the public schools whose foundations are Unitarian and socialist. The parents with kids in them don’t seem to get it either, at least not most of the ones I have talked to. So what do you do? You keep on throwing the truth at the wall of ignorance and praying that the Lord will let some of it stick.

The truth about Black Lives Matter is out there for those willing to look.

The Virus Was Intentional

by Al Benson Jr.

Recently Tucker Carlson interviewed a Chinese virologist, a Dr. Li-Meng Yan, who has recently been banned from Twitter for daring to tell people the truth about the Chinese virus that had shut down so much of the world.

Needless to say, in this country, the Chinese virus has been a godsend to those politicians on the left who crave the power to regulate everyone’s life to the nth degree. They also see the virus as a weapon to be used against Trump in this election year. And all things considered, I have questioned the timing of the release of this virus in the year Trump is running for re-election. Accident? Years ago a politician said “Nothing happens by accident. It is all decided in smoke-filled back rooms ahead of time” or something to that effect.

The article about Tucker’s interview appeared on Zero Hedge for September 16th. It noted that: “Hours after her unceremonious Twitter ban for, we assume, presenting evidence that SARS-CoV-2 was created inn a Wuhan lab, Chinese virologist Dr. Li-Meng Yan appeared on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ where she told the Fox news host that the virus is a ‘Frankenstein’ which was designed to target humans which was intentionally released.”

She said it could never come from nature. She is an MD/PhD who worked with this virus at the University of Hong Kong. She also wrote a 26-page paper, which she co-wrote with three other Chinese scientists, and she said: “They don’t want people to know this truth. Also, that’s why I get suspended (from Twitter), I get suppression. I am the target the Chinese Communist Party wants disappeared.”

Dr. Yan fled from Hong Kong back in late April on a flight to the US and believes her life is in danger. Knowing the Communists, she is probably right. As long as the Communists are in power in China she will never be able to go back home and she’ll even have to watch where she goes in this country and how open she is about her movements. Communists have never let national borders hinder their attempts to liquidate those on their hit lists.

But her comments to Tucker Carlson were informative. She tells us right up front that this Chinese Virus was intentionally released. This was no accident, no coincidence, no foolish mistake on someone’s part. This was intentional!!! The Chinese Communists did it on purpose!

The ChiComs probably had lots of reasons. They strive for world domination and they would dearly love to see a Democrat in the White House rather than Trump because they know a Democratic president, no matter who he, she, or it is, will take them back to the days that they were able to have their way with our politicians the way they did during the Obama era. And lets face it, most Democrats are not all that far removed from communists in their worldview.

The communists, Chinese or otherwise, have lots of friends in this country–the news media, Democratic politicians, some Republican politicians, most of academia, most of Hollyweird, and then there are the various Marxist groups funded by George Soros, the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations and others. Mostly it seems that the only folks not in some communist’s back pocket are the normal Americans–the ones no one wants to or dares to speak up for. Or as someone once said “There is no justice–just us!” And we have to depend on the Lord for our help because it seems that almost no one else cares about us.

Just remember one thing–with the communists nothing is accidental. Whatever they do that we have been told was accidental or coincidental was really done on purpose. The intent is really to take this country down–unless the Democrats win in November. And if that happens they may let us exist just awhile longer–until their agenda for America is a done deal.

Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation

This material is passed along by Al Benson Jr. It is not original with me. It was sent to me by a friend in the Upper South and I felt it was important to pass it along.

Too many think Black Lives Matter is just a spontaneous group formed to speak out against injustices to black folks. This article gives the complete lie to such foolishness.

Please check it out at https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/black-lives-matter-foundation

Don’t be among the misinformed and under-informed.

Al

The Revolution Will Continue Until People Get Fed Up

by Al Benson Jr.

Member, Board of Directors, Confederate Society of America

Many folks are wondering when this latest mad rush toward everything on the left will ever end. It seems as though every leftwing person and cause known to man is being pushed down our throats and, if you talk to the people I talk to you then you will realize they are getting fed up with it all.

I have taken note of all these pampered darlings in professional sports refusing to stand up for our National Anthem. When will such foolishness conclude? It will end when the public at large gets so completely fed up with these sports prima-donnas that they just start tuning out all the sports programs on the weekends and start doing something else. When sports ratings fall through the floor and into the basement and sports stadiums end up being one half to one third full instead of being crowded, then it will change.

Frankly, I’ve gotten so tired of seeing all these sports teams in such a heat to endorse the Marxist group Black Lives Matter that I am tuning out all sports programs until that changes. I can’t be bothered wasting my time on sports teams who feel their goal in life is to endorse Marxist organizations. If that’s the pathetic best they can do then they can do it without me.

I’ve noticed the same situation in some public schools. You will see a picture of a public school classroom and the crowning achievement of the whole thing is the huge Black Lives Matter poster that takes up about half on one whole wall. You would think that an organization the claims to be all about educating children would know better than to endorse a Marxist organization. In fact, I’d be willing to bet some of them do. But the fact that this sort of thing turns up in a public school classroom at all shows you the direction this school system is really trying to take your kids in, notwithstanding the many good teachers there are out there.

Over the years I have written many articles detailing the leftist tilt to public education in this country. When will that end? It will end when enough parents care enough to do the homework to find out where public education is really coming from. Until then it will be more of the same because as it now stands, most parents don’t care enough to bother–a situation that bodes ill for this country.

I wonder if Trump’s education secretary has any idea of what goes on in the schools she is supposed to be overseeing or if she is just going through the motions. Is it bureaucracy as usual? At this point it would seem so.

And for you folks that don’t like what the colleges are teaching your kids–why do you keep paying for it? Certainly you could find someplace to educate your kids other than the Leftist University of the Americas? But you don’t bother–and so nothing will change until you decide to “bother.”

The Marxist revolution will continue until people get tired enough of it that they are willing to do something about it. At this point folks must love it because they seem willing to put up with it.

“When Rebel Was Cool”

A book review by Al Benson Jr.

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Recently I read Ron Kennedy’s new book When Rebel Was Cool, published by Shotwell Publishing in Columbia, South Carolina. This is a book that should touch the average reader on many levels. It is a poignant story the Kennedy Brothers, Ron and Donnie’s “growing up years” from 1950-1965. Being only nine years older than the Kennedy Brothers I found myself comparing my “growing up years” to theirs.

They grew up in rural South Mississippi in a time when the results of Yankee “reconstruction” in the South had not quite worn off yet–100 years after the War of Northern Aggression I was in parts of the South in the late 1950s and so I can attest to the results of Yankee “reconstruction” in that part of the country.

Ron explained why he wrote this book, and I can identify with his reasons. He wrote: “These stories and photographs–some over 100 years old and in poor condition–are our stories written for our grandchildren and all the grandchildren of the South, even if they no longer live in the South. One day our grandchildren may want to know why their grandfathers loved the South so much, especially during a time when the leftwing secular world is actively engaged in destroying Confederate monuments and viciously slandering the honor of the men who wore the gray in the War for Southern Independence…I hope and pray that one day our grandchildren and other Southern grandchildren will read these accounts, otherwise they will never know the truth–a truth that sadly, today, is not allowed to be publicly told.”

My grandchildren have always lived in the North. Only the oldest one has been in the South–but I want them to know these truths as well so they will not embrace the Marxist lies told about the good people of the South.

Ron dealt with many issues in this book and gives you an accurate picture of much that went on in the South during his growing up years. His comments on racial segregation are some you will never read in Yankee “history” books–but they are true nonetheless. On page 18 he noted: “Today, most Americans think that segregation (white supremacy) was something established in the South, but in reality, it was something already established in the North and then, after the
War, imported from the North. During the War, Yankee General ‘Beast’ Butler established ‘Black Codes’ in occupied Louisiana. His ‘Black Codes’ were based upon similar laws then in effect in his home state of Massachusetts. Most Americans incorrectly think that slavery was strictly a Southern issue, but in reality, it was an American issue–the North being primarily responsible for slavery in America. Very few folks know that slavery lasted 75 years longer in Massachusetts than it did in Mississippi.” And he commented also that “…Massachusetts and other Northern states earned much of their wealth from their involvement in the African slave trade and then enacted exclusion laws to prevent free blacks from coming into their states!”

Ron also commented on life in the rural South and said some things I, as growing up in semi-rural Eastern Massachusetts could identify with. He mentioned the three-room rural school house he and Donnie attended and how it had no inside gym, only playground equipment in the school yard. The first school house I attended had only four rooms, for grades 1-4, and the next school house I went to had only six rooms and no inside gym, only playground equipment in the school yard

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Ron mentioned the kids, as they got older, taking guns to school so they could go hunting after school was out and when they got older and drove to school there was often a rifle rack in the back window of the truck that was driven to school–and no one shot a people on the way home from school. Today many parents would be alarmed at this, but in those days there were seldom any problems. Nowadays kids get arrested for bringing a toy gun to school for “show and tell” or if they even point their finger at another kid and say “bang.” We have gone from responsibility to sheer panic–and mostly over nothing!

Ron also noted something else that struck a familiar chord with me–wild berry picking in the Summer. Many rural Southern folks did this because it helped to put food on the table. My Grandfather, Dad and I often picked wild blueberries in the Summer–not because we had to, but because my Grandmother was a good cook and made delicious pies.

The South has often been called “The Bible Belt” because it is the area of the country where the Christian faith is most evident and where more folks go to church than in other areas. And to get through the Yankee “reconstruction” and the really hard times that followed it Southern folks had to have a strong faith in the Lord to see them through. Life in the post-war South was not easy, nor was it easy for the next hundred years! And, here, Ron had a warning for Christian folks. He said: “It is a sad fact of history that when a people are struggling during hard times or when outside tyrants oppress their nation the people tend to ‘look to God’ for comfort, guidance and help. But once freedom is won or prosperity returns, these same people (or the next generation) tend to ignore the very God who sustained them during the hard times. I fear that this is happening to the South just as it happened to God’s people of Israel, as recorded in the Old Testament.” There is a warning for us here today–if we will but heed it! Ron noted on page 57 the apostasy that engulfed the North in the decades before the War and how many religious leaders in the South saw the War as a spiritual struggle. There was definitely that aspect to it–and it has never been dealt with by our “historians.” Ron discussed the differences between Northern and Southern cultures on page 93.

He commented on the Civil Rights Movement on page 144 and how it was resisted by Southern folks not because they hated blacks but because it was something being pushed and promoted by the federal government–the same federal government the fought against their ancestors and pushed “reconstruction” down their throats.

And he noted on page 150 how much of the so-called “history” and commentary in our day is employed as a ‘divide and conquer” strategy to divide the races off against one another so they will not realize that they have more in common than what separates them and that keeps them from working together against globalist politicians who plan to do both races in one way or another.

Toward the end of the book Ron had a chapter called How to Speak Southern Redneck words and phrases and I really enjoyed this. It is a compendium of colloquial Southern phrases, many of which, surprisingly, I also heard growing up in the North. Quite a few of these were used in my own family in my growing up years and were familiar to me. I don’t know if they originated in the South and made their way to the North or what, but I sure heard a batch of them from both family and friends growing up.

There is much more in Ron’s book than I could ever cover in a book review. I have only touched on some of the high spots and areas that struck me personally. Reading it caused me to think back to my own childhood and to the hard times we had when I was growing up, We were not “punished with poverty” as the South was, but life was not always easy street for us either.

Maybe some of us older folks need to read this and then call it to the attention of our grandchildren so they will possibly begin to get a glimpse of what life was like for us “back in the day” and what it may end up being like for them again if they refuse to heed the warning signs about the direction we seem to be headed in.