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by Connie Chastain Ward Ever noticed how reconstructed Southerners react to the word "secession"? They may be all for keeping the flag flying; they may be all for states' rights, they may be as proSouthern as it gets. But mention secession and the room goes cold. In too many minds, the word "secession" is synonymous with "war." They see us secession advocates as endangering the South -- again. The devastation that Dixie suffered last time is still strong in our regional memory, even though the individual may not often think about it outright. And it's so complicated;
there's just so much to consider. We've been part of the USA for
140 years. We've fought and died in the USA's wars. We pay
US taxes. Our schools, our states, our counties, are dependent on
federal money.
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on the feds, as well. Child care credits, tax exemptions, Social
Security for the old ones, college loans and mortgage loan guarantees for
young adults... Like Tennessee Ernie Ford sang years ago, "I owe
my soul to the company store." Only today, we owe our souls (and
20,000 smackeroos each) to Uncle Sam.
How do we break through the shield of defensiveness and dependency? We begin a desensitization campaign. That means saying the word over and over. That means writing it over and over. If America can become desensitized to phrases like "a woman's right to choose" and "reproductive freedom" knowing what horror those terms identify, surely they can be desensitized to "secession" -- knowing that it means not war but armed and vigilant peace; not dependency but liberty. Say it loud. Say it often. Secession! Free the South! Graphic
by C. Ward
Home -- 180 Degrees True South
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