I’ll have to admit that I learned a lot about history that I never knew existed from reading the harangue presented by Dee Gibney in the 07/15/15 edition of the Bitterroot Star.
That the confederate battle flag has nothing to do with racism was certainly a revelation… I guess the fact that the Ku Klux Klan carried it in their nefarious doings might have given one that impression or the fact that a number of southern states flew it to protest civil rights may have also added to that impression.
Also the statement that the Civil War was not about slavery, but rather about government power. Which is somewhat true, however, the south was not willing to give up slavery and therein lies the rub.
It was also quite surprising to learn how that during the “50’s and 60’s where there were lots of Blacks around and we all got along because no one was telling us what to do”… wasn’t segregation telling a percentage of the population what, or rather what not, to do?
Another stunner was finding out that our ancestors had nothing to do with displacing the native Americans. Turns out it was our government. Am I mistaken or wasn’t that a government of, by and for the people? But then of course most of them killed each other, so if we had just let them be they would have taken care of the situation without that pesky government sending the army after them.
The rest of the letter was pretty much like the part I have covered. Definitely history with a view from the far right.
Jerry E. Shaw
Stevensville