THE CIVIL WAR BEGINS ANEW

April 11, 2011

All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks [Gentiles] or to the church of God… 1 Corinthians 10: 23-24, 31-32

Tomorrow, April 12, marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, when Confederate forces fired shots on Fort Sumter.

The national monument is now in the midst of nine days of living history programs observing the start of the conflict. And as The New York Times noted in an article Sunday, “If the period leading to the outbreak of the Civil War was a confusing patch in American history, the threat of a government shutdown threw the spirited preparations for [the commemoration] into almost as much chaos.”

Because Fort Sumter, as part of the government’s National Park Service, would have had to close if a budget deal stalled, the park staff split its rangers into two teams, one to work on commemoration plans, and another to prepare for a possible closing. Union Army re-enactors were forced to leave the grounds in Charleston, South Carolina on Friday. At nearby Fort Moultrie, another Park Service site, others had to sleep in their vehicles in the parking lot rather than risk eviction.

As a Union re-enactor put it, “We’re like the poster child for the effects of a government shutdown.” One Confederate re-enactor went a step further—“We took over Fort Sumter by force once before, and we can do it again.”  Fortunately, it didn’t come down to that…

Controversy over Civil War observances erupted last December, when Confederate enthusiasts celebrated the 150th anniversary of South Carolina’s withdrawal from the Union with a Secession Gala. Outside the auditorium where the ball was held, about a hundred people protested, the Times reported in an online commentary. “Slavery is what you defend when you have a party, a celebration, get drunk, holler loud, act like a rebel, and talk about how you’re celebrating your heritage,” said NAACP [National Association for the Advancement of Colored People] leader Reverend Nelson B. Rivers III. “No matter how you dress it up, it is still slavery.”

The Park Service, however, is striving to acknowledge both sensitivities. Quoting Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Fort Sumter’s Superintendant Tim Stone said, “The sesquicentennial of the Civil War is a time to commemorate those who fought and died during this pivotal era in American history. At the same time, it is an opportunity for us to renew our commitment to the ongoing march for freedom and equality for all people.”

There will be many events and activities over the next four years as we look back at the battles, personalities and issues associated with the Civil War. And there undoubtedly will be continued controversy over how they are portrayed, interpreted and memorialized. Let’s hope that they won’t divide us, as they did 150 years ago, but teach us all over again how to respect differences and see things from others’ points of view.

Let’s drop the “war” and just be civil.

One comment

  1. Elise Daly Parker says:

    Hopefully, this will be an opportunity for true and open discussion. The chance to grow, stretch, and learn from one another is there…as we prayed in Moms In Touch today, the chance to grow in knowledge and grace.

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