[jeffkrol]

OK, are these listed people there partying in Confederate uniforms or is this just totally off topic?

SORRY, the list was totally O/T............

[mikemike]

Running list I find funny........ SORRY.. O/T

Thanks for the link.

I just submitted the democratic candidate running for office in my district, Cedric Richmond. Mr. Richmond has tried to pass laws exposing ethics whistleblowers, hes had his law license suspended for lying about where he lived to try and run for city council, he was arrested in 2007 for starting a bar fight over a pool table in Baton Rouge while he was supposed to be working as a state senator.

And his candidacy was endorsed by Barack Obama this week.

[gokenin]

OK, are these listed people there partying in Confederate uniforms or is this just totally off topic?

Gene when has a thread here ever kept on topic? I dont think it ever has that I can remember every thread here meanders here and there. its the nature of the beast.

[GeneV]

Gene when has a thread here ever kept on topic? I dont think it ever has that I can remember every thread here meanders here and there. its the nature of the beast.

Jon, I don't care much if it is off topic, but I wanted to be clear on whether those listed persons were part of the 1865 party.

[troglodyte]

I don't see the big deal. I mean, this is way tame compared to this on website I visited once. A gay man on craigs list posted he was looking for dates and his hobby was collecting nazi 'barbi' dolls from nazi Germany era. If you think this is in poor

---------- Post added 09-16-10 at 01:42 PM ----------

taste. Imagine what his boyfriends would have thought see what they thought was his GI Joe collection.

---------- Post added 09-16-10 at 01:42 PM ----------

taste. Imagine what his boyfriends would have thought see what they thought was his GI Joe collection.

[seacapt]

YEP crowd was pretty white.. except.. Steele, and the 2 actors......

Well if more African Americans chose to join the South Carolina Federation of Republican Women that might be different.
These pictures are from FitsNews which in it's banner claims to be unfair and unbalanced. FitsNew's purpose seems to be primarily about political satire directed towards the SC state govnt.
The event "A Southern Experience " seemed to have been about Southern herratige not racial hatred until Fits got a hold of it.
BTW how are the musicians /entertainers going to get gigs if people are affraid to being called bigots for hiring them?

---------- Post added 09-16-10 at 05:55 PM ----------

Jon, I don't care much if it is off topic, but I wanted to be clear on whether those listed persons were part of the 1865 party.

I think Jeff just ran out of on topic material

[jeffkrol]

Well if more African Americans chose to join the South Carolina Federation of Republican Women that might be different.

I would be curious if that was even possible......... BTW: It is at least based on the photos.......
AlbumAnderson

I think Jeff just ran out of on topic material

Never............ with the tea party around
Anyways I went OT just because it was not thread worthy.... more just an FYI...

[seacapt]

All righty then........
Just saw an AP article about these pictures. Seems it wasn't just our resident Libs who ran with it. The SC chapter of the NAACP jumped on the band wagon too.
Sorry folks but the real deal is that the African American couple in the pictures are a husband and wife team who are members of the Gullah Cultural Preservation Society. They have stated that they do not portay slaves but rather "skilled artisans " of the post war period. They dress in period clothing , tell stories and perform musically to celebrate , preserve and educate others about their herritage.
The young lady in the pictures flat out said that the NAACP and many of the web blogs were wrong.
To all my lib friends I'd just like to say Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah
Here is a little bit about the Gullah culture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gullah
Many fear that if preservation steps are not taken this culture will only exist in the history books.

[GeneV]

All righty then........
Just saw an AP article about these pictures. Seems it wasn't just our resident Libs who ran with it. The SC chapter of the NAACP jumped on the band wagon too.
Sorry folks but the real deal is that the African American couple in the pictures are a husband and wife team who are members of the Gullah Cultural Preservation Society. They have stated that they do not portay slaves but rather "skilled artisans " of the post war period. They dress in period clothing , tell stories and perform musically to celebrate , preserve and educate others about their herritage.
The young lady in the pictures flat out said that the NAACP and many of the web blogs were wrong.
To all my lib friends I'd just like to say Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah
Here is a little bit about the Gullah culture Gullah - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Many fear that if preservation steps are not taken this culture will only exist in the history books.

Sorry Ken, but that statement is particularly helpful to the damage that pageants like this do. The Gullah people are the descendants of slaves who worked rice plantations. The black subjects look like slaves, and no matter how "skilled" they might have been, the contrast between their appearance and that of the white characters from the period is striking. These photos are still a poster for the inequity of the antebellum.

[seacapt]

Sorry Ken, but that statement is particularly helpful to the damage that pageants like this do. The Gullah people are the descendants of slaves who worked rice plantations. The black subjects look like slaves, and no matter how "skilled" they might have been, the contrast between their appearance and that of the white characters from the period is striking. These photos are still a poster for the inequity of the antebellum.

With all do respect I believe you are missing the point. A bunch of political oppertunists and "do Gooders" have turned this around. These people are proud of their heratige . They are willing to share their art , music , history and customs. The more people know about them the better their chances of preserving their culture for future generations. They allready have a tough row to hoe. That area is turning into condo , golf course and gated community hell. Property taxes are driving them out. Sharing at political functions such the event in the pictures may help them in their efforts. The establishment of the Gullah - Gheechee corridor is invaluable to their cause. Why should anyone say that they are wrong to celebrate their herratige? Why should anyone try to steal their pride ?
Having travelled the coast of the Carolinas and Georgia many times over the years I've seen the effects of developement and encroachment on these folks first hand. Now a bunch of people are up in arms because of misportrayed photos posted originally on a political satire site. To those who say these people should not tell the story of their past in whatever fashion they desire (especially the NAACP) , I say mind your own damn business!
Lets not do to these people what we did so well to help so many American Indians.
BTW , PBS did a great show on the folk arts of the Gullah - Gheechee a few years back with emphasis on sweatgrass basket weaving. There were several in the Met. Truely interesting interviews with several generations of these folks. I'd recomend it to anybody who has a chance to catch the rerun.

[Parallax]

These photos are still a poster for the inequity of the antebellum.

Gene, I don't think anybody disputes that inequity. If the issue was whether or not slavery was a good idea, or whether or not we are better off without it, your point would be valid. They are trying to preserve their heritage.
That whole "Third Reich" thing back in the thirties and forties wasn't such a hot idea either. Does that mean we should never speak of it, or depict it again? "Ignore it ad it will go away" rarely works; especially with regard to history.
I applauld them for not whining about the inequities of the past but instead, celebrating the triumph over them.

[GeneV]

Gene, I don't think anybody disputes that inequity. If the issue was whether or not slavery was a good idea, or whether or not we are better off without it, your point would be valid. They are trying to preserve their heritage.
That whole "Third Reich" thing back in the thirties and forties wasn't such a hot idea either. Does that mean we should never speak of it, or depict it again? "Ignore it ad it will go away" rarely works; especially with regard to history.
I applauld them for not whining about the inequities of the past but instead, celebrating the triumph over them.

Since you mention the Third Reich, I can tell you from having lived in Germany and having had German in-laws in my first marriage, that they have the good sense not to have balls where people dress in uniforms from the Third Reich and party like its 1939. If people talk about it or depict it, they do so in a serious manner, and with a good deal of contrition. There were many brave soldiers that died for Germany in the second world war, and a great deal of bravery and fortitude by civilians which could be celebrated, but they have enough taste not to party in SS uniforms while others depict what appear to be ghetto Jews.

Now, I am not saying the confederacy is the same as the Third Reich, and would not have brought that up on my own. However, the point is that celebration of ones "heritage," whatever valorous and noble aspects it may include, must be tempered when there is an horrific aspect to that history that is highly offensive and degrading to other humans.

[seacapt]

OK I give up. I've tried to discuss this rationally but I'm going to have to fall back on the bumper sticker that says "It's a Southern Thing , You wouldn't understand".
In closing a couple other quotes come to mind:
Resistance is futile you will be assimillated- Lucasious of Borg
Tommorrow people , where is your past- Ziggy Marley
Why are so many white folks so crazy? - The young man of African decent who I lovingly reffer to as my third son. He has family in the SC lowlands BTW.

[reeftool]

I know many history buffs and re-enactors who attend parties and host parties like this. Around this ares, the themes are usually the Revolutionary War and French/Indian War. I know Civil War re-enactments are popular in the southern states. It means nothing politically and for someone to take issue with it is totally ignorant. I know people from ultra conservative to ultra liberal who participate in these events.

[GeneV]

I know many history buffs and re-enactors who attend parties and host parties like this. Around this ares, the themes are usually the Revolutionary War and French/Indian War. I know Civil War re-enactments are popular in the southern states. It means nothing politically and for someone to take issue with it is totally ignorant. I know people from ultra conservative to ultra liberal who participate in these events.

True. The part of this one that is a little different from the reinactments was the photos of persons who looked like slaves. Also historical reinactments are a bit different from costume parties.

---------- Post added 09-18-10 at 12:05 PM ----------

With all do respect I believe you are missing the point. A bunch of political oppertunists and "do Gooders" have turned this around. These people are proud of their heratige . They are willing to share their art , music , history and customs. The more people know about them the better their chances of preserving their culture for future generations. They allready have a tough row to hoe. That area is turning into condo , golf course and gated community hell. Property taxes are driving them out. Sharing at political functions such the event in the pictures may help them in their efforts. The establishment of the Gullah - Gheechee corridor is invaluable to their cause. Why should anyone say that they are wrong to celebrate their herratige? Why should anyone try to steal their pride ?
Having travelled the coast of the Carolinas and Georgia many times over the years I've seen the effects of developement and encroachment on these folks first hand. Now a bunch of people are up in arms because of misportrayed photos posted originally on a political satire site. To those who say these people should not tell the story of their past in whatever fashion they desire (especially the NAACP) , I say mind your own damn business!
Lets not do to these people what we did so well to help so many American Indians.
BTW , PBS did a great show on the folk arts of the Gullah - Gheechee a few years back with emphasis on sweatgrass basket weaving. There were several in the Met. Truely interesting interviews with several generations of these folks. I'd recomend it to anybody who has a chance to catch the rerun.

Nothing at all wrong with celebrating the Gullah culture. Picturing these folks next to people in period dress for the time they were slaves is the thing that is a bit disturbing.

Look, on many levels I do get this. I grew up there and thought nothing was wrong with it at the time. However, I've later learned just how hurtful it is to a large segment of society to celebrate the culture that made them property. Now I don't know why I didn't get that before.

FWIW, this problem is not limited to the south. We are getting backlash around these parts for certain kinds of celebrations of the Spanish conquest of New Mexico. It seems some of the Native Americans are not fond of being reminded that under the founder of our state, Juan de Oñate, Spanish officers enslaved their young men and cut off one of their feet to keep them from running. Girls were sent off to Mexico for who knows what.