MMMM #131 -- Civil War Media

     From Sunday's Montgomery Advertiser story about the 150th anniversary reenactment of Jefferson Davis' swearing-in as President of the Confederacy:

When stating the reasons for celebrating the Confederacy, ( SCV Lt. Commander in Chief Kelley) Barrow asked if those in the crowd would rather hear from those in attendance than organizations such as MSNBC or USA Today, whose names received a chorus of boos from the crowd.

     I wanted to go to the parade downtown for photographic reasons, but other events got in the way. That's apparently what happened to every elected official in the Heart of Dixie. I've scoured reports about the event, and have yet to find a single one who was present, much less actually taking part. Contrast that with the 100th anniversary, when the Governor and lots of others attended and took part. If course that was in 1961, the early years of the Civil Rights Movement, and those elected official found the event a way to show  how pro-white they were.

     This time around there was nothing to be gained, and much potentially to be lost, by showing up.

     Now the Alabama Republican Party, made up of the political ancestors of the Confederates, controls (with super-majorities!) both the Alabama House and The Alabama Senate. Who needs a parade?

     The Advertiser story linked above said there were more reenactors than people watching.

     When the 200th Anniversary comes around in 2061 the event may be relegated to a mention in a "This Day in History" story and to that era's trivia games. He was elected President in Alabama in 1861...for $7,000......ding! Who was Jefferson Davis!

     

National Media Montgomery Mentions

     Bill Maher's RealTime show on HBO included a mocking commentary about tomorrow's parade on Dexter Avenue in Montgomery commemorating the 150th anniversary of Jefferson Davis' swearing-in as the first president of The Confederacy.

     They'll also reenact the swearing-in on the steps of the Capitol, where a brass star marks the spot where Davis is believed to have stood.

     It will be interesting so see how many elected officials come within miles of the event.

     Rep. Alvin Holmes was planning a protest.

     Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange told me he and his family will be out of town because of the three-day weekend (Monday is President's Day).

     Strange says The L.A. Times was in town recently for a story, and I'm sure the anniversary was the hook.

     But in today's NY Times, a positively glowing story about the Hyundai plant that can't seem to pump out enough vehicles to meet the widespread demand.

     Ying and yang, up and down. Usually the best way to change perceptions about a place is to have people come visit.

[UPDATE: The L.A. Times story does deal with the parade. Here's a link to it. And as I predicted, few if any politicains are attending.]

[PLUS: The New York Times uses an AP story to cover the event, though it contains one factual error. It identified Rep. Alvin Holmes (D-Montgomery) as the longest serving black member of the Alabama Legislature. While that is true, he is also the longest serving member regardless of race.]

[AND ALSO: USA Today published a thorough story before today's events that examined the reasons the Civil War is such a controversial issue.]

First Volly, The CW @ 150

     USA Today reports a textbook author "found on the Internet" the fact that thousands of blacks men fought for the Confederacy in the U.S. Civil War. The book is being used in Virginia (2nd capital of the Confederacy after Montgomery).

      Just what do Alabama's texts teach?

     As we begin commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the war, these skimishes are bound to happen. This weekend is the reenactment of two real military skimishes in Tallassee. These photos were taken during the 2009 event.

Teaching The War on the 150th

     A Washington Post blog reports on a change in the way the state of Virginia will commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.

     It's a topic I've blogged and reported about before.

     Alabama is commemorating next year's anniversary by looking at a much bigger picture...the anniversary of the war along with the anniversary of the Indian Wars before it and the Civil Rights Era after it.

     I produced a report on the topic for WBHM in Birmingham which you can listen to online.