Friday May 02, 2008
Katy Dickinson
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Friday May 02, 2008
Because You're Here
I listened to KQED, our local public broadcasting radio station on my drive to work this morning. They just aired a story which included an interview with a Captain of Iraqui militia in Baghdad's Sadr City. His description of why he was fighting sounded familiar. I have been reading Shelby Foote's monumental 1958 history The Civil War: A Narrative and remembered the following passage from Volume One (Fort Sumter to Perryville, 1861-1862):
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Perhaps the best definition of the conflict was given in conversation by a
civilian, James M. Mason of Virginia: "I look upon it then, sir, as a war
of sentiment and opinion by one form of society against another form of
society." No soldier would have argued with this; but few would have found it
satisfactory. They wanted something more immediate and less comprehensive...
Meanwhile, perhaps no soldier in either army gave a better answer -- one more
readily understandable to his fellow soldiers, at any rate -- than a ragged
Virginia private, pounced on by the Northerners in a retreat.
"What are you fighting for anyhow?" his captors asked, looking at him. They were genuinely puzzled, for he obviously owned no slaves and seemingly could have little interest in States Rights or even Independence.
"I'm fighting because you're down here," he said.
Posted at 08:49AM May 02, 2008 by katysblog in News & Reviews |
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