Jere Krischel
Aug 28, 2017 · 2 min read

And so, given the evil and wrong nature of sharia believing islam, I’m assuming we can start tearing down mosques next? Not as a conversation opener, of course, just as a way of stating that these houses of worship no longer represent what we as a society believe to be right. You’re right, the catholic church no longer has the Inquisition, but sharia still has the death penalty for homosexuality. That’s quite a different statement, I’m sure you’d agree.

If you want to start a real conversation, you need to start with a fair appraisal of the Civil War, that includes both honor and debasement on both sides. There were racists in the North and South, and men of compassion and honor in the North and the South — to assert that Stonewall Jackson deserves no consideration other than “evil, evil, evil, wrong side!”, is as ridiculous a misrepresentation as Sherman deserving no other consideration than “good, good, good right side!”.

Here’s a tidbit I hadn’t realized about the fine Stonewall Jackson:

Little as he was known to the white inhabitants of Lexington, Jackson was revered by many of the African Americans in town, both slaves and free blacks. In 1855, he was instrumental in the organization of Sunday School classes for blacks at the Presbyterian Church.

Here’s the question — do you still believe that reconciliation between the Confederacy and the Union represent what we as a society believe to be right? Or do we now believe that the Confederacy was pure evil, and that we cannot countenance any sort of empathy or sympathy for their perspective?

Are you really ready for a real conversation? Are you ready to have some of your closely held beliefs challenged and repudiated? Are you willing to learn that things aren’t as black and white as you might believe? Are you willing to consider that perhaps the path forward of destroying Confederate monuments might not be the best way to handle reconciliation?

I’m ready. Tell me more about what was particularly wrong about Stonewall Jackson. Then tell me something that was right about him.

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    Jere Krischel

    Written by

    Socially liberal, fiscally conservative, born again carnivore, musician, firearms instructor and skeptical civil rights activist.

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