Image via Complex Original
Below is an excerpt from the Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union (you can read it in its entirety here), a document from 1860 that explained South Carolina's stance on the way things were going at the time. They were not happy about the whole "not allowed to have slaves" thing.
"The General Government, as the common agent, passed laws to carry into effect these stipulations of the States. For many years these laws were executed. But an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery, has led to a disregard of their obligations, and the laws of the General Government have ceased to effect the objects of the Constitution. The States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa, have enacted laws which either nullify the Acts of Congress or render useless any attempt to execute them. In many of these States the fugitive is discharged from service or labor claimed, and in none of them has the State Government complied with the stipulation made in the Constitution. The State of New Jersey, at an early day, passed a law in conformity with her constitutional obligation; but the current of anti-slavery feeling has led her more recently to enact laws which render inoperative the remedies provided by her own law and by the laws of Congress. In the State of New York even the right of transit for a slave has been denied by her tribunals; and the States of Ohio and Iowa have refused to surrender to justice fugitives charged with murder, and with inciting servile insurrection in the State of Virginia. Thus the constituted compact has been deliberately broken and disregarded by the non-slaveholding States, and the consequence follows that South Carolina is released from her obligation."
That was 155 years ago, and yet we're still having this conversation. That's pretty fucking mind-blowing—as is the #KeepTheFlagUp hashtag that sprouted from a certain sect of Twitter users last night. Naturally, we combed through it and picked out some head-scratchers, which inadvertently act as arguments against themselves. The Confederacy's butt-hurt constituents need to use some of that good ol' free American education,and read a history book. Or at the very least learn how to check sources on a Wikipedia page. Our country is fucked.
Angel Diaz is a staff writer for Complex Media. Follow him @ADiaz456.
@BSWhiteSr
I think he meant Deray? Seems like Bryan White, Sr. isn't a fan of “the blacks.” #ThankYouDeray
@vaguy38
How will Walmart survive?
@c_sheltonn
She's an idiot.
@SugarCookies4U
Looks like Mississippi is gonna need a new flag. Thanks for reminding us.
@Dixiegirl2448
She might be onto something. Oh, no, wait, she's not.
Image via That Devil History
@SharonWilcox1
Not sure if she knows what it's like to live under a dictatorship.
@violets_forever
This one's a doozy.
@andyhanson63
Yup, totally the same thing.
@flynn_lavrar
A culture which includes slavery and racism, amirite? *rimshot*
@rayazos
Dukes of Hazzard was lowkey fire when I was too young to realize what the flag on the car stood for.
@genophilia
Steaming pile of hot take here, folks. Get it while it's hot!
@seancduarte
LOL he said stone. *hits blunt*
@CarolinaRebelle
She should teach history.
@sethcurti
This means Clinton and Gore were trying to get racists to vote for them. God Bless, the Internet.
@sbpdl
Oh God. Maybe we should've let the South secede after all.
