Over the past year the SCV has seen the beginnings of a restoration movement deemed radical by those who failed to understand the original purpose of the organization. This movement, designed to re-ignite the fulfillment of the Charge by a modern generation of Confederate descendants, is an important process that we must see through to its successful complete implementation. It is important to bear in mind that the internal political battles and victories are nothing more than symbolic if the tenor of the organization as a whole does not change. There are far too many 'closet Confederates' within the SCV, members who push for heritage defense everywhere but in their own lives, neighborhoods and work places. This is a major problem that any successful restoration movement must confront and correct.
Simply put, how can anyone be considered a defender of the Confederate soldier's good name and a guardian of his history if that person fails to defend and guard that heritage in every aspect of his life? How can we expect others to battle their employers, schools, governments and other groups on behalf of our heritage when there are many among us who hide their heritage in their own lives? So long as there exists a single officer at any level of the SCV who offers up an excuse why he does not display our symbols on his home and vehicle, in his workplace and in such other places as he frequents, then we do not have a cause to defend. If any member of this organization can justify the 'hiding away' of our symbols from public view in their own lives, then we are nothing but a gang of hypocrites to tell others that they should fight our fight for us.
Why should a student suffer harassment or suspension/expulsion by school officials in the name of our heritage when a single one of our members won't wear a battle flag shirt to his workplace for fear of harassment or termination? Why should the people of a state battle with their government to preserve our symbol on their flag when a single one of our members won't fly a battle flag from their home for fear of disturbing the neighborhood or suffering vandalism? Quite frankly, either our heritage is important to us enough to display and protect ALL THE TIME or it isn't. If it isn't important enough for all of us to display and protect ALL THE TIME, then our true purpose as an organization is already lost. If even one member is afraid or ashamed to display his heritage, then the Confederate soldier's good name and his true history is already surrendered.
Those men who claim to support our Charge and our heritage, but who fall into the category that I have described may consider my views to be extreme, radical, inflexible, unrealistic or some other negative descriptor. They may feel that I just don't understand the complexity of the issue. They may reason that their contributions to heritage defense while fitting in with 'mainstream' society are some sort of positive example of how we can 'reasonably' defend our heritage. To that I can only say, an excuse is just an excuse no matter how nice it sounds or by whom it is given.
Tell the man who is fighting to get his job back because he refused to cover up or remove his Confederate symbols that you're on his side, but that you can't take the exact same stand he took in your own workplace because [insert your excuse here]. Tell the man who has been beaten for displaying the Confederate battle flag that you're on his side, but that you can't display that flag on your home or car because [insert your excuse here]. Tell the student who was banned from her own prom because she wore a battle flag patterned dress that you're on her side, but that you can't wear battle flag clothing to church, at work, the store or anywhere aside from SCV meetings because [insert your excuse here]. If they roll their eyes at you, don't be surprised. Saying you care about defending our heritage when you won't do it in your own life is like Lincoln claiming to be defending government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Folks, simply changing who is wearing the gee-gaw isn't going to change anything. We have to all make the commitment to display and defend our heritage each and every day. Hiding our heritage and symbols away for any reason is an admission that they are the bad thing our opponents say they are.
We need to end our own members' excuse making and convince them that our heritage is not evil. For, if the truth is to be told, failure to display our heritage is done out of fear; fear of what others will think, will do or will say and a cowardice to stand up to that abuse and defend our heritage. That is the underlying truth covered over by all the 'reasonable' excuses. Leaders cannot be cowards. We, as an organization, cannot fulfill our Charge and lead a defense of our heritage if our members only fight for it when no one they know will see them.
So now, take a look at your life. Do you have our flag flying from your home? Is it displayed on your car? Do you wear it on your clothing at work, church and in your daily activities? If the answer to any of those is no, then you are a deserter to our Charge. Make what excuses you will, but in your heart you know you have shirked your responsibility. You suited up, polished your brass, marched along and yelled to your compatriots to put up the fight, but then when you were in the cross-hairs you hid and let the battle go on without you. Maybe no one noticed your failure and called you on it, so you went on back with everyone else and then whined and moaned about a battle lost somewhere else and claimed it was not fought hard enough by those compatriots. Your own failure, you justify as 'picking your battles' or 'conserving resources' or some other excuse. In your heart, you know the truth.
We cannot fulfill the Charge only sometimes. Either we truly believe that our heritage is a proud and noble heritage and we defend it as we would our family all the time or we don't. Either it is more important to you than fitting in at work, church and the neighborhood or it isn't. Either we are fully committed or we will lose. There is no half-way in a battle of vindication.
The restoration movement in the SCV is a positive sign, but it is nothing if we don't all live the Charge. No one can save your heritage for you. You must save it for yourself and your children. If we all fight that personal battle, the opposition will be overwhelmed. If, instead, we let others fight for us or only fight ourselves the battles of others, then we allow the opposition to mass its resources against us and control the battlegrounds. As Project Wave defied the government of Georgia's duplicity by using the power of private property and private citizens, so must we. Forty thousand homes with Confederate flags, forty thousand men wearing Confederate ties or pins at church, forty thousand cars carrying the message of our heritage is the minimum we should be showing. Talk or participation in major heritage battles is not enough. The Charge must be lived by each of us every day. If we lead, others will follow. If we shirk, others will follow. The choice is ours individually. My neighbors, my co-workers and those I drive by all can see my choice. They can see yours as well, whether that is a proud display of our heritage or the cowardly lack of it. It's your choice.
It was customary up into the end of the 19th century for citizens and groups to design their own versions of the US flag. The "Betsy Ross" flag, for example, was never an official US flag any more than the "Bennington Flag" was, but both are some of the favorite designs of all time. The "Great Star" flags and a variety of "Federal Eagle" flags were popular in the early to mid 19th century and then during the War Between the States (WBTS), there was a popular revival of circular patterns.