A Uncivil War of Words

Sic semper tyrannis. "Thus always to tyrants." The phrase uttered by the infamous murderer, John Wilkes Booth, right after he shot the President, seemingly runs long -- and deep.

Down in Richmond, Virginia, or shall I say up, from my standpoint, a statute of the Sixteenth President, and son Tad, was recently dedicated at the Richmond National Battlefield Park Civil War Visitor Center. April 5, 1865, President Lincoln visited the one-time capitol of the Confederacy, as an act of reconciliation between the United States and the Successionists. Understandably, feelings were pretty raw back then; apparently, really old wounds heal really slowly.

There are some in good ole Virginny who are none too pleased by having a statute of Mr. Lincoln in the former seat of Confederate power. Specifically, the Sons of Confederate Veterans visited Jefferson Davis' grave to support their favorite Civil War guy, while denouncing President Lincoln -- and his monument. There were protestors too; some dressed in the fightin' Confederate gray, who made their way to the National Park with plans to disrupt the ceremony.

One of the protesters told his crowd that he opposed the statute because, "we feel that Abraham Lincoln came to Richmond as a conqueror, not a healer...you don't build monuments to conquerors." No doubt, there were Confederate flags waving plentifully and proudly. What really stirred my interest enough to write about this was the person of great chutzpah who likened the President to Osama bin Laden. Oh yeah, I'm seeing that resemblance.

I am a passionate First Amendment defender and advocate; and I defend without hesitation, this person's right to freely express his opinions. I believe that it is typically better to know where a person stands, and if it is contrary to my own beliefs, the appropriate response is to counter his speech with my own. A good, vigorous and open debate. But doggone it, I never really knew that there was such a group of people who simply hate Abraham Lincoln so vehemently. To me, he was a man of honor, courage and integrity. I don't happen to carry the same warm, fuzzy feelings for bin Laden.

And so I wonder why so much hatred towards a President who has been exalted during the past, and is now seemingly relegated -- primarily by republicans -- to somewhere between George W. Bush and Dick Nixon. Abe was typically planted atop the favorite republican presidents poll, year after year. Now, it seems as if, overnight, he no longer measures up to say, George Walker Bush. Oh, but pity the fool who tries.

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