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patgund(originally posted at "Yes To Democracy")
This was originally intended to be part of a COLB update, but it was suggested to me by the writer of the very good "TexasDarlin & Judah Benjamin Take On the War of Northern Aggression!" to make it a stand-alone. We've pointed out in the past that "Judah Benjamin" seems to have interesting tastes in historical figures....
By now I think it's obvious to many that "Judah Benjamin" has a major jones for the War Between the States, (aka the American Civil War). Because he follows his article comparing Judge Surrick's decision (and the likelihood of Obama becoming president) to the election of 1860, with an even more insane article, comparing it to Reconstruction.
Now bear in mind that Reconstruction is a filthy word to many people in the South. It's the time period after the surrender and fall of the Confederate States of America, and the readmission of the rebel states back into the Union. There was military occupation for a while. Freed slaves began asserting their rights as a citizen, with 633 becoming Representatives and 2 becoming Senators. The Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was passed at this time, which defines citizenship and civil rights in the United States. Some southerners believe that ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment was forced on them, (an example being the 1957 Georgia Memorial to Congress, which was an attempt to protect segregation by asking the Congress to declare the 14th and 15th Amendments null and void.
Reconstruction ended in 1876, and was followed by Southern states passing the "Jim Crow" segregation laws, and other laws and actions aimed at limiting the rights of African-American southerners.
With this in mind, "Judah Benjamin's" words are very interesting. It starts with:
Two states tried to rescind their passage of the 14th Amendment - Ohio and New Jersey. North Carolina, Louisiana, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, Delaware, and Kentucky, all initially rejected it. Note that all but one of those were Southern states. It's safe to assume that the 14th Amendment was not popular among some Southerners and may still not be popular in some circles.
As for the other two amendments "Judah Benjamin" cites, well...
The Thirteenth Amendment is the one that prohibits slavery in the United States. I find it difficult to believe that anyone in this day and age would consider the abolishment of slavery to be a "dark time in US History" Four states ratified it after rejecting it - New Jersey, Delaware, Kentucky, and Mississippi, (mind you, it took Mississippi until 1995 to do so....)
The Fifteenth Amendment is the one that prohibits each government in the United States to prevent a citizen from voting based on race. Again, in the day and age it's hard to believe anyone would see this as a bad thing. New York, tried to rescind it, and Ohio, New Jersey, Delaware, California, Maryland, Kentucky, and Tennessee ratified it after rejecting it, (Kentucky waited until 1976 and Tennessee until 1997)
I submit to you that the only people who would find the period of time that these amendments were passed a "dark time in US History" are those lamenting both the fall of the Confederacy and the establishment of laws granting equal rights to all citizens no matter what their race. The fact that "Judah Benjamin" has openly admitted he took the name of the real Judah P. Benjamin, Attorney General, Secretary of State and War for the Confederate States of America, indicates that the "Judah Benjamin" that inhabits "TexasDarlin's" blog may very well be one of those people.
"Judah Benjamin" goes on to say that:
The "purge" that "Judah Benjamin" cites is the "Ironclad Oath" that was part of the Wade-Davis Bill of 1864. It required that Southerners swear they had never borne arms against the Union or supported the Confederacy. (ex-Confederates called it the "The Damnesty Oath".) Without taking the oath, a Southerner could not vote, serve on a jury, or hold office. In many respects, it was similar to the de-nazification of Germany after World War II. Eventually it was replaced by the Amnesty Act of 1872, which restored those rights to all but 500 ex-Confederates. In effect the "purge" that "Judah Benjamin" so darkly hints at was disallowing anyone who had fought against their country from holding public office.
Again, I suspect anyone who would find fault with that are those that lament the fall of the Confederacy. "Judah Benjamin" goes on say:
This seems to be an increasingly chilling belief in the "Cult of the COLB" - the specter of race riots and civil disorder by African-Americans if Sen. Obama is not elected, hinting that the only people supporting him are African-Americans and other non-Whites. Yet they also predict riots and a "Constitutional Crisis" (to use a phase that Philip J. Berg so enjoys) if he IS elected. Certainly many quasi-racists and full-blown racists like to bring up the specter of "reparations" to maintain their fear and excuse their hatred. And some of the anti-Obama camp have used this specter (and a supposed hatred of whites, which ignores the fact that Sen. Obama is bi-racial), as an excuse to justify their dislike of Sen. Obama as well
Consider how "Judah Benjamin" ends his post:
I don't think there's more than can be said. Mr. "Benjamin" shows both his racism - and paranoia - starkly and clearly here. Not to mention that it makes one wonder if Mr, "Benjamin" has some leanings towards the "Neo-Confederate" movement.
This was originally intended to be part of a COLB update, but it was suggested to me by the writer of the very good "TexasDarlin & Judah Benjamin Take On the War of Northern Aggression!" to make it a stand-alone. We've pointed out in the past that "Judah Benjamin" seems to have interesting tastes in historical figures....
By now I think it's obvious to many that "Judah Benjamin" has a major jones for the War Between the States, (aka the American Civil War). Because he follows his article comparing Judge Surrick's decision (and the likelihood of Obama becoming president) to the election of 1860, with an even more insane article, comparing it to Reconstruction.
Now bear in mind that Reconstruction is a filthy word to many people in the South. It's the time period after the surrender and fall of the Confederate States of America, and the readmission of the rebel states back into the Union. There was military occupation for a while. Freed slaves began asserting their rights as a citizen, with 633 becoming Representatives and 2 becoming Senators. The Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was passed at this time, which defines citizenship and civil rights in the United States. Some southerners believe that ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment was forced on them, (an example being the 1957 Georgia Memorial to Congress, which was an attempt to protect segregation by asking the Congress to declare the 14th and 15th Amendments null and void.
Reconstruction ended in 1876, and was followed by Southern states passing the "Jim Crow" segregation laws, and other laws and actions aimed at limiting the rights of African-American southerners.
With this in mind, "Judah Benjamin's" words are very interesting. It starts with:
"The XIVth is a part of a dark time in US History called Reconstruction, it was passed under Duress and some States rescinded their passage of it almost as soon as they agreed it should pass. As a matter of fact the XIIIth and XVth Amendments fall into the same gray area. I’m not saying anything against these Amendments simply stating verifiable fact."
Two states tried to rescind their passage of the 14th Amendment - Ohio and New Jersey. North Carolina, Louisiana, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, Delaware, and Kentucky, all initially rejected it. Note that all but one of those were Southern states. It's safe to assume that the 14th Amendment was not popular among some Southerners and may still not be popular in some circles.
As for the other two amendments "Judah Benjamin" cites, well...
The Thirteenth Amendment is the one that prohibits slavery in the United States. I find it difficult to believe that anyone in this day and age would consider the abolishment of slavery to be a "dark time in US History" Four states ratified it after rejecting it - New Jersey, Delaware, Kentucky, and Mississippi, (mind you, it took Mississippi until 1995 to do so....)
The Fifteenth Amendment is the one that prohibits each government in the United States to prevent a citizen from voting based on race. Again, in the day and age it's hard to believe anyone would see this as a bad thing. New York, tried to rescind it, and Ohio, New Jersey, Delaware, California, Maryland, Kentucky, and Tennessee ratified it after rejecting it, (Kentucky waited until 1976 and Tennessee until 1997)
I submit to you that the only people who would find the period of time that these amendments were passed a "dark time in US History" are those lamenting both the fall of the Confederacy and the establishment of laws granting equal rights to all citizens no matter what their race. The fact that "Judah Benjamin" has openly admitted he took the name of the real Judah P. Benjamin, Attorney General, Secretary of State and War for the Confederate States of America, indicates that the "Judah Benjamin" that inhabits "TexasDarlin's" blog may very well be one of those people.
"Judah Benjamin" goes on to say that:
"Rebellion against the Constitution is rebellion against the Supreme Law of the Land, it is Treason Felony and brings with it the penalties prescribed under the XIVth Amendment, and or any other penalties Congress chooses to appoint, a purged Congress, purged under the XIVth Amendment, purged of anyone even suspected to have supported the Insurrection."
The "purge" that "Judah Benjamin" cites is the "Ironclad Oath" that was part of the Wade-Davis Bill of 1864. It required that Southerners swear they had never borne arms against the Union or supported the Confederacy. (ex-Confederates called it the "The Damnesty Oath".) Without taking the oath, a Southerner could not vote, serve on a jury, or hold office. In many respects, it was similar to the de-nazification of Germany after World War II. Eventually it was replaced by the Amnesty Act of 1872, which restored those rights to all but 500 ex-Confederates. In effect the "purge" that "Judah Benjamin" so darkly hints at was disallowing anyone who had fought against their country from holding public office.
Again, I suspect anyone who would find fault with that are those that lament the fall of the Confederacy. "Judah Benjamin" goes on say:
"Now some people claim that if Obama is declared Ineligible by the Courts under Article II there will be serious Civil Disorder, “worse than South Central LA”, and they could be right. After all, there are those who will try to whip up that kind of Disorder."
This seems to be an increasingly chilling belief in the "Cult of the COLB" - the specter of race riots and civil disorder by African-Americans if Sen. Obama is not elected, hinting that the only people supporting him are African-Americans and other non-Whites. Yet they also predict riots and a "Constitutional Crisis" (to use a phase that Philip J. Berg so enjoys) if he IS elected. Certainly many quasi-racists and full-blown racists like to bring up the specter of "reparations" to maintain their fear and excuse their hatred. And some of the anti-Obama camp have used this specter (and a supposed hatred of whites, which ignores the fact that Sen. Obama is bi-racial), as an excuse to justify their dislike of Sen. Obama as well
Consider how "Judah Benjamin" ends his post:
"I don’t say it will happen but it could and it has. In 1861 they didn’t have gunship helicopters, or 6,000 rpm rotary cannon, etc, etc. What can a gunship do to an urban neighborhood? I know the answer, if you don’t, you don’t want to. Remember, if it happens, either way around, it was Barack Hussein Obama II and the DNC who caused it.
Last time they called it Reconstruction."
I don't think there's more than can be said. Mr. "Benjamin" shows both his racism - and paranoia - starkly and clearly here. Not to mention that it makes one wonder if Mr, "Benjamin" has some leanings towards the "Neo-Confederate" movement.
