Being a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans is a point of honor and pride for every man who has taken the oath, but it should mean more to us than just having a fancy certificate on our wall. As members who have taken the oath, we have pledged ourselves to "loyally support the activities of the camp and the Sons of Confederate Veterans."
This means that we have pledged to go beyond just putting a flag up or posting about our southern heritage on social media. We have pledged to actively participate in the life of the SCV, both at the local and international level.
In the past 4 months we have seen what was generally a cold culture war escalate into a non-stop firefight for the survival of our heritage! It is safe to say that the memory of our beloved Confederate ancestors & the true history of the Cause they fought for has never seen an assault like it has since the middle of June. Though the national media has largely moved on, those who are actively seeking to destroy everything remotely Confederate have not. They struck a mighty blow after the tragedy in Charleston, and they continue to be effective in using that tragedy for their evil purposes.
Here in Michigan, we are largely isolated and insulated from the implications of what the hatemongers are doing. We don't have any public lands with deep Confederate history, and aside from a handful of Confederate veterans' graves, we really don't have a great number of sacred sights. This, however, cannot be an excuse for complacency.
Our southern brothers need our help, and there are a number of ways we can provide it. If you're reading this then you most likely have an internet connection. That also means you have access to the many online petitions that are out there to encourage the powers-that-be in the Southern states not to give in to the pressure from the groups that seek to destroy and suppress our heritage. You also have the ability to send emails to those people in charge to let our collective voice be heard.
Of course there are ways that we can help financially, such as by donating to the SCV Heritage Defense Fund, but another way we can support the Cause is just by encouraging others to join the organization and by being faithful to attend the meetings of our local camps!
So I would like to encourage all of our SCV brethren to think of ways they can show their commitment to the organization, and join in solidarity to combat the forces who would like to see our Confederate heritage buried and hidden away forever.
Both of our Michigan SCV Camps have seen growth over the past few months, and for this we can all be thankful. Let us resolve to keep up the fight, and let our brothers down south know that we are most certainly with them in this fight!
DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321
