The overheated reaction from liberals and Lincoln defenders to the movie "Gods and Generals" is an example of intolerance gone wild.
Let's get a few things straight about the movie "Gods and Generals," things that one would never guess are in the movie to judge from the howling attacks to which the film has been subjected:
1. The film includes very positive portrayals of Union officers and soldiers.
2. The film includes an eloquent anti-slavery, anti-Confederate speech by the character of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.
3. The film includes a scene where a slave tells a Union officer she wants freedom for herself and for her children, even though she has been treated well as a slave by her Southern white family.
4. The film includes a scene in which Confederate generals praise the bravery of Union soldiers.
5. The film includes a scene where a Northern student poses a well-put critical question about slavery.
Given these facts, why have liberals and Lincoln apologists hurled such passionate attacks at the film? Why have they heatedly denounced it as "neo-Confederate propaganda," "neo-Confederate trash," etc., etc.?
I'll tell you why: Because these folks are outraged that, heaven forbid, the movie portrays Southerners as decent, caring human beings. Other reasons:
They're outraged that the film portrays Generals Lee and Jackson as the honorable Christian men that they were.
They're outraged that every other word out of the Confederate characters' mouths doesn't revolve around slavery.
They're outraged that the film notes that General Lee and other Confederate officers supported emancipating slaves who served in the Confederate army.
They're outraged that the slaves in the movie don't voice bitter condemnation of Southern whites.
They're outraged that the movie presents the fact that Southerners were fighting for independence and to repel the Northern invasion.
You'd think that the political correctness crowd would be satisfied that virtually every Civil War movie to date has been strongly pro-Union and anti-Southern, that virtually every Civil War movie to date has portrayed the (false) notion that the war was all about slavery, and that very few Civil War movies have had anything good to say about the Confederacy or about Confederate leaders (even though there is much that can be said in praise of the Confederacy and its leaders).
These folks want it all their way, or nothing. They talk of "tolerance," "pluralism," and "inclusion," but they fail to display these noble principles when it comes to the Southern side of the Civil War.
Mike Griffith Civil War website <a target="_blank" href="http://ourworld.cs.com/mikegriffith1/id163.htm">http://ourworld.cs.com/mikegriffith1/id163.htm</A> <a target="_blank" href="http://michaelgriffith1.tripod.com/griffitharticles2.htm">http://michaelgriffith1.tripod.com/griffitharticles2.htm</A>
by Mike Griffith on October 24, 2003 at 9:21 PM