Jefferson Davis was the US war secretary who betrayed his country to become the first and only president of the American Confederate state.
Davis sent men into battle to maintain their right to enslavement. He once said, “You cannot do anything as useful or good as slavery as possible.” He equated slavery with “a form of civil government for those who, by their nature, are not suited to govern themselves.”
Even after the war he killed over 620,000 soldiers and left his beloved South in a hellish scene – he said, “Let’s do it again.” He remained a racist who had decided to die.
Why is this important now? Florida officially celebrates the birthdays of just six of them. And yes, Davis is one of them.
He kept the entire race of people in a chain and did his lowest to tear the country apart, but his June 3rd birthday is Florida’s official holiday. It is written in state law.
Happy birthday, Jefferson! Thank you…hmm… your betrayal and devotion to white supremacy?
Florida will also formally celebrate Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s birthday on January 19th.
The other four birthday holidays are George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. and Susan B. Anthony (and yes, if it includes Christmas Day). These four were not perfect, but their contribution to the country outweighs their flaws. I can’t say the same for Davis and Lee. They took arms against their country and came out at the losing end. That’s why Florida celebrates them.
The state enacted Lee’s birthday in 1895, 30 years after the war ended. Davis’ Holiday was added in 1905. This is due to revisionist history of the “lost cause” movement and the racial caste system known as Jim Crow grew up in the South.
Several times over the past decade, state lawmakers have introduced bills to remove Davis and Lee’s birthdays from the state’s holiday calendar. These bills weren’t that far. This year they didn’t care.
GOP lawmakers had time to scrub the word “teacher shortage” from our law at recent legislative meetings, as if creative editors would magically solve the problem. However, they couldn’t take a few minutes to cut Davis and Lee from our official holiday list.
Is it worth celebrating exactly about these two men? Before you scream “Cancel the culture,” this is not a denial of the past. Florida and its residents took part in the civil war – both sides. Their reasons and exploitation are worth exploring if it helps to avoid conflicts that divide another country.
Davis belongs to history books and museums. We scrutinize his motivations for supporting slavery and why he rebelled against his country. We assess his decisions as a Confederate leader and why he failed.
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For Lee, analyse his life and famous military tactics. We discuss his decision to surrender instead of continuing the fight. But neither person deserves a holiday in their name. It places them on a reserved pedestal for the hero. They were not Florida heroes.
The nation must commemorate those who deserve commemoration, and commemorate those who have corrected their mistakes and advanced the nation. Davis and Lee worked to break down the country. Many view them as traitors.
These official holidays don’t just make customs from a bygone era interesting, like laws that prohibit singing in public while wearing a swimsuit. Davis and Lee Days are an ugly and embarrassing relic along with Confederate Day, another official holiday in Florida.
Our state leaders should be proud of their state official holidays. They don’t need to be as respectful as Veterans Day. But they should not instinctively flinch from observing official holidays. State celebrations should not give them a Willie.
The nation can honor men and women who have died on both sides of the civil war. But it should stop making Confederate and whitewashed history romantic. Davis and Lee deserve to study. They don’t deserve to be celebrated on a state holiday.
