America United

The image above shows a powerful message.  The Civil war was the bloodiest war in American history.  It was a war fought to preserve the union after the southern states seceded from the United States of America, thereby forming the Confederate States of America.  When we are taught about the civil war as children, we all tend to consider ourselves northerners.  The southerners supported slavery and we all know that is wrong and evil so they must be wrong and evil.  This statement could not be further from the truth.  

Many confederate soldiers believed that the cause they were fighting for was just.  They were not fighting to protect slavery.  Ninety percent of the south did not own slaves.  The soldiers who did not own slaves were certainly not fighting for the rights of the wealthy plantation owners who did own slaves.  They were fighting for liberty from what they perceived as an invading army.  The soldiers fought for their families at home, and to protect the ideals they held dear.  

Today American soldiers fight overseas in various dangerous locations such as Iraq or Afghanistan.  These soldiers are not fighting for oil or any other political reason.  They fight because they wan to create a world where their families and the families of other good Americans can be safe from any threat.  Many of them are perceived by the natives of those countries to be invaders coming to take over much like the Union soldiers were perceived in the southern states.  

The image depicts one modern soldier paying respect to the memories of the fallen Confederate soldiers.  He is not paying respect to slavery.  He is respecting his fellow Americans who also fought for what they perceived as a just cause.  He is respecting how many of them died to protect their families and their rights just like many modern soldiers today.  The image shows that even though the confederate soldiers seceded they will always be Americans.