Just Saw This in its Entirety for the First Time
The Civil War is the one of the only parts of United States History that I liked learning about in high school.
I loved The PBS series "The Civil War", especially the parts with Shelby Foote, and have seen photos in a book of the horrendous carnage, but seeing this film really brought that war alive for me. I always was a partisan of the South, not for their philosophy, but because they were always the underdog and I always take the part of the underdog. Ragged, hungry, sometimes shoeless, yet they fought on.
Regarding the recent controversy over statues in the South of their heroes, in my opinion, allow them to keep their heroes' statues. So many of theirs died in that unwinnable war, and we can't erase the bad parts of our history by getting rid of statues,
Add the statues of Black heroes, MLK, Frederick Douglas, George Washington Carver, Barack Obama, (I would like to see Michelle's statue alongside him),the Black soldiers who made up the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, (Their story is told in the film 'Glory") It is just as heartbreaking. The last scene always brings tears), et al, to show how our country has evolved. Institute severe penalties for any defacement of the monuments to Black heroes.
Even at Civil War reunions, old enemies on both sides shook hands and even embraced. Old African-American soldiers participated in some of those reunions.
We are such a divided country. We need to unite, and erasing our history will not bring that about.
That being said, I wish we could do away with war entirely. It is such a waste.