A Mississippi organization, The Sons of Confederate Veterans, is seeking to have a commemorative license plate named after a famous Confederate General. That within itself is not the problem. But the General they seek to honor is: General Nathan Bedford Forrest.
While Nathan Bedford Forrest earned the reputation of being a great cavalry leader in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, there are also historical accounts that he served as the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, a vigilante group known for reigning terror against blacks. In addition to being a slave trader himself, Forrest became most known for leading the forces that massacred African-American Union troops that had surrendered during the battle of Fort Pillow. 
Whether Forrest gave the direct order, participated in the massacre or just stood watch has been fodder for historians over the decades. However, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica website, “In what proved the ugliest racial incident of the war, Confederate forces under General Nathan B. Forrest captured Fort Pillow on April 12, 1864, and proceeded to kill all the black troops within; some were burned or buried alive. A Federal congressional investigating committee subsequently verified that more than 300 blacks, including women and children, had been slain.”
Fast forward to 2011. The attempt to have a special license plate honoring Forrest reminds us of the strain of race relations in Mississippi and elsewhere across the nation. The Mississippi NAACP and the Sons of Confederate Veterans are on opposite ends of this issue.
The NAACP has appealed to current Governor, and potential Republican Presidential candidate, Haley Barbour to denounce this attempt to honor a man who, while making notable achievements as an army general, als
o committed acts of atrocity against black Americans. Governor Barbour unabashedly and defiantly proclaimed recently to a reporter, “I don’t go around denouncing people.” When asked what he thought of the General/KKK leader, mass murderer(?) in a historical context, Governor Barbour said, “He’s a historical figure.”
While Barbour went on to say that he thought the state would not likely approve a Nathan Bedford Forrest license plate, he did not express what he thought was the correct and honorable thing to do.
Why didn’t he?
Was this the right position for a state leader? A leader, who might run and become President of the United States?
On a broader level: What warrants an honorable designation? What or Who is deserving of a national or state commemorative medal, license plate — any type of honor?
We certainly need to be clear about what kind of destructive deeds we will not honor.
There are many memorials erected in Forrest’s honor, including a Bronze Bust of Forrest at the Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park, in Memphis, Tenn., and the Nathan Bedford Forrest monument in Myrtle Hill Cemetery, in Rome, Georgia.
Beyond the controversy of whether to honor or not honor the deeds of Nathan Bedford Forrest with a special license plate looms a broader more important question: When will we, as humans being, face the fact that we all need to denounce, and move beyond racial hatred and bigotry in all its forms? We have seen the price it has exacted historically and continues today. And every times it raises its ugly head, it has the potential to impede progress and keep us from moving forward. So what lasting value does perpetuating any symbols of racial hatred and bigotry offer?
What do you think?
Comments
A Bad Idea
Not only will this continue to bring up racial thoughts and actions it will cause many debates on what is right. Mississippi still has many racial debates throughout its state. It didnt have its first intagrated prom until 2008. That seems a little weird to me, because here we are in the 21st century but yet we are still having racial differences. I know every state is different but its a new age and its time for us to become apart of the same unit. And I think its wrong for the govenor to voice his opinion on the subject of Forest. Because if he does decided to run for president in the future he will keep getting asked the question of why he allowed the right of the lincease plates to be printed. I dont think that it should be allowed I mean even though he was a famous history figure he was also a bad person in my book. And bad people shouldnt get recoginzed for their good accomplishments or rewarded with licance plates either.
Why Bring it Up Mississippi?
I believe that I will cause Mississippi many problems if it is passed especially with the topic of racism, but what boggles me is why would Mississippi even try to even bring this up specifically knowing the General’s history of being in the KKK and him leading his troops to massacre an all-black unit. They should have known that this would cause a controversy and heat up the already heated tension between blacks and whites, granted its 2011 but that does not mean racism just disappeared never to show its face again. Bringing up that kind of history also brings up old wounds which then fosters resentment, now I know we need to cherish our past or accept our past for it is how we became the nation we are today but there is no need to bring up that kind of history that you know is likely to catch on fire when brought back up.
come on now..
At first I thought the idea of commemorating a historical figure like Forrest was a great idea, but as the article continued and information of the general being associated with mass murder and the KKK things got complicated. It seems that the sons of confederate veterans are just trying to spite African Americans. Just one more way to openly advertise racism and play it off as some sort of commemorative piece. I also don’t understand why they would want to make it a license plate? Is that really the best way to show your respect for a dead general? Why not a statue or scholarship fund? I suppose a license plate will suffice. I understand while Barbour didn’t elaborate on the topic, why should he set himself up to be ridiculed by people about an issue. I think I would have done the exact same thing in his situation. It isn’t exactly a issue with a clean cut right/wrong answer. All he was trying to do was protect himself. As for the license plate, I come to wonder when we will stop glorifying people like General Forrest. Maybe he was a great general, but is it really worth all of the fighting just for a license plate?
What is wrong with people
First off i can't hardly believe that this kind of thing still even exists. It is absolutely ridiculous ad offensive to all individuals who you have been discriminated on for their race. On to the license plate with a KKK leader, are you kidding me? What the heck is wrong with you people. Granted we can't regulate what these people are doing behind closed doors and that is their right but we sure don't need that kind of thing on a bunch of license plates running around the whole state. Think people what kind of impact would this have on the rest of the country if all of the sudden we were required to drive around with a basically a racist statement on the back of our vehicle?
Pages