At the risk of being flamed . . .
The sons of confederate veterans historically was a group that honored the efforts of thier ancestors, but not necessarily the cause. Most of thier efforts were put to restoring headstones and maintaining graves. In the past twenty years or so, there has been an alleged infiltration (intentionally flammatory word) of the group by those more interested in hate and racial division then heritage. An interesting article from the other day is copied below. I would have done a link, but some have complained they can't access them.
On a personnal note, I dealt with officials of the SCV last year for an event, and it was one of the oddest expewriences in my professional life. I have dealt with CW reenactors a lot, but this was a whole new ball game. They made promises of up to 20,000 visitors to an event. I told my board to expect a few hundred, which is what showed up. At the event, I was promised an "Honarary Colonelship" in the SCV, which was never delivered. Based on what I saw, it seems sad that what could have been an important group to understanding has fallen on hard times and poor leadership.
As to the art, well, art is what it is, and let the critics fight it out. I now retreat to my nomex suit.
Sons of Confederate Veterans faces civil strife over its symbols
By Rose French
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NASHVILLE - Even as it comes together for its annual convention, the most prominent Southern heritage group finds itself a house divided between old-style preservationists and new leaders who see Confederate symbols as a political cause.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans has been taken over in recent years by a more confrontational wing -- including some with alleged ties to hate and white-separatist groups -- that wants to be more aggressive about responding to perceived assaults on Southern symbols such as the Confederate flag.
"It is becoming more activist, but it's in tatters," said Heidi Beirich, spokeswoman for the Southern Poverty Law Center, an Alabama-based non-profit that monitors hate groups.
Traditionalists have accused the new leadership of racism and political extremism, saying a number of members have ties to the League of the South, which calls for another secession of Southern states, and the white-supremacist Council of Conservative Citizens.
The poverty law center says at least 10 men who hold key national leadership positions in the Sons of Confederate Veterans are active or recent members of hate groups.
Chartered more than 100 years ago as a fraternal organization for male descendants of Confederate soldiers, the Columbia, Tenn.-based group now has more than 30,000 members around the nation.
Until the late 1980s, it was primarily dedicated to promoting Civil War history by cleaning up Confederate headstones, giving educational lectures and staging battle re-enactments. But the new leadership in the mid-90s began to focus more on political activism.
The conflict boiled over this year when the SCV governing board ousted Commander-in-Chief Denne Sweeney because they said he illegally suspended five traditionalist board members. A judge later reinstated Sweeney, but also said he exceeded his authority.
In Texas, a large portion of the group's membership left and formed its own Confederate heritage group. In North Carolina, about 300 members disassociated from the SCV over its link to groups deemed racist.
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