I’ve lived in the Houston, Texas area all of my life. That means I’m a child of Southern culture: I’ve had a CHL for years, I love riding my Harley Road King, and I love my Texas hill country music. I grew up just blocks from the KKK center in Pasadena, Texas. So, when some of you began sharing a Communist-led petition to remove a century-old Houston-era monument honoring the Confederacy, I wanted to say a thing or two about this type of history.

As far as Confederate monuments in and around the Houston area, I say preserve them so that they can be gathered together and placed into a car compactor and turned into dust because I repudiate everything that this Jim Crow-era propaganda stands for. Here, I want to be very clear about the cultural heritage these monuments seek to honor. Here are a few quotes from the 1861 Texas Ordinance of Secession:

In all the non-slave-holding States, in violation of that good faith and comity which should exist between entirely distinct nations, the people have formed themselves into a great sectional party, now strong enough in numbers to control the affairs of each of those States, based upon the unnatural feeling of hostility to these Southern States and their beneficent and patriarchal system of African slavery, proclaiming the debasing doctrine of the equality of all men, irrespective of race or color–a doctrine at war with nature, in opposition to the experience of mankind, and in violation of the plainest revelations of the Divine Law. They demand the abolition of negro slavery throughout the confederacy, the recognition of political equality between the white and the negro races, and avow their determination to press on their crusade against us, so long as a negro slave remains in these States.

By consolidating their strength, they have placed the slave-holding States in a hopeless minority in the federal congress, and rendered representation of no avail in protecting Southern rights against their exactions and encroachments.

We hold as undeniable truths that the governments of the various States, and of the confederacy itself, were established exclusively by the white race, for themselves and their posterity; that the African race had no agency in their establishment; that they were rightfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race, and in that condition only could their existence in this country be rendered beneficial or tolerable.

That in this free government all white men are and of right ought to be entitled to equal civil and political rights; that the servitude of the African race, as existing in these States, is mutually beneficial to both bond and free, and is abundantly authorized and justified by the experience of mankind, and the revealed will of the Almighty Creator, as recognized by all Christian nations; while the destruction of the existing relations between the two races, as advocated by our sectional enemies, would bring inevitable calamities upon both and desolation upon the fifteen slave-holding States. By the secession of six of the slave-holding States, and the certainty that others will speedily do likewise, Texas has no alternative but to remain in an isolated connection with the North, or unite her destinies with the South.

For these and other reasons, solemnly asserting that the federal constitution has been violated and virtually abrogated by the several States named, seeing that the federal government is now passing under the control of our enemies to be diverted from the exalted objects of its creation to those of oppression and wrong, and realizing that our own State can no longer look for protection, but to God and her own sons – We the delegates of the people of Texas, in Convention assembled, have passed an ordinance dissolving all political connection with the government of the United States of America and the people thereof and confidently appeal to the intelligence and patriotism of the freeman of Texas to ratify the same at the ballot box, on the 23rd day of the present month.

When we in the South use euphemisms like, “States Rights,” “War of Northern Aggression,” or “Southern Heritage,” the above is what we’re talking about.

Those who fought against the United States for the “right” to own human beings are not heroes; they’re traitors. The Confederacy killed American soldiers by the millions and when they were caught, this is how The Confederacy treated American POWs:

Here in the Houston area –a town named after Sam Houston– we’ve had a number of street/buildings and monuments named to honor the above “culture.” The City of Houston is named after Sam Houston… who was booted out of office by the Confederates because he was against Texas joining the Confederacy. After the political Right got rid of Houston, Texas joined the Confederacy in explicit defense of slavery, and then went after Texas Freethinkers, culminating in their slaughter by Confederate soldiers.

“The South will rise again”

Fuck you. 

“Southern Pride”

Fuck you.

“Southern Heritage”

Fuck you.

There is NOTHING to be proud about when it comes to Southern pro-Confederate history. Southern Confederacy history is anti-American history. You can’t be an American patriot while glorifying traitors and slavers who fought against America:

Also, let’s not pretend that these monuments, street, and building names aren’t predominately Jim Crow-era propaganda meant to make certain populations know that where they live, they should know their place:

This SHOULD NOT be controversial. Honoring slavers and traitors to America has no place in Houston. And yet, last year HISD trustees voted 5 – 4 to rename public schools that honored slavers.

Five to FOUR? Fuck you!

It’s far past time for all of this Jim Crow propaganda to come down.