I am now officially sick and tired of the Civil War. To clarify: I am sick and tired of the glorification of the Civil War. For crying out loud, it was about owning and exploiting human beings, and about destroying the United States. Which one of those events shall we celebrate?

I could not believe it when I read Gov. McDonnell's first Confederate History Month proclamation, before he was forced to acknowledge that slavery was a factor. Duh, guv, like maybe THE factor. I read his original proclamation and got a sick feeling in my stomach that I get when a history whitewash is taking place, and knowing that in our low-information culture, it isn't that hard to convince people that event A was actually event Z. Throw in a few socialisms, and gun rights, and the constitution, and the haters are putty in your hands, ready to buy whatever steaming load of crap you're selling.

So let me see if I have this right: the sore losers whine about getting back to our constitution. A subset of the sore losers are neo-confederates. So in 1861, it was OK to rip apart our country, constitution be damned, but now they are mad as hell that a black man is allowed to live in the White House and be commander-in-chief. No wonder their poor feeble heads are exploding.

Recent polling of the tea partiers reveals something shocking: they are white, well-off, older men, by and large. Every time our country makes significant strides forward in civil and human rights, these creeps come out of the woodwork and start yelling about their taxes, their constitution, and their values. And waving their moth-eaten stars and bars. And because the media loves a catfight, the cameras run the whole time, with constant replays and rehashes of every stupid thing these neanderthals say. And then we have to hear from John MCain, who is no longer a maverick, so has more time to go on all the talk shows and expound on how much better off we'd be if he and that con artist P.T. Palin had won the election. And also, by the way, can we please hurry up and bomb Iran?

Speaking of the con artist, would anyone pay a bit of attention to her and Michelle Bachmann if they weren't so dog-gone pretty? Such pretty girls saying such stupid stuff. Please, can we watch again?? Aren't they pretty! What are they wearing today? Oooh, listen, one of them just smacked down the President! Wow, they are awesome! Maybe they'll turn on each other and start some hair-pulling and biting and call each other bitch. Better keep the cameras rolling.

What has set me off on this tangent is seeing this in my morning newspaper. I wish I could include the photo too. Do you think they invited any slave re-enactors? Nah, probably not.

What’s Happening: Old Virginia Soiree is held at Woman’s Club

MARSHA P. GROSSMAN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Published: April 18, 2010

Buzz up!

Following a grand tradition, the Celebrate South Committee of the J.E.B Stuart Memorial Foundation hosted its 13th annual ball -- the Old Virginia Soiree -- April 10 at the Woman's Club of Richmond on East Franklin Street.

A volunteer committee headed by James H. Cochrane Jr., and spearheaded by Marc Ramsey, put together an evening of Civil War-era festivity, frivolity and fancy footwork to benefit the Museum of the Confederacy and the Richmond Battlefields Association.

Formally opening the program was a presentation of the Color Guard of Virginia comprised of 15th and 21st Infantry re-enactors and led by Ramsey, of the Fighting First Regiment.

The Hardtack & Sowbelly String Band supplied toe-tapping Civil War-era music as dance master and mistress Drs. Briant and Karin Bohleke led guests through reels, waltzes and polkas.

Eighty of the 120 guests were attired in reproduction uniforms and shimmering ball gowns of the era -- many handmade by the wearers.

Among the re-enactors were members of Lee's Lieutenants, some of whom traveled from as far as Colorado and West Virginia to participate. Most were in full character as historical figures such as J.E.B. Stuart and spy Belle Boyd.

A singalong of favorite Southern tunes and prayers for soldiers currently serving in the military brought the evening to a close.

"It is a rare occasion that so many good folks can come together to have some great fun in a unique historical setting while supporting two very worthwhile causes," Ramsey said. "This benefit was a definite success!"

Christopher J. Evans is board chairman of the J.E.B Stuart Memorial Foundation.