How ironic that today we celebrate the life of one of our greatest civil rights leaders and inaugurate a leader that clearly wan

[Proverbs]

Part of Obama's strategy is to divide people. Makes conquering them easier. That's not my opinion, that's from "Dreams from My Father," Obama's 1995 book.

From some of these posts, it looks like he's making progress.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

What? I was a Park Ranger at New Orleans, spent some time up at the Vicksburg unit, and that's the FIRST time I have EVER heard that story! Let's see if I can find anything ... nope. Nothing! And really, it hardly seems likely that Grant would execute the citizenry when he PAROLED ALL 30,000 CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS CAPTURED AT VICKSBURG. He was worried that he would not be able to feed or care for them properly as prisoners of war (both sides were equally guilty of horrible conditions in their camps) so he simply TURNED THEM ALL LOOSE. Many wound up later fighting against Union troops at Battle of Chattanooga. So, if he didn't execute the soldiers, the guys who had actually been shooting at Union troops (much to his detriment later), why would he execute the citizens? Seems you have just uncovered more evidence of what a remarkably honorable man Grant actually was. But what about those Confederate troops he paroled on promise that they would cease hostilities till the war's end? Not so honorable.

Brian, I don't know who has been teaching you your history but they are the ones that need to be given the blindfold and cigarette IMHO.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

Again, I would like to remind you that Grant's instructions, even those he received from Lincoln, were that the South had to surrender unconditionally. That means NO terms. At Appomattox Lee asked for terms of leniency for his soldiers (i.e. that the officers be allowed to keep their weapons and the troops be allowed to keep one horse each to plow their fields). Grant, ON HIS OWN AUTHORITY AND IN CONTRAVENTION OF ORDERS FROM HIS SUPERIORS, granted those terms without equivocation. A man who would stick his neck out like that to conserve the dignity of the vanquished, particularly General Lee, could hardly be called dishonorable.