The scorched-history tactics of American press and progressive social justice warriors, which were in full display this past week, may have inspired the pepper-spraying of of Confederate re-enactors who were marching in a North Carolina parade.

Police arrested a man after Confederate veteran re-enactors were pepper sprayed during the 2017 Soldiers Reunion parade in Newton on Thursday. Two victims were treated at the scene for pepper spray exposure and released, Newton police said. Police arrested Karl Smith, 56, of Morganton and charged him with two counts of misdemeanor assault. He was released by a magistrate on a written promise to appear in court.

The group of re-enactors regularly appears in the annual parade.

According to a police report, Smith sprayed the re-enactors when they stopped to fire their weapons. Two parade participants notified officials around 5.30pm about Smith’s actions. Police seized a small canister of pepper spray and a loaded .38-caliber revolver for which Smith had a valid concealed-weapon permit.

It appears that Smith wasn’t the only person protesting, though he was the only one to attack the Confederate actors. Another, and unrelated activist, used Chalottesville as a springboard for his small demonstration.

“With the recent stuff that went on in Charlottesville it felt like an important time to say, ‘There’s a better way’,” says Jesse Smith, who was peacefully protesting the Confederate re-enactors. The group was flying Confederate flags and their booth was set up next to a statue of a Confederate soldier. They had no comment for NBC Charlotte. Smith, however, had a direct response to their actions. Just to realize what the Civil War was about, slavery,” says Smith. “ Racism is America’s first and original sin and we still haven’t gotten past that.”

But….I thought electing Obama was suppose to solve all of our race problems! Interestingly, a CBS interview with black women who are Trump supporters show that many Americans are moving forward, and point the finger at the former President for making race relations worse.

“I have been a Republican before Donald Trump, I will be a Republican afterwards,” [Janelle] Jones said. “I honestly don’t think we will see this issue a racial divide addressed until we remove identity politics out of the political process.” These Republican women say if a president deserves blame for making racial tensions worse it’s former President Obama, not Mr. Trump, and the identity politics they believe Democrats have practiced for the last eight years.

As a side note: Legal Insurrection readers may recall I participate in historical re-enactments. Several of my friends spend a lot of time, money, and energy on recreating Civil War battles. Many of us have enjoyed their efforts on the big screen, such as in the fabulous “Gettysburg”.

Many people can recite the opening of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, but I would like to highlight another portion of his speech:

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate-we can not consecrate-we can not hallow-this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

President Lincoln did not segregate the Union and Confederate troops in his speech, but instead recognized the sacrifices of all the troops to help heal the nation and seal the breach.

Self-righteous and violent activism undermines Lincoln’s efforts.



