Don't Rewrite my history, my heritage – Commentary by Billy Bearden

This letter below was printed (along with my picture in CS uniform) in the Nov 13th Carroll Star News. The letter to which I replied was lamenting a movement in South Korea to remove the [Gen. Douglas] McArthur Statue. I am sure we all understand Mr. Pak's emotions in this attack on his heritage.

Dear Editor,
In the November 6th 2005 edition, Mr. Pak writes about a terribly misguided and idiotic group of young people (in South Korea) bent on removing the Statue of General Douglas McArthur. Of course, we know it was he who restored the southern Korean peninsula back to the South Korean people. My father recieved a Silver Star in that conflict. If President Truman had not stopped McArthur, the whole of Korea would be free from Communism. But half free is better than all red. It cost Americans more than 33,000 lives.

I can understand all too well what Mr. Pak and true Koreans must be going through, as icons of my heritage are being removed by people of the same bent. It began with a 1991 NAACP resolution declaring war on all things Confederate. It arrived here in Georgia with the 1956 state flag being changed, ultimately giving us the flag that Rep. Tyrone Brooks had demanded for 20 years.

The city of Atlanta removed the name of (Confederate General Turner) Ashby Street in 2001. It was renamed Joseph Lowery Blvd.

The Mayor of Augusta removed only the 2nd National Confederate Banner from the city's once famous and historic Riverwalk military flag display, from which flew the flags of all nations (six) that laid claim to Georgia. This was to appease the South Carolina NAACP.

The Mayor of Savannah removed two military paintings from City Council Chambers. One was the city's first Mayor, the other was General Robert E. Lee, who designed Fort Pulaski for the defense of Georgia. Both paintings showed them in Confederate uniform. The Mayor is a NAACP member.

Students in Mt. Zion city schools cannot even enjoy First Amendment rights to wear a shirt with a Confederate flag on it.

Of course, this ethnic cleansing is rampant all over the south. Confederate flags were hauled down from Confederate graveyards in Missouri at the demand of former Democratic Presidential candidate Richard Gephardt. NASCAR did away with its traditional "Southern 500" to become more politically correct. Virginia's State Flag pledge has been banned at the behest of the Virginia Black Caucus - because it was written by a 70-year-old woman in the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Ole Miss University has done away with their Rebel mascot.

Back in August 2005, Rev. Al Sharpton traveled to Memphis and demanded the city dig up the graves of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest and his wife because he deemed their remains offensive.

On and on it goes...

As shown by the words of Mr. Pak, groups demanding that history be changed and re-written grow stronger each day. The fault lies with schools who don't teach history anymore, politicians who cave in to demands of political correctness, church leaders who spread lies and propaganda, and parents who fail to teach their children where they came from.

Let us keep the statues and icons of yesterday, and together build a stronger future for our children through God's guidance.

God Bless,
Billy Bearden
Mt. Zion, GA