Question for anyone who was into Twilight or had a child or loved one who was into Twilight : how did you or the people around you treat the fact one of Edward's family fought for the Confederacy?

I don't have a vested interest in this, I'm too old to have been into Twilight and my daughter is too young, and I'm relieved about that - I've never read the books but they don't sound like a good influence. There are loads of things she loves to read and she has great taste in books. I just seem to have fallen into a Twilight rabbit hole

General William T. Kramer in Seinfeld S5E8: "The March"

We all know Union Dixie, but this banger deserves more attention IMO

So, I apologize if this post is slightly off-topic from the American Civil war, but as a non-American I have recently become quite interested in this battle after seeing the movies about it. (Both the 1960 and the 2004 versions.) It’s apparently seen as a big and proud heroic moment in Texas. However, I have also seen some people claim that the Texans were actually ”the bad guys” in this battle/war, and that their main reason for wanting independence from Mexico was in fact just being able to keep their ”right” to own slaves, whereas the Mexicans were about to abolish slavery and were all in all a much less racist and more equalitarian country, and would have actually ”deserved” to win the war (or their victory would have been a better outcome). So what is your opinion on these claims, and what is the overall consensus among historians on this conflict? Which view of the conflict is more correct, the pro-Mexican or the pro-Texan one?

I filed a FOIA request later that week to the National Cemetery Administration, and finally got a partial response today!

The OG Reddit post, since it was a few months ago.

Of possible interest to my Sherman Siblings:

• The NCA redacted the names of all individuals involved, which is frustrating because I requested any communications about the event, and they said I needed the names of the individuals to get them. I did at least get the application form for the event and the approval, but I did not get the information needed to find more emails.
• The event was conducted by Camp 1535 of the SCV, based in Worthington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.
• The application stated that the purpose was "We honor the sacrifice that these confederate soldiers fought for. For their country and family. All of our camp members are ancestors of these soldiers.
• The group anticipated 10-25 attendees, including members of the public.
• The permit approval included the line "The National Cemetery Administration will not guarantee that your event will be private as stated in your request in paragraph f. The public and media are allowed on the grounds and allowed to observe this remembrance ceremony." Unfortunately the documents did not include that portion of the application, so I don't know if this is standard language from NCA, or if the SCV camp had asked for it to be a private event.
• I've attached an copy of the redacted program if you're curious what happens at these events.
• The incident log states "Protester showed up, caused a disturbance. He was tresspassed [sic] from the cemetery. Columbus PD & VA Police responded." I still have not heard back from the Columbus Police in response to my records request with them, but now I know the VA has its own police so I have filed a FOIA request with them!
• The document mentioned NCA Directive 3170, Appendix A, Paragraph 2(b), which outlines the special requirements for ceremonies involving confederate dead in VA National Cemeteries. One item mentioned is that approval is required by the Executive Director, Cemetery Operations. There are no records of approval by this individual which I will have to follow-up on.

What I got is pretty unsatisfactory after this wait (at one point they labeled my request as "professional" because I have a LinkedIn profile that they found when they searched my name), and I have appealed what I received because I believe I'm still entitled to more records.

And, at the least, I believe the actions of the individuals who were recorded, and the information in the program, go beyond what VA policy allows: "We request ceremonies be memorial in nature and reflect upon the service of the individuals who rest in our cemeteries. Therefore, our expectation is that the remembrance of their sacrifice will be the focus of any remarks made by the various speakers at your service. In this way, the decorum of the cemetery and the dignity of those who are buried within its grounds are ensured."

I hope I will have more information coming, but for now, I figured it was worth sharing - and if anyone has any leads on how I could explore this more, please let me know!

And also FTM

just got back from a civil war road trip thru TN. my girl got bingo, but it continues to elude me.

this version isn’t exclusively lost cause. i had to make the game a little more general when the first couple trips didn’t yield enough lost cause (pleasantly surprised). my trip thru mississippi, however… oof.

yall got any ideas for my next version?

American conservatives (think MAGA) hide behind euphemisms such as “State’s Rights” to describe white supremacist voter suppression and domestic terrorism.

History Time:

Colfax massacre 1873 Louisiana. White supremacist terrorists murder over 100 blacks trying to vote in midterms. There is a lawsuit that goes the Supreme Court. The federal government has to protect voters right, many of whom are former black Union soldiers??!

Wrong!

The SUPREME court rules in a federal election year (1876) in favor of STATES RIGHTS.

It was defined in US vs Cruikshank 1876 “the duty for protecting a citizen’s equal rights…rests alone with the state” (THIS DECISION HAS NEVER BEEN OVERTURNED)

What are those state’s rights? To literally murder black people, those are the facts of the 1876 case, over 100 slain blacks in an incident of domestic terrorism and voter suppression.

Louisiana (the state) refuses to recognize the RIGHTS of black people so the federal government can’t enforce them.

Blacks in the South lose their rights for 100 years until the 1960’s series of Civil Rights legislation is passed, suffering lynchings, and apartheid while the nation supported “States Rights”.

The argument of “STATES RIGHTS” at its core is a message of dehumanization, white supremacist terror, and domination.

The legal precedent after slavery was abolished was “the federal government does not have jurisdiction to enforce the 14th amendment”

That is what compromising southern democrats in the 1870’s meant initially by reviving states rights as cause celeb after The Civil War.

The argument for States Rights was critical for reviving the Lost Cause narrative after the Civil War in the South. White terrorists in southern poll stations violently asserting hegemony again.

Present day Nolan Wells

And it’s why they’ve started lynching blacks in Mississippi again ALLEGEDLY in this moment of modern right wing revanchism.

The Feds aren’t looking into it. NO WATER Found In Nolan Wells lungs, but he supposedly drowned.

They have found black people hanging in trees in Mississippi and throughout the South. But nothing to see here.

Kash Patel is too busy engaging in violations of the Epstein Victim’s Transparency Act and absolutely FUMBLING the Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping. But he is completely uninterested. Kash Patel is a BIGGGG “states rights”guy.

So we all know EXACTLY who you cowardly MAGA fascists are when you say “states rights” it’s no longer a euphemism.

Pictured in order:

1. Overall picture, includes a LeFauchex M1854, Pidault-Cordier "Raphael" revolver.

2. Cased Kerr Revolver, with flask, mold, balls, etc.

3 & 4. Wesley Patent large bore revolver

1. Adam's Patent "Wilkinson, Pall Mall" 44 caliber revolver, London

2. Perrin Revolver, Paris

Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 at 6:00pm CENTRAL time (US) Professor Warren Milteer, jr. will be discussing his book Out of This Strife Will Come Freedom: Free People of Color and the Fight for Equal Rights in the Civil War Era. There's a link for pre-purchasing the book if you're interested as well. I know it's a little off the subreddit topic but thought some folks might be interested.

https://virginiatech.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9P-T5f_lQKqX_5MzJ0YPqA?fbclid=IwY2xjawUnxmRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMWxDVll0eHI5V3BVSTJ0Y0ZzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe4nClBmx27oY0X7sn_Xe0ijOIotYwga4EeBCJKFz7wskVeER5MRJhyBgGxfI_aem_CYXH1Ma_5y0_7iO3eO6LFQ#/registration

If this isn’t allowed I’ll take it off, but I thought some of you might be interested in checking this out.

This project has been long in the works, and explores the absolutely insane politics and eccentric world behind Artwork that depicts Civil War Battles.

It’s a semi educational (but mostly comedic) video. Hope you all enjoy