Larry Welch, Jacksonville, "Speak Out ... On the Davis Legacy", 06/11/2005 just doesn't understand. 

History continues to confirm "why we fought the war".

From a historical perspective, it's simply in our genes. More specifically, it's in our rebellious or "rebel" gene; An independent rebel gene that crossed the Atlantic in rebellion against a lack of freedom.

A rebel gene that fought a war against the British Crown, rebelling for our right to secede from that overpowering government.

A rebel gene that led the rebellious argument, as evidenced by "The Federalist Papers", against the formation of a union of states (United States) for fear of eventually returning to the overbearing demands of a federal power from which we fought to escape.

A rebel gene that reluctantly agreed to the formation of a union, but only after rebelling for the promulgation of a protective constitution that would guarantee that any federal power would be limited to essentially a few basic tasks: provide for a common defense, promote and facilitate commerce between the states, etc.

A rebel gene that rebelled against the gradual creep of the feared overbearing federal power of this "United States" government in violation of the Constitution.

A rebel gene that rebelled and fought a war against an overpowering United States central government that denied our states the inalienable right to secede from an overbearing government.

A rebel gene that lost a war for the restoration of the rights of our individual states; a war that, sadly, set the stage for the encroaching federal monarchy (royalty) under which we approach today.

A rebel gene that gets up, brushes itself off and continues incessantly today, rebelling against those same creeping encroachments feared by our founding fathers that threaten freedom.

A rebel gene that despite setbacks has been our nation's salvation to date.

A rebel gene, the urge from which emanates the patriotic, moral and appropriate rebelliousness we witness today in these ever-expanding red states, as they continue to adamantly cast their votes of rebellion and slowly nudging the few remaining "blue-states" into the Atlantic and Pacific.

A rebel gene that guarantees that our democratic republic will continue to survive and flourish as our rebel founders intended.

Yes, we Rebels lost the Civil War "battle" but continue to win the "Rebel War" for those principles upon which our country was founded

Larry, it's in our genes!