The Civil War

Here in the South, they call The Civil War, the War of Northern Aggression. The first time we heard that term, we had no idea what they were talking about. But we soon got it. When we lived in India, the Indians refer to The Great Indian Mutiny (British term for the bloody uprising of 1857) as The First War for Independence. It's true, where you stand seems to depend, at least partly, on where you sit.
When we see guys (mostly guys) driving around in trucks with Confederate battle flag license plates, we are uncomfortable, since, to us, it translates to "racist". No other explanation suffices, and references to history or culture never quite pass the sniff test.
So, as we approach the great election of 2008, I am holding my breath. Hopeful, but frightened at the same time. We know that Bush's team stole at least one election, and that attempts to stifle the vote are ongoing in this one.
Still, I'm hopeful.
Part of what I hope for is a final end to The Civil War. Maybe this is the time when we can finally say, "It's over." And, as Lincoln declared, "we can all play Dixie again."