Riley Proclaims April as "Confederate History and Heritage Month"

Following the lead of his predecessors, Governor Riley has again issued a proclamation naming April as Confederate History and Heritage month in Alabama.

It didn't go over without generating a little controversy, though.

Confederate heritage groups were initially excited when Gov. Bob Riley's annual proclamation designating April as Confederate History and Heritage Month in Alabama dropped a paragraph saying slavery was a cause of the Civil War.

They were pleased because they considered the description of slavery historically inaccurate, but their excitement was shortlived.

"It was a mistake," Jeff Emerson, the governor's communications director, said Monday.

He said the governor was unaware of the deletion until The Associated Press contacted his office Monday. The governor quickly reissued the proclamation with the paragraph on slavery restored, and his staff posted the revised proclamation on his Web site.

The paragraph in question says, "our recognition of Confederate history also recognizes that slavery was one of the causes of the war, an issue in the war, was ended by the war and slavery is hereby condemned."

Hmmm...I just don't see what is "historically inaccurate" about that. It is neither false nor misleading. One fellow from the Sons of Confederate Veterans says that it "leaves the impression that slavery was the total cause of the war, and that's untrue."

Problem is...the Governor's proclamation doesn't say that. It says that "slavery was one of the causes of the war." If that plain and simple language left anyone with a different impression, then maybe they are far too impressionable.