"The war ended over 137 years ago. Quit living in the past!"

"Why are you defending a society that was built on slavery?"

"The Confederate soldiers were poor men tricked by rich slave owners into thinking they were actually fighting for freedom."

"If some people find the Confederate flag offensive, just take it down. What's the big deal? The South lost. Get over it!"

These are just some of the things I hear when I try to stand up for my Southern heritage and defend the cause of liberty for which so many men gave their lives. Whether they will admit it or not, many Americans still harbor a bitter resentment for anyone who would dare suggest that the South just might have been right.

Now I won't try to re-hash the same old arguments about states' rights, secession and the damage Abraham Lincoln did to this country. I do, however, want to address those who claim the South is dead and should be forgotten. I believe that despite the stereotypes of Southerners as a backward, uneducated people devoid of any culture, the South remains an extremely vibrant part of our history.

For example, most Americans believe that our nation was born when 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. They tend to forget that the first permanent English colony, Jamestown, was located in the southern state of Virginia. So, in keeping with the metaphor, one could say that if our nation was born in Philadelphia, it was conceived in Jamestown. (Incidentally, the first slave ports in America were opened in the Northern state of Massachusetts. How's that for irony?)

A large number of our nation's founders were from the South. Among those distinguished gentlemen were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, James Madison and Richard Henry Lee, just to name a few. Another Southerner, George Mason, penned Virginia's Declaration of Rights, which served as a model for our current Bill of Rights.

In addition to great political leaders, the South has given us some of the world's most endearing works of literature. Over the years we have enjoyed the writings of authors like Margaret Mitchell, William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Shelby Foote and, of course, the greatest American writer of all time, Mark Twain.

Southern food has also been a major part of our nation's colorful history. Can you imagine a world without pecan pie, boiled crawfish, fried chicken, Po' Boys, gumbo or boiled peanuts? Would beignets taste the same without a cup of Café Du Monde for dipping? And let's not even think of where we would be without the culinary contributions of Paul Prudhomme and Justin Wilson.

I could go on--from the bluegrass roots of country music to the stirring emotional energy of Southern preaching--but that could take days. Let me just say that I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to call the South the heart and soul of America. I know that doesn't bode well with the historical reconstructionists and the intellectual carpetbaggers wishing to trample on Dixie all over again, but our nation owes a great deal to the historic and cultural vitality of the South.

That is one of the reasons why I get so angry when I see an attack on that part of America's past. Those calling for the lowering of the Confederate battle flag and the renaming of Confederate monuments are the same people who have been more than willing to show off their "tolerance" and "diversity" in other areas. "Homosexuality? No problem. We're all God's children. Abortion? Well, who are we to tell a woman what to do with her own body? Pornography? It's called 'freedom of expression.' The Confederate flag? We'll tolerate just about every form of depravity known to man, but we won't accept that! We need to rid ourselves of that symbol of racism and hatred!" Such is the thinking of the anti-Southern bigots.

When you see us defending our Southern roots, please understand that we treasure that part of our heritage very much. Yes, Robert E. Lee surrendered his army at Appomattox, but the spirit of the South fought on. If it hadn't, we wouldn't have made it through "Reconstruction." We will admit to a military defeat, but we will never give up our love of life and our desire to be free.

It has been said that the South will rise again, though I'm not quite sure I agree. I would venture to say that while the South may have stumbled along the way, it never really fell. The passionate flame of perseverance that burned within the hearts and souls of our Southern ancestors still burns today, and I believe it's only a matter of time before that light illuminates the way for the rest of the nation.