It’s Time To Stand For Our One True Purpose

Since publicity began circulating about our national convention and elections last August, the SCV membership has been subjected to a public discussion of what our founders intended when the SCV was formed. Quotes from the preamble of the SCV constitution, General S.D. Lee's charge and other early writings can be, and have been, interpreted to represent diametrically opposing philosophies.

A "strict" interpretation of these documents certainly leads to the conclusion that our founders wanted little to do with the ever-changing landscape of American politics — except when those changes might relate to revisionists' redefinition of the Confederate soldier as he existed in his own time. On the other hand, a "loose" interpretation of the preamble and other writings allows political activists to direct the SCV toward becoming a political force on contemporary issues in modern America. Currently, the loose interpretation, as applied by CIC Wilson and Kirk Lyons, has the SCV leaning toward an anti-United States agenda that has attracted modern secessionists and racists to our organization.

While keeping the rank-and-file membership satisfied with a high-profile, yet largely ineffective agenda to "defend everything Southern," Wilson and Lyons have quietly filled high-level leadership positions in the SCV with members of the League of the South, Council of Conservative Citizens and Free Mississippi. At the local level, League of the South members or their supporters have taken over camp, brigade and division leadership posts and have forced traditional SCV members out of the organization. The inevitable result of this take-over effort is the resistance now offered by the Save the SCV movement. Thus, the absence of a rock-solid statement as to just what the SCV stands for has caused two competing philosophies to collide within the SCV.

The fundamental question that must be settled is this: Shall the SCV be a political action organization for contemporary issues in modern American politics, or shall the SCV be the consistent defender and representative of the Confederate soldier in modern American society?

We, Save the SCV, believe the SCV membership has not been given an opportunity to choose the direction of the SCV in recent years. The Wilson-Lyons leadership is openly seeking partnerships with groups pursuing a modern political agenda of Southern separatism and secessionism. As a result, the SCV is now embroiled in modern American politics and is unnecessarily attracting modern political enemies. How does this serve the cause of the Confederate soldier of 1861-1865? How many of our leaders, when running for election, told you, "Vote for me and I'll involve the SCV in modern political turmoil?" And, if they had told you, how would you have voted?

For the last several years we have allowed radical politicians to infiltrate the SCV and reverse its direction. The time is now at hand when the membership of the SCV must stand and decide the direction of this century-old group — one given to us by our veteran ancestors.

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