While civil rights leaders are justifiably outraged that Gov. Robert F. McDonnell’s proclamation declaring April 2010 to be Confederate History Month in the state of Virginia fails to mention slavery, Martian science fiction fans are irked that the proclamation mentions famed General Robert E. Lee but does not mention legendary Captain Jack Carter of Virginia, a courageous Confederate cavalry officer who served the South in the War Between the States and who is better known as John Carter of Mars.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Confederate History Month proclamation neglects to mention John Carter of Mars
While civil rights leaders are justifiably outraged that Gov. Robert F. McDonnell’s proclamation declaring April 2010 to be Confederate History Month in the state of Virginia fails to mention slavery, Martian science fiction fans are irked that the proclamation mentions famed General Robert E. Lee but does not mention legendary Captain Jack Carter of Virginia, a courageous Confederate cavalry officer who served the South in the War Between the States and who is better known as John Carter of Mars.
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3 comments:
Don't go there.....I think it was Gods of Mars that had outrageously racist language....Peeing in my pants in anticipation of the JCOM movie, but do not bring up his Southern heritage, I beg you.....
Why not, Dr. Forbin? So he was a Confederate? So what? He was also an indian fighter, which isn't particularly noble either.
For what it's worth (Which isn't much), I don't remember there being any mention of Carter owning slaves (92% of southerners at the time didn't, including some surprising notables like Lee). What I took from it (And I'm as midwestern as you can get) was simply that he had a certain dash, a certain nobility even in the face of defeat.
I hope after the governor's apology, no-one is going to deny the racial undertones of Virginia's proclamation of Confederate History Month.
In Gods of Mars, ERB describes the black people of Mars as an attractive race, unlike the ugly black people of Earth. I don't have the exact quote, but that's close enough.
If you don't see the connection between those two, you are not someone I want to have a conversation with.
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