[SWTXBelle]

My family has throughout its history fought to protect their country - from my Revolutionary War ancestors to my father, a former Air Force pilot and CIA operative, and brother the former Marine. Soooo . ..I take pride in that because it is a tradition that has continued to the present day. It is not just something enshrined in the past - it is a continuing defining characteristic of my family.
My family is still well-mannered - again, a family tradition that is of long standing. I take pride in those traditions that have been handed down through the generations and are still practiced.
We don't own slaves today, so why would I feel guilty for something we don't practice? For that matter, the majority of those who joined and founght for the Confederacy didn't own slaves. They did, however, believe in the concept of state's rights. They did believe in the words of the Declaration of Independence and the concept of consent of the governed. Virginia, for example, explicitly retained upon joining the Union the right to secede. Why should I feel guilty when they chose to exercise their right to do so? And more to the point, why is it so important to make me feel guilty? So you can feel somehow superior and self-righteous?
No thanks - I'm opting out. There will always be those who want to castigate the South and I fear that there is nothing that can be logically argued to those who wish to do so. I'm following St. Augustine's sage advice.