It would seem that Florida’s first
US Senator, the illustrious David
Levy Yulee, would not be welcome at
the very festival that bears his
name. Yulee was a staunch
Southerner, Confederate and
secessionist. The members of the
North Central Florida Chapter of the
League of the South stand today
where Yulee stood in the 1800s. That
is why I was astounded to receive
notice that our application to
participate in Archer’s Yulee Days
had been rejected.
As there was no explanation as to
the reasons for our rejection, I
phoned the representative of the
Yulee Day Committee and was informed
that we were deemed too
controversial and not diverse enough
to participate in the festival.
The statement of purpose of the
League of the South simply states:
“We seek to advance the cultural,
social, economic, and political
well-being and independence of the
Southern people by all honourable
means.” Exactly how that is too
controversial, I cannot explain.
As for diversity, it would seem the
fact that my own grandmother was
born on the Cherokee reservation in
Tennessee, or the fact that the
father of our chapter treasurer is a
middle-Eastern Indian is not
diversity enough. How about the
German ancestry of my own wife, or
our chapter members who were
originally from New York? I suspect
that our diversity will surpass that
of most of the groups accepted for
participation in the festival.
Perhaps the real issue is our
defense of Southern culture, which
evidently is the only culture not
included under that magical rainbow
of diversity.
Obviously, the hypocrisy of the
politically correct knows no bounds.
Greg Wilson
Chairman
North Central Florida Chapter
League of the South
