Message from the Commander In Chief

15 March 2012
Beaufort, South Carolina


Compatriots, Family and Friends of the South,

I hope you are all well. We are living in troubled times. Assaults on our beloved Southland and her rich heritage are now coming faster than ever. Certain organizations that were once bastions of truth and providers of sanctuary for the noble story of the Confederacy are now aligned with the mythmakers of modern appeasement to downplay or falsify the deeds of our valiant ancestors. The dignity of our unique and decent people is being traded for an easy dollar.

When I imagine a world without the influence of the traditional values of the Southern American I see a dangerous place. If you agree and like me, witness the deliberate damage being waged on our culture then we must act now or we will lose our best opportunity to stem this irreversible tide.

The Confederate Veteran magazine comes out once every two months. By the time I write my column and it arrives at your doorstep the news is old. For the first time, I wish to share my thoughts with you early. The following article will appear in the next issue of our magazine. I wanted you to have it now so we may begin to work together to turn back this vicious assault.

In this column you will read about the need to sharpen our communication skills and how to begin to use them so that we may work as the mighty force that we truly are. I cannot do this alone. In order to turn back this storm of misinformation, I will need every one of you and more. The time to strike is now! Will you help? Will you stand for your ancestors as they stood for you?

God bless you all.


Michael Givens


CiC, SCV


P.S. If you are interested in supporting a museum of the Confederacy, support your own http://www.theconfederatemuseum.com/index.html We will always be Confederate and we will all ways fly the Confederate Flag with the pride that it deserves.

"Ray, I never went down, you never got me down."
Robert De Nero as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull

On Valentine's Day 1951 in the Chicago Stadium, Jake LaMotta defiantly stood his ground against Sugar Ray Robinson. In this his final fight with his long time adversary, LaMotta had a point to prove. In the thirteenth round he dropped his hands and leaned against the ropes inviting Robinson to do his worst. Director Martin Scorsese heightened the drama in this scene from his movie Raging Bull by aptly demonstrating LaMotta's will and stamina http://bit.ly/xsdywH . After six fights and sixty-five rounds with Robinson, LaMotta never once went down. Like Jake LaMotta, the Confederacy will not go down. Our enemies keep punching us, but we will not go down.

We, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, are the vanguard. As for me, I wish others would stand and fight in this battle to honour and preserve the truth of the Southern Cause with us. But if we must fight alone, then so be it. When my days and efforts are discussed and debated by my own progeny, then I hope my actions to be considered in the same breath as my noble ancestors. For me, part of winning is the valiant act of standing for what is right, regardless of the consequences.

English writer, G.K. Chesterton said, The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him. Mr. Chesterton's phrase "what is behind him," may be interpreted in two ways; 1. our heritage is behind us and 2. our supporters are behind us. Our heritage defines the mission and our desire to defend it. Our ancestors were so committed to the cause that they were willing to fight, kill and die for it. I thank the Lord that there is little killing and dying in our battles today (always remember Michael Westerman), but even the bloodless battles are serious.

The supporters of the Sons of Confederate Veterans come from all walks of life. They are members of other heritage groups, unaffiliated Southerners and like-minded individuals from all over the world. Regardless of race, colour or creed, once people understand the true history of the South we often gain support.

During the War, Colonel John S. Mosby managed miraculous success, often with only a handful of men under his command. The reason for his triumph is attributed to his daring and relentless raids on the enemy. With surgical precision, Mosby caused such havoc behind the lines that the enemy was forced to expend their resources in places other than their front. Colonel Mosby was certainly responsible for extending the war by weakening and distracting his foe. Again, this was accomplished with a virtual handful of eager compatriots.

Imagine if Mosby had had the command of say 31,000 men (nearly the current membership of the SCV). Imagine again if Mosby had the command of 100,000 men (estimate of SCV plus supporters). If this had been the case, Confederate Soldiers today would not be referred to as "Rebels" but as "Patriots." We would not suffer a museum director who is intoxicated by the yankee dollar and terrified to display a Confederate flag outside of a Confederate museum. We would not have to fight a department of motor vehicles merely to enjoy the same civil rights as other organizations of displaying our non-profit company logo on a license plate. We would not have to fight a state supported art museum for the right to fly a Confederate flag at a church that was built for Confederate veterans. Nor would we have to reschedule and relocate a Christian service to another location because the church where Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee worshiped might be afraid that a Confederate flag may be seen in public. No, if Colonel Mosby had had the power and support of this many men we would be enjoying the American brand of liberty today that was the vision of the founders of this grand republic at its inception.

Well, we certainly can't go back and join forces with Colonel Mosby, but we can follow his lead and do our duty as one massive fighting force today. To paraphrase the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu: I think that a strong SCV is the only SCV that will bring our enemies to the peace table. So how do we strengthen the SCV to force such an historic and life-changing event?

First, stop bickering amongst ourselves. Second, embrace the notion that some of our battles require a comprehensive strategy that is best directed from the office of your Division Commander and/or your Commander-in-Chief. Our ancestors relied on couriers and the signal corps to relay messages and prepare the line of battle. Can you imagine the extraordinary success that would have resulted if General Jackson had had a device to immediately communicate with all of his men on the field, at once? Can you imagine what would happen if we could orchestrate such a concentrated attack on an enemy position? If you can visualize victory then you can see the results of such an effort.

We are at a crossroads. We are approaching the midpoint of the sesquicentennial of the War for Southern Independence. In a few years we will emerge from this unique opportunity as a fraternal gentlemen's association, quietly meeting in buildings with no outward exhibit of the emotions so openly displayed inside or as the victorious defenders of the Cause that our families sacrificed everything for one hundred and fifty years ago. The former is nothing to be ashamed of. An association of like-minded Southerners is a noble and comforting thought. But if your desire is the latter option then you must arm yourself quickly with the tools to ensure success.

Our enemies are smart and cunning. They are cruel and self-serving and wish for us to fail. Our task at hand is easier than you might imagine. Communication is the key element to this plan, followed by precisely focused action. First we need each and every SCV Camp to have a unique and free email account. You may use any free service available just make sure its' password information can be passed from the present camp commander on to the next when necessary. Set this up now and send the Camp's email address with the names of the Camp's officers to the SCV Chief of Staff, Spike Speicher. His email address is: colspike@hotmail.com . Once this is completed you will be subscribed to the Telegraph and will receive further directives only when it is deemed vital. Second, and this is very important, everyone, SCV member or supporter must open a Twitter account and follow the Commander-in-Chief @CICSCV. Go to: https://twitter.com/signup and sign up for an account. The service is free and it enables me (or our future CIC) to direct actions for the immediate surgical strikes that will lead us to victory. The whisper of 100,000 people can be heard from far away, envision a resounding Rebel Yell from such an army. It's deafening.

Albert Einstein said,The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. You have the power to make a difference and effect a change for the better. I will not look on and do nothing and like The Raging Bull, I'm never going down! Are you with me? Let's Roll!

Respectfully yours,

Michael Givens
CiC, SCV
@CICSCV