File:Texas Governor Rick Perry's Campaign Stop at Skeeter's Mesquite Grill, Kingwood, Texas 103110164802BW (5141616824).jpg

I am not a fan or supporter of Governor Perry. He is not good for our state, but, until a majority of voters learns that, we are stuck with him.

That said, his office had this to say in response to my questions about claims by the Sons of Confederate Veterans that he is a member of that group.

December 13, 2010

Dear Mr. Feller:

Thank you for writing to the Office of the Governor. We appreciate the opportunity to address the rumors you heard.

What you read was incorrect. Governor Perry is not a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and he has never said that slavery was not a primary reason for Texas’ secession in 1861. In fact, in his recent book, Fed Up, the governor writes:

Any discussion of the need to empower states inevitably brings with it cynical questions about their role in promoting slavery and hindering the civil rights movement. Indeed, many of our ancestors … denied basic liberties and humanity to certain people solely because of the color of their skin. These were inexcusable chapters in American history — particularly for the southern states most responsible. These chapters were often defined by some who championed “states’ rights,” and thus the concept of federalism has been understandably but mistakenly weakened.

… Unwilling to give up a way of life inexcusably based on an abominable practice, southern states persuaded Congress — the federal government — to pass the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which compelled citizens of northern states to act against their conscience and help return escaped former slaves into bondage. … Thus, while the southern states seceded in the name of “states’ rights,” in many ways it was the northern states whose sovereignty was violated in the run-up to the Civil War. Please contact our office whenever we can be of assistance.

Sincerely, Dede Keith Constituent Communication Division