Rebel Yells!

In the years since, it has become politically incorrect to be proud of our southern heritage. Slavery was a shameful institution and rightfully abolished, but being southern was, and still is, something to be proud of. It is my wish to resurrect one symbol of the south, the Rebel Yell, and to take pride in my ancient heritage. "Rebel Yells!" is my signature closing on all correspondence, much to the consternation of my Yankee friends. Explanations are needed.

It was a peculiar regional development that gained a bad reputation, as did the Confederate Battle Flag that flew over the most honorable army ever fielded in history, by association with the losing side of the Civil War. The rebel yell's evolution and history can be traced back to another time when people disagreed with their government and had nothing left to lose because they lost it all. It's all forgotten history and it is past time that misconceptions about the south and her symbols were rectified.

The Rebel Yell has historic roots in The Rising of 1649 when the Scots supported "bonny" Prince Charles in his attempt to take the throne of England. They fought for the man they believed was the rightful heir. Those that didn't die were mostly transported to the colonies and large numbers washed up on the shores of Georgia. It was there that the Scot's battle cry was melded to the natives' war whoop to create the blood chilling ululation known as the Rebel Yell. It was so distinctive that after a few generations both county and family could be distinguished by the tone and tenor of their call.

Today's society in America oft-times forgets that America is a land forged into a country by rebel spirits with nothing to lose. It could be that the government doesn't want us to remember our roots. There were social rebels, the criminals that refused to obey the law; religious rebels, preachers and their congregations that came in search of escape from oppression to find freedom to believe as the spirit moved them; and rebels of conscience, like the Scots and the Irish, that dared to let their rebel natures lead them to take up arms in rebellion against a cruel government. Those were the most dangerous of all in the eyes of the rulers. One thing is certain, if not for the rebellious natures of these early Americans, we would still be British subjects.

Being southern born, rebellion is bred in my bones. To me, the Rebel Yell is a cry of defiance against any enemy, especially those that seem insurmountable, a dirge to mourn the death of a comrade, a mother's wail of grief at the loss of a child, but most of all, a rallying cry to friends of like mind to join in my struggles against the oppressions of hatred and ignorance.

No longer is the rebel spirit confined in the south, if it ever truly was. The rebel spirit is alive and well where Yankees dwell, maybe more so than in my Alabama homeland. It was in the North that my Rebel Yell was answered and there I've found the family of my rebel heart's delight. Maine seems an especially rebellious state and New York has proven that it's not short on rebellion either. Instead of a symbol of defeat, prejudice and loss, the Rebel Yell should be a symbol of unity to bind all of us together who bear the seeds of rebellion in our breasts. Ours is a common cause.

Being prisoners with nothing left to lose, it's easy to be rebels. The truest rebels are those, like our Founding Fathers, with everything to lose and nothing to gain. Few would have "...pledged to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor" to sign a document that held these radical words: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal." In these words are held every freedom any American has or hopes for. They were words that meant death to every signatory if they failed and in those days "honor" really was sacred.

When you have nothing to lose, be a rebel and you'll be in good company. Let your "Rebel Yells!" ring like bells. If you're lucky you'll find the same Rebel Army I did rallying at your side.