Commander-in-nonsense Paul C. Gramling, Jr. They aren't apathetic, they just don't want to be publically known as Confederates

In the March/April Confederate Veteran, Paul C. Gramling Jr. Commander-in-Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), in the regular column for th C-in-C, starts out decrying apathy.

He points out that in a town the SCV had to cancel participation in a parade due to lack of interest.  Gramling is very disappointed since it would be a great opportunity to promote the SCV and its goals. He is correct, it would be a great opportunity to move forward to achieve the group's goals. He also points out that many camps of the SCV, including his own, are rejected from local parades or are fighting to get into them or being kicked out of them.

Gramling sees the failure to participate as a lack of "committment."

I suggest that the the failure to participate as due to members not wanting the whole town to know that they are members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. It might be fine to get with a group where you can ramble on about your ancestors, Robert E. Lee, and feel special about yourself. Talk about battles where from their perspective 19th centurry men were manly men and real men and where the present with its gays, women's lib, outspoken African Americans, and the modern world with all its vexations hasn't happened yet. However, the membership didn't sign up to be infront of the whole town with their Confederate interests and they certainly haven't signed up for the neo-Confederate movement besides a general crankiness regarding the modern world.

As the radical face of the SCV becomes more generally known, more and more some SCV members will quietly drop out, others will be at functions that aren't in the public eye.

Having the Kennedy twins run the Heritage Defense for the SCV will greatly accelerate the exit of members who are nostalgicists from their ranks, leaving a more radical residue that will be prone to crazier things.