Chamberlain's Speech to Mutineers on Road to Gettysburg: What it is to be an American

Union Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was marching with his men to Gettysburg to hold the left flank of the Union line...when 120 mutineers were given to him and told he could shoot them by a snobby guard detail officer. Wronged by the Army bureaucracy with a gotchya! stop-loss that wouldn't let them out of their expired enlistment contracts (sound familiar?), Chamberlain instead DOES THE RIGHT THING and ASKS them to fight one more last time for the Union. He reminds them that there is no "us" and "them" snobbery the Southern Rednecks prescribe too, only US; each one of US are human beings made in God's image and in the final analysis: WE FIGHT FOR EACHOTHER.

http://www.combatreform.org/usarmyethos.htm

Those mutineers--WHO DIDN'T HAVE TO--swayed by Chamberlain's logic and love of mankind SAVED OUR NATION that fatefull day when by the thinnest of margins they defeated an emotional Confederate attack by doing the unpredictable---fixing bayonets! and charging--when their ammunition ran out. Chamberlain's tactical intellect and MORAL INTEGRITY won the battle.

This is what being a REAL American is all about.

Standing for your conscience based on FACTS. Not prejudices and hate.

We need this reminder today because we have a new underclass of hate and violence-mongers masquerading as "Americans" but who have no conscience and want to live their lives based on prejudices and not any objective FACTS; steered by a dictator who creates wars for maximum corporate profits just as long as he feeds them fluff about "going to Church, keeping their guns and not aborting babies"-- while he bankrupts the nation and murders "ragheads" for Wall Street profits. Its the same Fascism that the Tories who wanted to stay wed to King George wanted in 1776; that if followed back then there wouldn't even be an United States of America.

REAL Americans are not snobs.

REAL Americans don't buy into corrupt BS even if it comes from a government official or allegedly "patriotic" political party; they do what's RIGHT, period. Even when its unpopular and when the chips are down. These are the real Americans--not the flag-waving fascist phonies. Its time for Red America to join the human race and stop being the stooges for evil corporations and would-be King Georges like Bush and McCain who only fight for filthy big corporation loot.

http://www.combatreform.org/braveamerican.htm

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[malcs0]

It's a shame that Americans don't have more people like Joshua Chamberlain. The man obviously treated others with respect, had good manners, and was courteous. He believed in a set of values that he believed were right and proper. Finally, he realised that the mutineers were ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances. If more leaders were like this the world would be a much better place.

[dynmicpara]

@malcs0 Concur; he's trying to remind us all not to be SNOBS.

[creed61285]

Love the video. Hate the attacks on anyone who happens to think there were honorable men leading and fighting on the Confederate side or didn't vote for Kerry or Obama. Take a page from the great man this video portrays and have some grace. He was the one who gave the order to the accepting Union Army to come to attention and carry arms when the Confederacy surrendered. The gesture was returned and it was one of the most profound moments of the Civil War. Dignity and respect.

[rebel2276]

@TMMQUINN2011 General Lee never offered his sword to MG Chamberlain. He did not even offer his sword to General Grant and General Grant never asked for it, out of respect.

[liverpoolmatt87]

I'm a brit and just want to let everyone know that it is not customary to bow infront of the queen it is voluntary. anyways this is a good film which I own on dvd this is probably the best scene out of it.

[TMMQUINN2011]

Chamberlain was an extraordinaryly gifted thinker, tactician and leader. At the Confederate surrender Robert E. Lee offered him his sword.. a mark of the esteem in which he was regarded by North & South.

[Evocati2008]

@creed61285

General Gordon being his counterpart. So true, even R.E.Lee showed great dignity and respect when he surrendered his army, rather than it sink into a guerilla force.

[MegaAstrodude]

@4:08,

Great movie and good acting, but this line is baloney. He obviously meant to preach.

[majordani3l]

...no man has to bow, no man born to royalty, here we judge you on what you do, not who your father was. Here you can be something, here is the place to build a home. But its not the land, mhm, there's always more land. It's the idea that we all have value, you and me...

Favorite line in the movie... something all Americans should remember. This is why if I ever meet the Queen of England or the Emperor of Japan, I would not bow, but instead, would greet them as fellow citizens of humanity.

[avi614614]

Your so right Bush did more to ruin this great country, at every level than all of the most liberal presidents put together, obama is simply continuing what bush started, the blame is on bush for developing this cancer

[KnoxSUX]

@Johnchuk3 No. It will become another al-Qaeda state.

[dynmicpara]

@Butternut731863 The line is what he told the men--Chamberlain was an intellectual...he wouldn't have said "this isn't a job, it's an adventure!"