Charlottesville

[L Verge]

Yesterday, I mentioned receiving a commentary from a Life Member of the Surratt Society and a longtime student of the Civil War era. This gentleman, Arthur Candenquist (who gave me permission to publish his name), presented significant viewpoints mainly based around a website similar to this one that had published the administrator's position on the current affairs, but then closed it to further commentary.

His post to me was especially significant in that he cited codes of law that have been in place for years and should protect the statues. I had questioned whether such laws existed several days ago. I asked Arthur for permission to edit (de-personalize) his comments and publish them here. I also asked his approval of my edits before sending this on; he agreed to them. So, here are the thoughts of Arthur Candenquist regarding the statues and open vs. closed debate:

A serious historian is not afraid to debate or discuss the events and personalities of history, nor is a serious historian interested in presenting only his or her point of view regarding the events and personalities of the past, and disregarding the views, comments, and opinions of anyone who might have valid points to the contrary.

In this particular posting, in which the writer is clearly within his rights to express his opinions - and I would certainly defend his right to express his views - the fact that he has closed the possibility of anyone responding to his remarks shows me that he is not a true and dedicated historian. At the very least, he seems to overlook the simple fact that the monuments and memorials to those who served in the military land and sea forces of the Confederate States are protected not only by, in this particular case, the Code of Virginia, http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title...5.2-1812/, but are also clearly protected by U. S. Public Law 85-425, http://uscode.house.gov/statutes/pl/85/425.pdf ,which states clearly that those who served in the military land and sea forces of the Confederate States are deemed to be veterans of the wars fought in the United States. Virginia is not the only state or commonwealth in this country which has enacted laws to protect all monuments and memorials dedicated to those who served the Confederacy. The same laws and codes also protect any monument or memorial erected to honor the veterans of World War II and the Revolutionary War, the French & Indian War, and the war in Vietnam.

During the Continental Congress's discussions on independence in Philadelphia in late June, 1776, when votes were being taken to determine if a debate should be held, Stephen Hopkins, one of the representatives of the Colony of Rhode Island, cast the deciding vote to allow the debate on independence to move forward, stating that, "... in all my years, I've never heard, seen, nor smelled an issue that was so dangerous that it couldn't be talked about. Yes, I'm for debating anything."

One of the most pervasive and prevalent trains of thought which seems to have infected this country today on just about any issue open for debate is the general feeling by one side or another, "my mind is already made up; don't confuse me with the facts." As an historian who has studied the War Between the States for more than 60 years, the events and personalities of both sides, and the study of Lincoln's assassination, there have been many occasions when I encountered disagreements which ran counter to the facts as I perceived them. I have stepped back and considered the other alternatives, and in some cases, I have revised my views and opinions because I did not refuse to look at a personality or an event from a different perspective than mine.

One of the major concepts that I have come to embrace is that it is impossible to completely understand the events and the personalities of the Nineteenth Century (or of any particular period in history) unless those events and personalities are viewed through the context of when those events occurred and those personalities lived. It is impossible to understand anything about the War and of Lincoln's assassination when viewed through the context of the 21st Century.

The true historian must set aside the concepts, the values, and the opinions of his or her current point in time in order to fully understand the past. It is not an easy thing to do, and some "historians" will never accomplish this simple concept which must be followed in order to adequately and accurately interpret the past.

For most of the past 150 or so years, there has never been any issues or concerns with the monuments and memorials erected to the memory of those who served the Confederacy in the political, social, military, or economic arenas. We are now faced with civil unrest and civil disturbances in areas where none have existed before. The United States today is a result of events and personalities of our past, and, as you well know, those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them in the future. At what point will other equally sacred and legally protected monuments and memorials to the people and events of the past be subject to eradication and destruction? At what point will all of the references to our past be eliminated because, at a particular moment in time, the concepts of the past don't happen to agree with the concepts of the present?

In my opinion, I believe members of our society do history a great disservice by refusing to see any other side of current events but their own, and I think they do themselves a great disservice by refusing to entertain any discussion about what is surely affecting not only the history of this country, but the manner in which it is portrayed, and will be portrayed in the future. "My mind is already made up---don't confuse me with the facts." Free and open debate without violence is at the core of our culture and the road to a well-educated populace.

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I want to thank "My Name is Kate" for her above post. In my opinion, she has gotten to the crux of what is causing this upheaval in our country at the present time.

I would also like to paraphrase and ask "When will the sins of the fathers be lifted from the shoulders of the sons?"