Removal of Confederate Monuments

[L Verge]

(05-04-2017 08:37 AM)brtmchl Wrote:  After we have white washed all traces of Confederate Generals and monuments from the public, how long will it take to start removing Union General's and monuments from the public? I'm sure there are many Native American Tribes that felt mistreated by our Government and Military Leaders. That being said, perhaps we should re-sculpt Mount Rushmore? After all Washington and Jefferson owned slaves and Roosevelt dared say that immigrants should assimilate.

“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American … There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag … We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language … and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”

I understand the argument about the Virginia Battle Flag and what it has evolved into. I accept and agree that it should not be on display in a public forum such as a state or federal building. After all, I never understood why a conquered nation would be allowed to fly it's colors. I fully understand that certain groups have hijacked its representation and use it for hate.
I do not agree that it should be banished all together. I believe people, for the most part are intelligent enough to differentiate between an ignorant person and a historical event. It belongs in monuments and museums, on battlefields and cemeteries.

I do not understand the outrage over monuments. These are historical. It is important to retain our History. Not the History of the Confederacy, the history of our Nation. Many of these statues are not just dedications to War time heroes, some are icons and forefathers of these states.

These are not simply monuments to racists. Slavery was legal at the outset of the war and there is enough blame for its existence on both sides, not to mention the rest of the world. This wasn't simply about race. There were black slave owners as well. Even Native Americans are not clean from the abomination of slavery (Separate Topics).

It is important to see the bright AND dark moments in our History and talk about it. It is our duty as citizens to pass on this knowledge of what was right and wrong and educate our children that look upon these with confusion and answer their questions. We can not turn a blind eye to our past, nor can we look at our History through the lenses of our current time.

I am only speaking on my own belief, I would not force it upon anyone else. I understand that no conversation about slavery cannot happen without emotion. Emotion is powerful, so I can see the other side. The argument that some people may make. I believe that the argument is healthy, The argument is the point. It lets people see a side that they may not have seen before. It educates.

We should never do anything based solely on emotion.

What an excellent response to this topic. Thank you.

I remember a professor in college listing about five ways that conquerors can wipe out another culture. A chief way is to destroy its heritage by controlling the education of future generations.