Removal of Confederate Monuments

[J. Beckert]

Your comment about Christianity is a fair criticism. I hesitated in including them, but eventually did so based on my experience at the Knoxville rally - where there was a sizable contingent of pastors and their flocks advocating for the removal of the monument. Their primary motivator seemed to be the desire to spare African-Americans from offense. In fact, I got the clear sense that they'd be fine with the monument remaining if not for the "pain it causes our black brothers."

Despite their good intentions, I believe that capitulating to the demands to remove Confederate monuments will not have the desired result that the Christian groups in Knoxville envision (i.e., racial reconciliation and harmony). Rather, I think that it would just further embolden those who are engaged in tearing apart the fabric of our country (as you aptly put it).

Therefore - to the extend that Christians are engaged in activism as described above - I thought they should be included with the other "suspects." However, I didn't mean to infer that I was speaking about Christianity as a whole.

No offense taken, Darrell and I do see your point.