Move Confederate Monuments
Posted: August 16, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized 12 Comments
Yesterday I shared something on Facebook about our North Carolina Governor calling for the moving of confederate monuments from state properties to art museums or historical sites. Seemed like a reasonable way to handle the problem of appearing to continue to support a war that has an ugly background, and quite frankly, was lost.
I opened a huge can of worms when someone I knew as a child, but have not seen in at least forty years, disagreed with my point of view. Everyone has a right to their own opinions and I defend people’s right to disagree. That is what America has been built on. I would find it to be a very boring place if we all agreed. What I do wish is that we could I listen to each other and consider when perhaps our point of view is not the important one.
The issue concerning confederate statues should seem like an easy one, but it isn’t. Removing statues does not change or excuse our history, but keeping them may keep wounds open that we should work to heal. As a white woman, I find a statue to honor men, who were willing to fight to keep slavery, offensive. I can only imagine how it makes people of color feel.
If you are someone who believes the statues should stay in place, ask yourself why. What about having that memorial in front of a courthouse are you proud of? The argument that it is part of history is a thin one. We can keep these statues in museums where they can be part of the bigger story, told more thoughtfully.
At some point we can admit that the existence of confederate monuments in state public spaces are acting as a flash point. We need to find more ways to come together and find agreement than hold on to things which divide us. In the past I might have said, “I don’t have a dog in this fight,” but that is a total cop out. It is right for me to say, “It is time to remove these statues.” It is not political correctness, or something else that our president likes to use to rile up the far right, but just decency.
No person entering a courthouse should have to face a statue which is representing the oppressors of their ancestors. If you are in grave disagreement, why is that? I have heard that people don’t want their tax dollars spent to move them. It is a small price to pay in comparison to the cost of policing just one demonstration. If you believe in equality and the fair and decent treatment of all people then why not support the moving of the memorials? Consider what keeping up this fight might be saying about you, intended or not.
No one believes they are a racist, but if you are not working toward equality for all you might just be one. It is not just neo-Nazis and white supremacists who are the problem. It is any person who does not speak out against them. Start to change the tone of the conversation by supporting moving confederate monuments. Once the symbols of hate are not front and center it can begin to move us forward.
Less Dana, More Good 
The problem is with WHO gets to decide and WHERE does it stop. Or does it ever stop? It’s a slippery slope that has become front and center, not because of intellectual dialog with rational adults, but a means of fascist control of what is said ( by virtue of the monuments ) and a violent, ignorant, bored or angry demographic of young people who probably couldn’t even tell you who Robert E. Lee was or even what the civil war was about ( States rights, not slavery ) that act unlawfully endangering lives, including our brave law enforcement who has now abdicated protecting anything in Durham. If someone can answer these questions, I am ready to listen.
I am in complete agreement. I think we need to move the statues and also re-examine these figures. My great grandfather joined the Army of Northern Virginia at age 15 ( in the so-called Liars Brigade b/c they all lied about their age to join up). He fought at the Battle of Gettysburg and was a proud veteran of the confederacy. My great aunt (who raised my mother when her sister died) had a small framed picture of Robert E Lee in her hallway. This is part of my legacy. My forebears did not own slaves, but he nevertheless fought in an army against the US so the south could keep people in bondage. We need to acknowledge our past and see those mythic heroes as real people.
Thomas Jefferson, widely revered for the Declaration of Independence, owned many slaves and did not free them-even at his own death. His “mistress” was a 14 year old child when he first bedded her-today we call that rape.
If any good is to come out of this week, those of us who really believe in our country need to act as her moral compass. This president has besmirched the name of America, of the Republican Party and of all our fellow citizens.
Does taking down statues ERASE history? Should we in fact educate our children better so that they first appreciate that we have overcome the darkness in many many ways ( not perfect, I know ) and learn from it to appreciate we must always be striving to be better. Since you replied, I would love to know if you have a way to decide how, when removal happens? Or are we going to let the violent mobs who act unlawfully decide? And is that a good precedent?
The governor has a plan. It should be handled by professionals so as not to do damage.
Do you think that will end anything? The communist groups behind the Monday riot and vandalism decided. If Roy Cooper’s plan doesn’t take out everything that THEY want removed – and it could literally go on forever – they’ll just do it themselves. From those fighting in the Confederacy – to those that “just” owned slaves like Thomas Jefferson – to institutions, universities that got endowments from people that owned slaves, etc. etc. etc. etc. How would it stop? There must not be a start unless there is a way to stop.
I disagree about not starting. We must just start
ok – so if it tears down institutions in the end you’re okay with that? Like U of Virginia? founded by slave-owner Thomas Jefferson? John Daniel Davidson of the Federalist says” this is about political power, not about the Civil War. It is a small group of people on the left who exert outsized influence o American politics by following in the footsteps of Mao and the armed thugs of the Wiemar Republic. It starts with statues and moves to people.” Why do you think all of the activists are part of communist organizations? I understand there are some very smart thoughtful people chiming in on this controversy but I don’t feel that they’ve really thought it through. Tucker Carlson said “If we are going to reduce a person’s life to be judged by the single worst thing that he participated in, we will lose 41 of the 50 authors of the Declaration of Independence”. Is that good way to judge a person’s worth? I am not trying to be argumentative – but give true food for thought on this issue.
Janie, let’s not get out ahead of our headlights. I am just agreeing with the governor to move the confederate monuments off public spaces. Not about tarring and feathering every other thing that is touched by someone that owned slaves at one point. Jefferson owned them when it was legal because of a deal made with the South Carolina reps at the constitutional congress. It’s things after the civil war when it was made illiegal that I am talking about.
Ok – but you are a rational thinking person. I tend to agree that there could be a proper place like a museum and and educational narrative along with it. Those taking it into their own hands are not rational thinking persons. They are fueled by emotion. So how do you stop them is all I am questioning. Our local law enforcement did not stop it and it seems other places like Baltimore last night are not stopping the vandalism either.
STOP!! This is a “battle” neither side will ever win. Just PLEASE stop on both sides. There are WAY too many more awfully serious problems this country of ours needs “to battle” than a bunch of old statues of dead people. I walk by/see offensive things almost daily and don’t feel the need to tear them down or destroy public property. (BTW: Isn’t that a felony?!) I just wonder where does the hatred, intolerance, and vehemence come from? I just want us all to “agree to disagree”–and without violence. JUST PLEASE STOP IT–both sides.
You often comment to stop and that is the problem. Not battling is what is wrong. I am in no way condoning destroying things, but as a privileged white person if we don’t stand up to change things nothing will improve. Agreeing to disagree has not been working and we have the leadership or lack of it now because of putting our heads in the sand. I love you, but please stop commenting for me to stop, or anyone to stop who is actually not ignoring problems and wanting to improve things. Don’t walk by offensive things and do nothing, work to change them, legally. If this makes you crazy and I feel like it does from your comments anytime I write something political, stop reading this blog. But I take great offense in your telling me in all caps to JUST PLEASE STOP IT. (There are no both sides on this blog, just mine so I take that as your screaming it at me. Understand that is what all caps means in blog world.). I respect you differing views but not your desire to censor mine, and this is not the first time you have done that.