That sound you hear is another statue, honoring a member or
members of the Confederacy, hitting the ground. It was pulled down after having
stood for over one hundred years because it offended some people to have to
look at it; reminding them of a time when the United States was divided
politically, racially, culturally and emotionally. BTW, in case you hadn't noticed, we still are.
Of the more than 1503 public monuments and memorials to the Confederacy, more than 718 are monuments and statues. Nearly 300 monuments and statues are in
Georgia, Virginia, or North Carolina alone. The # Black Lives Matter
movement have all of these Confederate symbols in their sights and, apparently,
will not be satisfied until they have all been eradicated from the public
landscape.
One question is, should this be allowed to continue? Some of these removals are sanctioned and
approved by local and state authorities who have every right to do so. Some of these removals have even been
approved by a majority of the electorate. Even better. But, if
statues are being hauled down and/or destroyed by people operating
independently of authorized sanction, well, that sounds a bit like vandalism
and lawlessness. There are two sides to this argument and here is what some
people say to make a point:
• Some people are held
responsible for things that happened before they were born, and other people
are not held responsible for what they are doing right now.
Obviously, this phrase is being
adopted by all of those who acknowledge no personal responsibility for a time
when slavery was alive and well in our country and negatively impacting
millions of minorities, mostly African-Americans. Not all of these people are
bigots and racists, but most are angry that these symbols of their heritage are
being defaced and destroyed. They feel
like this inappropriately denies and revises history, as ugly as it may have
been.
The opposing side portray these
statues and monuments as symbols of a racist, white supremacist society that no
longer has a place in our country. These
people acknowledge that the evil of slavery was supported by our forefathers
and, in some cases, our relatives fought to preserve a system of prejudice and
injustice. They have no problem with removing these symbols in an attempt to
demonstrate unity, equality and political correctness.
I can see both sides of the
argument. On the one hand, I agree that the
Confederacy represents a dark period in American history. I, for one, am
certainly not proud of that part of our American heritage. If people living and
working in an area, local or state, no longer want those statues and monuments
in their communities and vote, by referendum or otherwise, to remove them, that
is their right. It does not, however, change history and the blight of slavery.
And, I do not believe that defacing or removing these symbols by vandals,
unruly mobs and those operating outside the law should be allowed. And, the perpetrators should be punished.
In Stone Mountain, Georgia there is
an enormous rock relief, the largest bas-relief in the world, whose carving
depicts three Confederate figures, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall
Jackson. It is larger than Mt. Rushmore
and quite a site to see. It is also the
subject of widespread controversy, with some wanting to have it removed and
some wanting to preserve this amazing sculpture. Since Thomas Jonathon “Stonewall” Jackson is
my great, great, great uncle from my paternal grandmother’s side of the family,
I personally would like to see it preserved, not to represent the Confederacy
(or racism or bigotry or white supremacy) but to honor a brave and fearless
leader, however misguided his cause, and to preserve a unique work of art.
As I said in my initial post, none of
this (racism, bigotry, etc.) changes until the heart of humankind is changed
and, in my opinion, that is not dependent on whether there is a statue of
Robert E. Lee on horseback residing in the town square of Podunk Hollow, Jawja.
Comments?
Many of these monuments were commissioned and erected in the 1920s - an era, like ours today, of heightened economic inequality. Coincidence? Hardly.
ReplyDeleteA statement is made anytime a building, park, monument or statue is dedicated. Many of these Confederacy monuments, embodied, in steel and bronze and stone, the message of difference, segregation, and subjugation. I, for one, argue that their presence only serves to perpetuate this message. To the museums!
I appreciate you bringing up Stone Mountain. As you know, this one wasn't constructed and completed in the 1920s but at the height of Civil Rights era gains. You've inspired more thinking and writing to come here. Thanks, as always, Jud.