Confederate Statues

Vandalism Of Confederate Statues,Works Of Art, Is Outrageous, While Renaming Military Forts Can Be Done By US Government, And Schools And Streets If Supported By Popular Vote

Ronald 8 Comments

A major controversy has developed about removing statues and renaming schools, military forts, and streets of those who were involved on the Confederate side of the Civil War.

There is no debate that the Confederate States of America was based on the preservation of slavery and white supremacy.

So it is perfectly appropriate to rename schools, military forts, and streets that honor such political and military figures of the Confederacy. The US government can simply decide to change the names of the forts, but to rename schools and streets should be up to popular vote of those in the communities.

At the same time, the Confederate Flag should not be permitted on public property.

However, should the destruction of statues be promoted?

My answer is absolutely not, as statues are works of art, and should be respected, and should not face damage, vandalism, and destruction.

There should be a vote of the appropriate population that decides if such Confederate statues should be peacefully removed, and put in museums.

And this move to destroy statues of non Confederate leaders, including Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, as well as other historical figures, must be resisted forcefully.

Yes, the early Presidents were slave owners, and yes, many Presidents had racist backgrounds, but it is all part of history, and we cannot allow so called “purification of history” to please radicals who wish to destroy the American past!

Rather, teach the truth, but honor the important contributions of Presidents and others who also did good deeds.

We are not going to allow destruction of Mount Rushmore, but also, we are not going to allow destruction of Stone Mountain, which honors Confederate leaders. This is part of our history which needs to be taught and exposed, but not allowing violent action to suppress!

We cannot deny our past, and we cannot destroy our past, clear and simple!

The Issue Of Confederate Statues And Monuments In Public Places Outside Of Museums

Ronald 14 Comments

The controversy that erupted over the Charlottesville tragedy has led to a call to remove Confederate atatues and monuments in public places outside of museums.

The descendants of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis have called for the statues of their forebears to be taken down.

A call has gone out for Confederate statues in the US Capitol Rotunda to be taken down. Bills are being introduced to accomplish this goal.

We are talking here about people who were ultimately traitors to the United States.

To compare Lee to George Washington or Thomas Jefferson as slave owners is preposterous, as we are talking about TREASON, and nothing else.

It is time to stop commemorating and honoring people who wished to destroy the American nation.

We are not expecting everyone to be perfect, but treason is something unique, and realize these and other Confederate leaders ultimately caused the death of 360,000 Union soldiers and 250,00 Confederate soldiers.

Also, realize that Jefferson Davis worked to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.

So the time has come to say atatues and monuments belong in museums, but not in parks or in government buildings.

So, for example, the excellent Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia is an appropriate location for such statues and monuments, and this blogger has visited that museum and has no issue with them having such statues and memorials. I learned a lot at that museum, and appreciate that it is there, and is such a good museum in context.

Also, state history museums can have these statues and monuments, and record the history of the state, including the Civil War.

But in public government buildings, other than museums, and in parks, it is inappropriate and time to end the “worship” of people who committed treason.

Germany does not honor Nazi Germany in public places, and neither should we honor people who worked to undermine the American nation, and wished to keep slavery alive for the long term!

Democratic Party Rejection Of Thomas Jefferson And Andrew Jackson A Denial Of Party History, And Wrong!

Ronald Leave a comment

The Democratic Party of 2015 is pursuing a dangerous trend, that of denying history.

Many Democratic state groups have decided to change the name of their annual dinners, which have been called the “Jefferson-Jackson Day” dinners.

This is political correctness to the extreme, and totally wrong.

The point that is made is that Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson both were slave owners, which is certainly true.

Somehow, Arthur Schlesinger Jr, who wrote the acclaimed “Age of Jackson” in 1945, and who passed away in 2007, must be turning over in his grave at the denial of the importance of Jackson, and the political correctness, better known as ignorance, that is being promoted. And many who have published on Jefferson, while realizing his many shortcomings, must feel that trying to wipe out his memory is inappropriate.

Both Jefferson and Jackson have faults and shortcomings, and this author and blogger is the first to admit that.

But to wipe out memory on their founding of the Democratic Party simply because of their stand on race 200-250 years ago is totally wrong.

Both Jefferson and Jackson were crucial to the development of the concept of democracy, even if it had terrible limits in their era.

Both had major contributions to make, which cannot be wiped out, and should not be written out of the history of the Democratic Party.

One can criticize the negative legacy of anyone, but also, one must acknowledge the positive legacy of these two significant Presidents, and early founders of the Democratic Party, which has made great strides since their lifetimes!

This is the same narrow mindedness that leads to many saying all Confederate statues and memorials should be removed, when it is part of our history.

We are not the old Soviet Union, or other dictatorships, past and present, which try to rewrite our history, and sanitize it, when we need to have understanding of what our past was, and destruction of memorials and statues is not the answer, anymore than taking Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, both slave owners, off of Mount Rushmore!

This is the promotion of ignorance and denial of the truth of history!