Hannah Natanson, Theres a New Way to Deal with Confederate Monuments: Signs That Explain Their Racist History, washingtonpost.com, Sep. 22, 2019, 53. Keep reading for all the pros and cons of removing Confederate statues. Jeff Kelly Lowenstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Women, and the Possibility of Growth, chicagoreporter.com, Jan. 18, 2019, 48. There is no easy answer to this question, as there are pros and cons to both sides. This is the first statue of a black person to be installed in Statuary Hall, and it was commissioned by the state. There are lots of terrible. I cannot see myself pulling down a statue in that way. In the event that these statues are removed, the country would lose a valuable educational tool about the effects of the Civil War. Q: How do we decide what stays and what goes? SINHA: I think then it becomes a purely destructive exercise, a way you are simply destroying all monuments and all statues. If so, how? Statues could be built to honor George Washington Carver, Madame CJ Walker, Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Owens, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ruby Bridges, Mae Jemison, Charles Richard Drew, Mary Jackson, and countless others. So to me, if statues are performing this work of showing us what we most value as a society, once our values change, no, we shouldnt keep them. And dont forgetthe Confederacy lost. Last modified on July 14, 2022. The monuments go up because, without Washington, there likely would not have been an American nation. And I also grew up hearing stories from my family or reading in archives the terrible things those men did to my people.. In a 5-4 vote, the court rejected the Trump administration's push to end an Obama-era program that gives nearly 700,000 Dreamers the ability to work in the United States and avoid deportation. We will know who Robert E. Lee was. As some commentators point out, the destruction weakens our consciousness of history, including historys darker side. Q: What can you tell us about Americas history with monuments and memorials? Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Monuments of Hope, Memorials to a Poisoned Past, britannica.com, May 25, 2018, 23. 4. Accessed April 27, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/historic-statue-removal-top-3-pros-cons/, Whose Heritage: Public Symbols of the Confederacy, 1. History is almost never the sole motivator for the construction of schools. Beyond building monuments to honor black Americans, monuments could employ and elevate living black artists, such as Kehinde Wiley, whose 2019 Rumors of War statue depicts a black man on horseback in a pose reminiscent of statues of Robert E. Lee. The Paseo del Cambio, which is located on the opposite side of the street, has been the site of a number of busts. Robert E. Lees statue, for example, is regarded as particularly offensive due to his role in defending slavery and the Confederacy. The Confederate statues have no redeeming qualities to them, but other statues certainly do. May 16, 2017 0 The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his mount, Traveler, face the setting sun on Monument Ave. in Richmond,. There are valid arguments on both sides, and there is no easy answer. And thats so important, because future generations will see those images of self-representation of groups that have traditionally been excluded from these monuments making a statement about how colonization has affected them, or how they have survived and are resilient. Politics plays a role in answering close questions. Here's What to Know, time.com, June 24, 2020, 2. The Onion looks at the pros and cons of removing historical statues. The campaign to remove controversial monuments and memorials has attracted a lot of criticism - charges that we are "erasing" history or imposing our own values and perspectives on people . There is no path to a peaceful and prosperous country without challenging and rejecting that as a basis for our society. [4], Monuments are ultimately about which values we want to honor and put on public display. Effective Ways to Save on your Mobile Data, The Law Enforcement Exception To The Use Of Deadly Force, Swearing At Police Officers Is Not Appropriate In Massachusetts, Everything You Need To Know About Car Insurance Companies And Police Reports, The Police In Nigeria Have The Authority To Arrest Without A Warrant Under Certain Circumstances. But so did tens of thousands of others similarly situated. The standard traditionally applied is as follows: When deciding whom to commemorate by statues, place names, monuments, holidays, currency, or coins we select individuals who performed extraordinary feats that, on balance, made the world a better place. Ellis Cose, Keep Confederate Monuments, but Put Their Horrific History on Center Stage, usatoday, Aug. 21, 2017, 52. Over the last few years, we have seen an increase in the demolition of statues of heroes who, from one day to the next, appear to follow the exploits of the Egyptian Pharaohs. Venezuelas mezcla is characterized by a lack of eclecticism, as well as a widespread, general sense of izquierda. Gino Spocchia, Christopher Columbus Statue Torn Down, Set on Fire and Tossed in Lake by Anti-Racism Protesters in Virginia, independent.co.uk, June 10, 2020, 9. The United States was far from perfect, but the values of the Confederacy, open and unrepentant white supremacy and total disregard for the humanity of black people, to the extent they still exist, have produced tragedy and discord. The people who hated having black classmates at their school didn't hate us because there were statues of Robert E. Lee or George Washington (our nation's first President and a slave owner) on. Take away these men who seem to be inferior to Roosevelt, but leave him. The annual Aneurin Bevan lecture is held at the Hay Festival every year. Each of Trafalgar Squares four plinths will house four statues of Horatio Nelson. ProCon.org. Any statue removal may result in the removal of monuments from any individual with a problematic history. MANISHA SINHA: It always astonished me as a Civil War historian to see statues commemorating Confederate generals and politicians who had literally committed treason against this country in order to uphold human bondage. What did the Civil War mean for both the Union and the Confederacy? The main duty is not to hide the bitter parts. The movement against him is part of a wider drive to get rid of monuments to figures who are now. They serve as a constant reminder of who we are and what we believe in. GREENE: But is there an argument that removing these statues could help further the fight for racial equality in our country? First, removing all these statues and monuments cost a lot of money and take a long time. These loans are designed to help low and moderate-income borrowers obtain affordable financing. The rally protested the proposed removal of statues of Confederate Army Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The interpretations have been contradictory, and the results are presented in the form of commentaries. This was before he became president or even commanded the Union Army. Removing statues is a slippery slope that could lead to the brash removal of monuments to any slightly problematic person. Residents offered replacement suggestions ranging from boxer Muhammed Ali to writer Wendell Berry. procon@eb.com, 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. [56], When 11 Southern states seceded from the Union in 1861, they were very clear that the reason was the impending abolition of slavery. Annie Grayer and Clare Foran, "Statue Honoring Mary McLeod Bethune Unveiled in Statuary Hall in US Capitol,". Both Washington and Jefferson were critical to the formation of the country and to the shaping of it in its early years No one puts a monument up to Washington or Jefferson to promote slavery I think on these two, Washington and Jefferson, in particular, you take the bitter with sweet. Iconoclasm is not new; its been going on for thousands of years in different circumstances, Lamp said. CBS News, Protesters in England Topple Statue of Slave Trader Edward Colston into Harbor, cbsnews.com, June 7, 2020, 8. The standard traditionally applied is as follows: When deciding whom to commemorate by statues, place names, monuments, holidays, currency, or coins we select individuals who performed. Or they go up because of T.J.s views on separation of church and state and other values that we hold dear. Kehinde Wiley, Instagram.com, June 4, 2020, 34. There are at least two reasons for not permitting contemporaneous vices to disqualify historical figures from favorable commemoration. That, my friends, is what we must work toward eradicating. [50], Ellis Cose, Senior Fellow at the ACLU, states that the statues should remain, with plaques and other material in place that point out that these men were traitors, not American heroes, and that their ugly legacy haunts us still. What Should Take Their Place? I was really dismayed to see the statue of Grant, especially, come down because Grant was never comfortable with owning that one slave that was given to him by his father-in-law. Natalie Huet, Sir Geoff Palmer, Dont Take down Statues - Take down Racism, euronews.com, June 11, 2020, 54. Tension over statues has arisen within the recent Black Lives Matter protests. Here are the proper bibliographic citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): [Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Many of the men with whom George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Ulysses S. Grant were associated at the time were slaves. Tomas Strakas Vida Poltica de las Estatuas is a collection of essays. Activism forces a reckoning with what our values are. The significance of a Civil War memorial varies from group to group, and there is always an urgent need for history to be told. Regardless of whether historic statues are removed or remain, what sort of statues, memorials, or other art would you like to see in public spaces? And the vast majority of these statues were erected during the height of the Jim Crow movement, as historian Kevin M. Kruse has shown. Glenn Foster, founder of The Freedom Neighborhood, stated of the Emancipation Memorial, which depicts Lincoln over a kneeling freed slave, When I look at that statue, Im reminded my freedom and my liberation is only dictated by white peoples terms. Theyre models of civic behavior that we should all strive to. Elliot Ackerman, The Confederate Monuments We Shouldnt Tear Down, nytimes.com, July 7, 2020, 49. This article was published on January 20, 2022, at Britannicas ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source. In illuminating how vulnerable Americans have long been to ugly racial appeals, and how willfully blind we have been to racial injustice, those statues could remind us of the catastrophic consequences of not putting bigotry aside. [51], Some jurisdictions have chosen to put explanatory plaques beside Confederate monuments to teach a more complete history. Its saying, We still have the upper hand. [23], Finley hit not only on the current psychological impact of the statues, but also on the intended historical impact. And there was a real concern about assimilating these immigrants into you can call it Americanization, but what it really was was an assimilation into white, Protestant culture. Despite Nicole Douglas' team-leading 14th goal of the season, the Sun Devil soccer team was unable to claim its first Pac-12 victory of the season after falling to the Oregon State Beavers, 2-1 on Thursday night. Arguments For And Against Removing Confederate Statues, Robert E. Lee opposed Confederate statues. PRO: These monuments should be removed because they honor slavery and segregation CON: Confederate monuments should stay because they connect past racial crimes to current racial inequality Nearly every heavy-crane company in southern Louisiana has received threats from opponents. [48] Or should those also be destroyed? Conocie una fugacidad de las personas y conocie una inscripcin hablada de un poder. Neil Vigdor and Daniel Victor, "Over 160 Confederate Symbols Were Removed in 2020, Group Says," nytimes.com, Feb. 23, 2021, 56. Who Abraham Lincoln was. When activists deface statues, ultimately what theyre doing is forcing the citys hand so that they either have to put money into restoration, which doubles down on whatever message that monument is sending, or they can just remove it. I was really dismayed to see the statue of Grant, especially, come down because Grant was never. Statues elevate a person from a historical event rather than demystify it. Evan Andrews, How Many U.S. Presidents Owned Enslaved People?, history.com, Sep. 3, 2019, 45. {mosads}George Washington is one example of the traditional standard in action. Many of Americas founders George Washington, Thomas Jefferson owned slaves. There are many other people who could be represented by statues who would better represent the historical progress and diversity of the country. Take away anything that smacks of the sort of imperialist legacy which clearly that statue embodies. They are also a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought for the Confederacy and a symbol of Southern heritage. First and foremost, they are part of our history and should be preserved as such. Do we protect Confederate graves and battlefields? Its a pleasure to be a part of the politics of Los diferentes estrellas de la Avenida. During the 1970s, a reformulated version of the Tariff Act of 1930 was enacted, which allowed the venezolano to dispensa a Cristbal Col*n. This reaccin is made up of two components: the poblacin fluctu and the condena a la indiferencia. Despite being recognized around the world as a hero, Columbus statues have long been criticized as a result of his colonization and genocide of Indigenous cultures. There was the thought that these immigrants needed to be turned into productive workers, and that concern is where a lot of our public spaces come from. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. The Removal of All Confederate Statues, Flags, Symbols in America; The topic should be a controversial social issue. The Shepherd monument would not have been returned to the National Park Service if it did not provide interpretive signs and returned it to its rightful owner. The debate over removing Confederate statues continues to rage. Source: Abdazizar. Photograph: Schalk van Zuydam/AP A similar story can be told in the southern states of the US. Why build a street for losers? Psychologically, its perpetuating a system. Catherine Thorbecke, Walmart donates $100K to replace Arkansas' Confederate-linked statues at the US Capitol, abcnew.go.com, July 7, 2020, 32. Charisse L'Pree, Racial and Gender Exclusion from Media Affects Novel Group Identity; An Experimental Investigation of Symbolic Annihilation, sites.google.com/site/charisselpree2 (accessed July 8, 2020), 29. As a result, the monumentos, as well as the ellos located in the various areas of the city, are erigen within the context of the community. Two hospitals may have violated federal law in denying woman an emergency From bad to worse: Student misbehavior rises further since return of in-person McConnell insists hes sitting out debt talks to disbelief. I dont. On the other side, opponents of the statues argue that they celebrate white supremacy. [52], Next to the Peace Monument in Atlanta, Georgia, a plaque reads, This monument should no longer stand as a memorial to white brotherhood; rather, it should be seen as an artifact representing a shared history in which millions of Americans were denied civil and human rights. [24], Sheffield Hale, JD, President and Chief Executive of the Atlanta History Center, stated of the plaque, I do think it gives [people] a starting point, which is sorely needed right now, in our society, as a way to deal with contentious issues. I think it dishonors them to celebrate the men who killed them and tried to kill off the American nation. I think the problem with that is that the balance of power in communities can be really problematic. THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. What are your thoughts on a separate museum for such statues? New York Times, From 2017: Confederate Monuments Are Coming down dcross the United States. Confederates died defending slavery as an institution. According to the poll, in August 2017, 39% supported the removal of Confederate statues compared to 52% who wanted to get rid of them in June. Erecting statues to the lost heroes of the Lost Cause was part of the campaign to revise history. [4], As Karen Cox, PhD, Historian of the American South at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, concludes, The state is giving the stamp of approval to these Lost Cause ideas, and the money is a symbol of that approval. The Confederate symbols and associated values that Americans hold in high regard are paid for by them. Do the statues represent or misrepresent the countrys history? Thats a lot of money for one city to pay for, and that money could be used for more important things. His explorations united a world previously divided by hemispheres. Phil Davis, George Washington Monument in Druid Hill Park Spray-Painted with Destroy Racists, Anti-Police Sentiment, baltimoresun.com, June 21, 2020, 11. Amanda Holpuch, Ed Pilkington, and Oliver Laughland, Charleston Shooting: Confederate Flag at Heart of Growing Political Storm, theguardian.com, June 20, 2015, 4. Among the items included in a new time capsule that will take its place is a copy of Diazs Pulitzer Prize-winning Postcolonial Love Poem., When my old basketball coach Wendy Larry texted me to tell me the Virginia governor's office was trying to reach me, I had no idea what they might want. There are statues being targeted of people like Ulysses S. Grant, of people like President George Washington, who were not involved in the Confederacy. Colleen Walsh, Must We Allow Symbols of Racism on Public Land?, harvard.edu, June 19, 2020, 44. Explore the Southern Poverty Law Centers Whose Heritage: Public Symbols of the Confederacy resource, which promotes the removal of confederate statues. They should be removed from public spaces because they serve as a reminder of the negative effects of racism and bigotry, as well as a symbol of how far we have come since the colonial era. [47] Do we exclude the achievements of these figures from public display because they displayed controversial behavior? The First Amendment protects everyones speech, not just the speech approved by the majority. [26]. Also removed from the monument's base was a 133-year-old copper time capsule containing artifacts and ephemera related to the Confederacy. GAZETTE: In the past, people have suggested the monuments should stay, but that additional plaques or other information should be incorporated to add context. PRO AND CON: Should Confederate monuments be removed? The Avalon Project, A Declaration of the Immediate Causes which Induce and Justify the Secession of the State of Mississippi from the Federal Union., avalon.law.yale.edu (accessed July 8, 2020), 17. How do we know if statues are supposed to tell the story of our ancestors? Despite Nicole Douglas' team-leading 14th goal of the season, the Sun Devil soccer team was unable to claim its first Pac-12 victory of the season after falling to the Oregon State Beavers, 2-1 on Thursday night. More than half of Americans support removal of Confederate statues, but 44% still think they should remain. Photo courtesy of Getty Images/iStockphoto, (480) 965-9657 There are a variety of reasons why Confederate monuments should be removed from public spaces. The Confederates lost the war, the rebellion. The statues are a painful reminder of past and present institutionalized racism in the United States. Some were unlawfully torn. George Gerbner, PhD, and Larry Gross coined the term symbolic annihilation in 1976 to describe the lack of representation of a group of people. In the modern-day case of the removal of U.S. monuments that many argue commend white supremacy and colonialism, the shift in power could be seen as from those who deny the racist overtones of such structures or who maintain that some monuments have historical or aesthetic value worth preserving to those who embrace a national culture of inclusion. Defend the existence of confederate statues as ways of honoring the past with the United Daughters of the Confederacy, an organization devoted to the memory of Confederate soldiers. Those who argue against keeping political statues in public spaces typically make the following points: 1. Many celebrities have asked that their names be added to the list over the years, including David Beckham, Bill Morris, Mary Seacole, Benny Hill, and Paul Gascoigne. The principal legacy of Confederate statues is white supremacy and slavery. Stupendous vision, energy, competence, and couragedistinguished Christopher Columbus from others of his generation. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun. She was supposed to be the civil rights movements most visible figure until she became pregnant. Bethunes is the first state-commissioned statue of a Black person to be included in Statuary Hall. Da de la Raza was founded in 1578 to end the Spanish race and promote the civilizing movement that followed it. The Confederate monuments and statues should be removed not only because they are offensive and outdated, but also because they represent Virginia in the 1890s rather than in the 21st century. Michelangelos David is not only a statue of a man, but also a statue of God. The shooter was said to have glorified the Confederate South, posing in Facebook photos with the Battle Flag of the Northern Virginia Army (also known now as the Confederate flag, though it never represented the Confederate States) and touring historical Confederate locations before the shooting. They harbored cultural bias. 13.8K Followers. During the 2017 rebellion in Venezuela, at least 11 Hugo Chvez statues were torn down. A statue of George Washington in Caracas, Venezuela, was damaged during an attack by a bomb in 2008. What that signals is a shift in power.. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. I got more interested in the U.S. history of monuments when I started to look around and wonder where all the neoclassical buildings came from. Becky Little, How the Cult of Robert E. Lee Was Born, history.com, Aug. 14, 2017, 18. Defunding the humanities, cutting history classes and departments. GAZETTE: What do you say to those who argue that the removal of such statues in prominent public settings dishonors the memory of those who died fighting for the Confederacy? I think in general in this country, statues have held up a very white, male virtue. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. They are usually constructed to commemorate momentous events or important figures in history. Lawrence A. Kuznar, I Detest Our Confederate Monuments. Taney's bust was replaced with one of Thurgood Marshall. 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I think the difference that George Floyd's murder has made and that's been a bit heartening for me is that ordinary American citizens have finally realized what these statues symbolize and how they have been a standing affront for African Americans and their quest for equal citizenship in this country because Black Americans have always been against it. A statue of Cecil Rhodes being removed from the University of Cape Town campus, South Africa, 2015. The line is subjective, difficult to draw, and easy to reinterpret, leaving no memorial protected. Public Symbols of the Confederacy, splcenter.org, Feb. 1, 2019, 15. When the statues are publicly owned, removing them by wanton destruction still usurps decision-making authority from the public. A: Thats such a complex issue. Monticello, Jefferson's Attitudes toward Slavery, monticello.org (accessed July 7, 2020), 41. The removal in recent years of several monuments depicting Confederate leaders and other controversial historical figures by both politicians and unsanctioned activists have generated debate over whether their removal is justified. Protesters next to a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Va. [32]. Removing statues is a slippery slope that could lead to the brash removal of monuments to any slightly problematic person. Those who argue in favor of keeping political statues in public spaces typically make the following points: 1. We should let them stand and use them to remind ourselves of what we are and are not, the cost our forebears paid for our freedom and to educate our children. [38], During the protests following the death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, many Confederate statues were damaged or toppled, as were statues of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Ulysses S. Grant. When were talking about the Lee statue, its a really good example of what can happen when there is disagreement in the community about what its values are.
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