The Lee statue had been designated a historic monument, so people thought that would protect it from removal, but the governor of Virginia said, no, were taking it down. Who Was He?, cnn.com, June 11, 2020, 7. PRO AND CON: Should Confederate monuments be removed? 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. Monticello, Jefferson's Attitudes toward Slavery, monticello.org (accessed July 7, 2020), 41. [45] [46] Martin Luther King, Jr. regularly cheated on his wife. If there are statues of black Americans in the future, such as Kehinde Wileys 2019 statue of a black man riding horseback in a pose similar to those of Confederate statues, they could be built. The Confederate statues were put up when they were put up [not just after the war but largely during periods of Civil Rights tension in the 20th century], to send a message about white supremacy, and to sentimentalize people who had actively fought to preserve the system of slavery. OK, actually, that makes it easier. Bethunes is the first state-commissioned statue of a Black person to be included in Statuary Hall. But the traditional standard does help minimize political manipulation of history. Each of Trafalgar Squares four plinths will house four statues of Horatio Nelson. The racial subjugation systems he developed as a principal architect are still prevalent in southern Africa. They are a reminder of our countrys dark and oppressive history. A: Theres certainly a school of thought that says so, that maybe they could be taken out of civic spaces and put into a museum where they can be recontextualized. 1. Statues elevate a person from a historical event rather than demystify it. The removal of Confederate statues is a painful reminder of the countrys racist past and present. 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,. Disputation in the political sphere is difficult to come by. Valerie Strauss, Christopher Columbus: 3 Things You Think He Did That He Didnt, washingtonpost.com, Oct. 14, 2013, 22. The removal of monuments erases the memory of those who fought against them in defense of the values they represent. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Most monuments I'm aware of attest to conquered people and lands, including my people., The Robert E. Lee monument, erected several decades after the Civil War to commemorate the Confederate general, was recently removed following more than a year of protests for racial justice. The significance of a Civil War memorial varies from group to group, and there is always an urgent need for history to be told. There are valid arguments on both sides, and there is no easy answer. The rally protested the proposed removal of statues of Confederate Army GeneralsRobert E. LeeandStonewall Jackson. This time also coincided with the creation of many Confederate monuments, though they were coming from a different set of concerns. On the one hand, some argue that they are historical landmarks and should be preserved. 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. 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? George Martin, Why Confederate Monuments Should Be Preserved and Honored, charlotteobserver.com, July 6, 2017, 38. With most American figures, certainly most presidents, you will find many reasons to actually criticize them and criticize their record, even our heroes. Jackson was a slave owner. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to keep political statues in public spaces is a complex one. Who Jefferson Davis was. [9] And a statue of black tennis star and Civil Rights activist Arthur Ashe was tagged with white lives matter graffiti in Richmond, Virginia. There is no path to a peaceful and prosperous country without challenging and rejecting that as a basis for our society. [20] [21] These statues, like their Confederate counterparts, serve a revisionist purpose, allowing people to maintain a racist ideology. Because civil rights groups have grown in prominence, the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) dedicated a monument to Shepherd, a so-called faithful slave. Residents offered replacement suggestions ranging from boxer Muhammed Ali to writer Wendell Berry. 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. [32] [33], Of the calls to take down Confederate monuments, President Donald Trump stated, This cruel campaign of censorship and exclusion violates everything we hold dear as Americans. Citizens have the right to express themselves in ways that respect their personal beliefs by creating statues and holding controversial opinions. 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. The 12th of October 2004 marks the beginning of a new era in Venezuela. Some were unlawfully torn. 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. Jason Hanna and Ralph Ellis, "Charlottesville Removes Two Confederate Statues as Onlookers Cheer," cnn.com, July 10, 2021, 55. People on both sides vigorously defend their position, pointing out disturbingfacts about the Founding Fathers and the founding of America as reasons why the Confederate monuments arent so different from Revolutionary monuments. As contemporaries, Cecil Rhodes and King Leopold II were both harshly criticized for their racist behaviors. Latisha Jensen, Portland Man Describes Tearing Down Thomas Jefferson Statue: Its Not Vandalism, wweek.com, June 20, 2020, 12. It is hard to explain on other than political grounds why so many more monuments and places arededicated to John F. Kennedythan to much better presidents. In the United States, Confederate monuments are erected as public displays to commemorate the Confederate States of America, its soldiers and leaders. Mridas Avenida de los Insignes, the Paseo de los Insignes, and the Coln derribado de Caracas were all parts of the Ch Guevaras visit to the United States. Caleb Parke, From George Washington to Ulysses S. Grant: Statues, Monuments Vandalized Extend beyond Confederates amid Black Lives Matter Protests, foxnews.com, June 22, 2020, 13. 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. 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. Gordon-Reed is a professor of history and the Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History at Harvard Law School. ASU News sat down with Lamp, whose current scholarship focuses on the classical influence on U.S. public art, memorials and monuments, and how those sites guide understandings of citizenship and civic participation, to learn more about the issues at play in this ongoing dialogue. [41]. We shouldn't shy from the fact that many of these men were slave owners, but we should also be able to judge each case individually. Eventually, police descended on the. {mosads}George Washington is one example of the traditional standard in action. Elliot Ackerman, The Confederate Monuments We Shouldnt Tear Down, nytimes.com, July 7, 2020, 49. Should we not honor the contributions of Washington, Jefferson, and Grant to the United States because they owned slaves, as did many men of their standing at the time, even though they struggled with the institution? His disreputable actions reflected attitudes and practices common to his society. A few years ago, the nation stood watch as Confederate statues started tumbling down at the hands of protestors or at the direction of city officials, seeking peace and reckoning mainly throughout the South after the deaths of Black men at the hands of police and other racial injustices. We do not erect monuments to people who performed extraordinary feats that were unquestionably evil, even if their characters included some virtuous traits. What did the Civil War mean for both the Union and the Confederacy? [39] [40] [41], However, Washington led the Continental Army to victory over the British, held together the country as the first President over two terms, resisted calls to become King of the country, and, in his will, freed his slaves upon his wifes death. SINHA: I think when you go down that slippery slope, maybe it might backfire. [48] Or should those also be destroyed? In the end, the boycott was spearheaded by African Americans who boycotted the buses for the sake of civil rights. Despite its relatively small price tag, it is still worth considering, especially when compared to the total cost of the Civil War and its aftermath. There is one major distraction when it comes to removing statues that detracts from the larger issue at hand: the notion that removing a statue is an act of historical cleansing. 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. The movement against him is part of a wider drive to get rid of monuments to figures who are now. 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. GREENE: Has your view on all of this changed since George Floyd was killed and we've seen such anger on the streets and such a growing movement at this moment? As Rod Dreherargues in The American Conservative,Americans should not make the same mistakes as France. Common faults are, by definition, common. [56], When 11 Southern states seceded from the Union in 1861, they were very clear that the reason was the impending abolition of slavery. They are usually constructed to commemorate momentous events or important figures in history. 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. Removing statues is a slippery slope that could lead to the brash removal of monuments to any slightly problematic person. [44] Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the white suffragists purposefully excluded black women. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.