[32]. [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. Thats a lot of money for one city to pay for, and that money could be used for more important things. There is a plaque next to the Peace Monument in Atlanta, Georgia, that states, This monument should no longer serve as a memorial for white Brotherhood. Remove Confederate statues from public places based on the pros and cons. 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. For example, a statue of black abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass was damaged over the July 4, 2020 weekend in Rochester, New York. Confederates died defending slavery as an institution. 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. On the one hand, some argue that they are historical landmarks and should be preserved. [4], Monuments are ultimately about which values we want to honor and put on public display. ], ProCon.org, "Historic Statue Removal Top 3 Pros & Cons,", ProCon.org, "Historic Statue Removal Top 3 Pros & Cons. Download Full Image, When a door of opportunity opened a crack, this ASU marketing grad kicked it open all the way, '1923' actress graduates with honors from ASU, Military service inspires outstanding ASU grad to pursue engineering, Applied Math PhD selected as 2023 Outstanding Graduate Student for The College, Double major a powerhouse of undergrad research, accolades, First-generation grad catapults from struggling student to ASU Deans Medalist, Pulitzer Prize-winning Postcolonial Love Poem., Sun Devil Soccer's late comeback bid comes up short at Oregon State, ASU students solve real-world problems for Department of Defense, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Grant to study health access for Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders hits home for PhD student, Hackathon gathers global students to tackle social, environmental issues, School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning. In fact, even Robert E. Lee opposed Confederate statues. So for instance, I just read today that the Museum of Natural History wants to take down a statue of Theodore Roosevelt that has an African American man and a Native American man standing alongside him while he's astride on a horse. 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. I understand the importance of remembering those who died fighting for both sides of the war. 1. They represent the establishments value system at any given time, regardless of the circumstances. but They Should Remain., washingtonpost.com, Aug. 18, 2017, 39. The interpretations have been contradictory, and the results are presented in the form of commentaries. When is it right to remove a statue? - BBC News When the statues are publicly owned, removing them by wanton destruction still usurps decision-making authority from the public. The intention was to intimidate Black while reinforcing white power structures in America. Common faults are, by definition, common. [5], The Virginia statues still stood amid the protests following the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, though they were tagged with graffiti then (and later removed on July 10, 2021). SINHA: I've been against it all along. Any statue removal may result in the removal of monuments from any individual with a problematic history. While most Americans watch helplessly, ourstateside Taliban vandalizes and removeslong-standing public monuments. Annette Gordon-Reed, JD, Professor of American Legal History at Harvard University, explained, There is an important difference between helping to create the United States and trying to destroy it. How will Mr. DeSantiss wild Disney ride end? Rebecca Klar, Arthur Ashe Statue on Richmond's Monument Avenue Tagged with White Lives Matter Graffiti, thehill.com, June 17, 2020, 50. Take away these men who seem to be inferior to Roosevelt, but leave him. Many of Americas founders George Washington, Thomas Jefferson owned slaves. 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. They glorify people who were responsible for terrible things. 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. 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. It was a great energy to be a part of removing that statue and seeding something new in its place; a little piece of respect and love for the land, which is what I consider the poem to be.. They often depict political leaders, but more often military leaders. SINHA: Well, I think it is important not to go from one extreme to the other. And the vast majority of these statues were erected during the height of the Jim Crow movement, as historian Kevin M. Kruse has shown. Preserving historic statues and place-names can serve a number of positive aims. Why the Christopher Columbus Statue Came Down in Chicago They are both excellent candidates for the kind of contextualization you alluded to. There are lots of terrible. The definition of a statue includes a work of art that represents something as well. In recent years, there has been a movement to take down statues of historical figures who have been accused of racism, sexism, and other forms of bigotry. On the other side, opponents of the statues argue that they celebrate white supremacy. And while it is true that many of the Virginian Founding Fathers - Washington, Jefferson, Madison - all owned slaves, we put up their statues not to commemorate their slave holding but for different reasons. The First Amendment protects everyones speech, not just the speech approved by the majority. There are a number of reasons why Confederate monuments should be kept. Stephen E. Ambrose, Founding Fathers and Slaveholders, smithsonianmag.com, Nov. 2002, 43. The states declared they had not been fighting to preserve slavery and, instead, fashioned a set of ideas and arguments that they were fighting to hold back the massive industrialization of America, they were trying to preserve rural agrarian civilization, according to David W. Blight, PhD, American History Professor at Yale University. 3. Those who disagree with the beliefs upheld by the statues should work to understand the history these monuments represent, rather than trying to simply remove them and the history from sight. For many years people have been arguing whether certain controversial monuments, such as statues, should be destroyed or removed. Should the US remove Confederate memorials, flags, and As Rod Dreherargues in The American Conservative,Americans should not make the same mistakes as France. NPR Morning Edition, For Stanton, All Women Were Not Created Equal, npr.org, July 13, 2011, 46. [9] And a statue of black tennis star and Civil Rights activist Arthur Ashe was tagged with white lives matter graffiti in Richmond, Virginia. GREENE: But what about historical figures with complicated, often racist histories who were also Union generals or former presidents? Arguments For And Against Removing Confederate Statues, Robert E. Lee opposed Confederate statues. GREENE: You said something interesting. The Confederate symbols and associated values that Americans hold in high regard are paid for by them. And I think most Civil War historians have been against Confederate statues - if not removal, at least with contextualization. According to Richard Rose, President of Atlantas NAACP, there can be no contextual or commutational discussion of racism because the statues were intended to promote white supremacy. [14] [55], In June 2021, the US House of Representatives voted to remove all confederate statues and bust of Roger B. Taney (the US Supreme Court Chief Justice who wrote the Dred Scott decision) from the US Capitols Statuary Hall. When it was founded, there was a lot of discussion about how it was important to have representations of leaders of civic virtue in the space where our current leaders are, so they have an example to strive for. Were trying to let the government know were not going to wait any longer for our freedom to happen. [19] Celebrations of Columbus have long been criticized due to his colonization and genocide of Indigenous people, as well as the false narrative that he discovered America when he never set foot on North America. Rob Natelsonisa constitutional historian and former constitutional law professor, serves as asenior fellow in constitutional jurisprudenceat The Independence Institute, the Montana Policy Institute, and The Heartland Institute. Why are Confederate statues being removed? The Rights and Wrongs of Taking Down Monuments - Reason.com Memorials serve as a permanent reminder of our values, as well as a place to honor and display them in public. ", ProCon.org. Lets argue about the facts, lets put them down on paper or on a marker and have a conversation about them. [24], Geoff Palmer, Scotlands first black professor, who disagrees with taking down the statues, warned against being distracted by the simple, concrete action of taking down statues: We dont want to leave this so that people looking back in 50 years will say: you know, they took the statues down, why didnt they do something about racism? [53]. Arguments For And Against Removing Confederate Statues - Ranker Its a pleasure to be a part of the politics of Los diferentes estrellas de la Avenida. As James Grossman, PhD, Executive Director of the American Historical Association, notes, Its not just that the statues represent white supremacy, but the purpose of building the statues was the perpetuation of white supremacy. A: What we choose to memorialize speaks to our values as a society, and often, certain populations are excluded entirely from that. In June 2021, the US House of Representatives voted to remove all confederate statues and bust of Roger B. Taney (the US Supreme Court Chief Justice who wrote the Dred Scott decision) from the US Capitol's Statuary Hall. 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. Yes, other celebrated Americans were also deeply wrong about slavery, but they aspired to something greater. As for museums, people I know who work in museums tear their hair out about this suggestion, that somehow, were going to ship all these Confederate monuments off to the lucky museum that has to find a place to put them. The racial subjugation systems he developed as a principal architect are still prevalent in southern Africa. But I think a better idea there would have been to actually remove the statues of the African American man and the Native American man and maybe let Teddy Roosevelt be there to commend him for his support of conservation and his support for the Natural History Museum. Should historic statues be taken down? While he hoped the next generation would abolish slavery, he wrote in 1820 that maintaining the institution of slavery was like holding a wolf by the ear, and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go. [40], Grant came from an abolitionist family, freed the one slave he owned in 1859, supported black enlisted Army men, led the Union Army in the Civil War to abolish slavery, and was endorsed by Frederick Douglass for president. I think in general in this country, statues have held up a very white, male virtue. For one thing, it can be a close question whether a persons extraordinary feats made the world a better place: Franklin D. Roosevelt is widely commemorated, even though scholarsstill argueover whether his leadership during the Great Depression actually improved American life. Like, FDR, after all, was responsible for the internment of Japanese American citizens. Theres a reason Christians in Rome didnt topple all the pagan statues and buildings in the city, or raze the Colosseum. [36], Each Confederate monument is a reminder not only of the Civil War and the end of slavery, but the assertion of the federal governments dominance over states rights, as well as the persistence of systemic racism. The results of these revoluciones can be viewed in the following format: Un momento climtico en el derribamiento de alguna ser industrialization de Marx. I think the difference that Floyd's murder has made is that most American citizens are finally realizing what they represent. By writing to US national senators and representatives, you can advocate for the position and policies you believe in. The main duty is not to hide the bitter parts. [43]. The removal of monuments erases the memory of those who fought against them in defense of the values they represent. Only one battle was fought in the larger history wars between Columbus and Rome. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. In the United States, Confederate monuments are erected as public displays to commemorate the Confederate States of America, its soldiers and leaders. The principal legacy of Confederate statues is white supremacy and slavery. The consensus renders the commemoration process more meaningful and less political than it otherwise would be. Dreamers and DACA supporters rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court. All rights reserved. [1] [2] [3] [4], The issue rose to prominence again in 2017 after an Aug. 12 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned violent and deadly. 13.8K Followers. In later years, Lee alsodistinguished himself as an educator: As president of the institution that is nowWashington and Lee University, he was largely responsible for fashioning the modern college honor code. When we get into Confederate monuments specifically, again, they were purposely put up at times when Blacks were beginning to gain more rights as citizens, and very often, they were erected in public, civic spaces, often on courthouse lawns, specifically to let Black people know that even though, legally, they had more rights, those rights wouldnt be upheld there. It is not acceptable to state that statues represent history if they do not represent the roles and responsibilities they serve. We do not erect monuments to people who performed extraordinary feats that were unquestionably evil, even if their characters included some virtuous traits. Similar oppressive and revisionist messages are promoted by historical statues of presidents such as slave-owning presidents or emperors such as Christopher Columbus. Who Abraham Lincoln was. 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. First, removing all these statues and monuments cost a lot of money and take a long time. Or a religiously-conservative majority may blacklist outstanding women who in private life opted for legal abortions. Though they may represent history, the history that they represent is done in . Accuracy and availability may vary. What purpose do they serve in society? [47] Do we exclude the achievements of these figures from public display because they displayed controversial behavior? BBC, Confederate and Columbus Statues Toppled by US Protesters, bbc.com, June 11, 2020, 21. Nellie Peyton, As the Men of Stone Fall, Who Should Rise up and Take Their Place?, news.trust.org, July 2, 2020, 33. [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. Should Statues Be Removed and Destroyed? | Guest Contributor - Politics Red We can do that. 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. Consider appealing to the American Alliance of Museums for the use of the statues removed from public display. SINHA: I think then it becomes a purely destructive exercise, a way you are simply destroying all monuments and all statues. Consider the idea of placing the removed statues in museums with the American Alliance of Museums. In some cases, moreover, politics induces decision makers to ignore the traditional standards. Why build a street for losers? Psychologically, its perpetuating a system. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. The Mdia Exterior de Chvez highlights how the country responds to its problems: through its actions, the country seeks to advance human rights, including the rights of foreigners, as a result of the decreto de 1817. Some jurisdictions have placed explanatory plaques beside Confederate monuments to teach a more complete history of the Confederacy. The significance of a Civil War memorial varies from group to group, and there is always an urgent need for history to be told. An 1884 Confederate monument to General Robert E. Lee is removed from Lee Circle in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 19, 2017. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Opinion: Don't Take Down Confederate Monuments. Here's Why. The 12th of October 2004 marks the beginning of a new era in Venezuela. [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. A statue of Josphine de Beauharnais, who married Napoleon and became his first wife, was ripped down in Martinique. There have been other videos, of course, but there is something about this image of a prone individual who is not moving and who we know is losing, or has lost, his life after an encounter that started over an alleged counterfeit $20 bill. Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 30, 2020, 35. 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 . On July 13, 2022, Florida erected a statue of Mary McLeod Bethune to replace their confederate soldier statue. If so, how? Ive been studying the impact of Black Lives Matter on statues and memorials around the world for the past few months. However, preservationism remains the dominant outlook of the sector. They are a reminder of our countrys dark and oppressive history. 4. Who Was He?, cnn.com, June 11, 2020, 7. 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. Was there no other way to handle that situation? Michelangelos David is not only a statue of a man, but also a statue of God. 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. [44] Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the white suffragists purposefully excluded black women. 746 Words3 Pages. 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. In several cities, these tributes have been vandalized or torn down by protestors or removed by public officials. Tomas Strakas Vida Poltica de las Estatuas is a collection of essays. The reason for that was a movement called City Beautiful. Many people believe that these statues and monuments are inciting white supremacy and promoting violence. Aishvarya Kavi, Activists Push for Removal of Statue of Freed Slave Kneeling Before Lincoln, nytimes.com, June 27, 2020, 20. https://www.britannica.com/story/pro-and-con-historic-statue-removal-in-the-united-states, According to theSouthern Poverty Law Center. 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. So for instance, a lot of the sort of backlash against taking down Confederate statues was precisely this. This is why they put them up in the first place; to affirm the centrality of white supremacy to Southern culture. [1], Because the statues were intended to promote white supremacy, Richard Rose, President of Atlantas NAACP, argues, You cant contextualize racism or compromise on racism. He states that the contextualization plaques added to Atlantas Confederate statues establish that racism is valid. [24], The statues still appeal to white supremacists, as demonstrated by the 2017 rally to defend the Lee and Jackson statues in Virginia and in Dylan Roofs 2015 pre-massacre tour of plantations and a Confederate museum. Why every single statue should come down - The Guardian Personally, I think there are other ways to remember our racist history as a society. Senior Editor at Arc Digital. [10] [11] [12], Washington, Jefferson, and Grant had undeniable ties to slavery. Here's What to Know, time.com, June 24, 2020, 2. Squares with statues of ostensibly virtuous civil leaders at the center often came out of the City Beautiful movement. 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. ONLY FOR REPUBLICANS. The statues were built to honor and enforce white supremacist views, and the intent or damaging effect have not been erased by time. The concept of La Raza -as* -as* is based on the idea that all latinos are united in EEUU and that they are committed to aquella tradition. Confederate statues depict anti-abolitionists as heroes and very honorable men, therefore they should be removed. There is an issue which has sparked some conflict which is based on the topic of whether or not Confederate Statues and Confederate symbols should be removed due to the background that they represent. Here's Why., nbcnews.com, June 1, 2017, 51. These figures were not commonly known to be ridden by equestrians. GAZETTE: In the past, people have suggested the monuments should stay, but that additional plaques or other information should be incorporated to add context. 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. Protesters for. The argument is that these statues glorify individuals who have harmed marginalized groups, and that they should be removed from public spaces. 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. 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 Pros And Cons Of Keeping Political Statues In Public Spaces Heres a List., nytimes.com, Aug. 28, 2017, 6. 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. Yet, this is not the first time . If we disqualified all figures because we now reject their societys practices, we would commemorate few people indeed, and we would deprive ourselves of many sources of inspiration. Dessi Gomez, Hello, Dolly? The statue in this state refers to the state constitution or an act of the legislature or initiative or referendum. The ceremony was whites only, and featured children forming a Confederate flag and singing Dixie.. They teach us, and it depends on us whether we practice what we learn. 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. They didnt like having black classmates because they had racist hearts. There are pros and cons to removing statues. 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. Since this fundamentally conflicts with American values and ideas, they should be removed. Kelly Grovier, Black Lives Matter Protests: Why Are Statues So Powerful?, bbc.com, June 12, 2020, 26. GORDON-REED: I suppose, if people want to, everything can pave the way to some other point. Some people argue that these statues are a reminder of the countrys history and should be left in place, while others believe that they are a symbol of oppression and should be removed. They can be seen as a form of propaganda. His disreputable actions reflected attitudes and practices common to his society. They can be seen as a form of art. There are at least two reasons for not permitting contemporaneous vices to disqualify historical figures from favorable commemoration. Of those who support the idea in the latest poll, 84% . Removing statues is a slippery slope that could lead to the brash removal of monuments to any slightly problematic person. Moving such monuments to museums or other places where they can be contextualized and interpreted is a goal of the National Trust. Arguments for why Confederate statues should not be removed include pointing out the dark sides of other celebratedAmerican heroes, like Washington and Jefferson, as well as the politicization of the statues when there are more important problems. 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. The result is that, as a result, the Primera Guerra is no longer averse to it. Last modified on July 14, 2022. David Greene talks to Manisha Sinha, professor of American history at the University of Connecticut, about the recent toppling of non-Confederate statues like those of George Washington. List two to three ways. Tension over statues has arisen within the recent Black Lives Matter protests.