The removal of the Confederate memorial from the Eastville Green, and now the Lee Statue from Richmond exposes how we as a society and culture have become nothing more than a group of ignorant, retrograde fascist thugs. We should not be afraid of history- LEARN from our exposure to its human frailties to create a better future. How Lee responded to the Confederate’s loss holds important lessons for generations of Americans as we build a more perfect Union. And really, it’s not the statue. Lee himself would not want statues. But the war–was it a civil war…the south did not want to rule over the north. The south wanted to leave. However, by going after the combatants themselves, they’re tearing at the delicate balance that people like Lincoln and Grant struggled wisely to maintain in order to attain some kind of social cohesion in the post-Civil War period. To happily destroy and hideaway parts of America’s own history though are concerning. Seeing statues of Lincoln, Roosevelt, Douglas, Grant, etc. Torn down is disgusting. This kind of thing is working, effectively, to destroy the fabric of society.
Ken Blackwell sums it up here:
Lee says
This shows your ignorance what country shows support for a losing side in a war that side tolerated slavery and injustice by glorifying the loser.
Note: You just called a black man ignorant you racist.
Stuart Bell says
You Sir, Are a Damned Fool!
Stuart Bell says
‘Note: You just called a black man ignorant you racist.’
At What Point In Time Were Black Men execpt from being called Ignorant? Does the color of their skin prevent ignorance? Pleace Explain, Wayne.
Being called a Racist is Ignorant, it means nothing. Now discrimination, that is for real.
Note: Irony, maybe??
Stuart Bell says
By removing our his-story, they will be forced to feel his-story again, unfortunately.
suzanne Hallberg says
Taking down a statue doesn’t cancel history. This line of thinking is rubbish.
Cotton says
You liberal witch!
suzanne Hallberg says
Thank you
Cotton says
Anytime, I try to keep my foot up a liberal’s a$$ every day and twice on Sunday.
Jeffrey Bowles says
The statue discussed in this article wasn’t placed there to teach, or remind, those who view it of the horrors of the Civil War. Those horrors include that the South fought to maintain its ability to keep people as slaves. The statue, and others like it, were placed to glorify the subject’s actions. Such actions should not be held up as the ideals for which our society wants to advocate.
The statue belongs in a museum where it should be surrounded by other material that provides context of where we were and how we got to this point.
Note: You just made the author’s, a black man, point.
Tina Revelle says
Never should you try to remove the past you need to learn from it this is the way you make change going forward the only people that want to hide the past are the radicals that do not know their history
Charles Brooks says
Amen ser thank you for telling theses people that history has been made and we have moved forward with this an there’s no way to change what went on in the past now we with any thing we learn from it an move on we just don’t throw it in a box or in a landfill we look at it an think back as we view it an thank you again for pointing this out
Virginia Cooper says
To watch this happen shows how low and to the left the education system has gone in the last 50 years. The people running our country, cities, counties learned one line history lessons. Lesson 1 – Robert E Lee fought for the Confederacy. People have learned nothing about the man, his family, his resume before and after the war, and weighed good and bad about him.
Stuart Bell says
He was one of the greatest leaders of men this country has produced. The leaders that made the decision to remove his stature could not make a pimple on his a$$.
Tom Haskins says
Oh, I’m a good old rebel
Now thats just what I am
And for this yankee nation
I do not give a damn.
I’m glad I fit (fought) against ‘er (her)
I only wish we’d won
I ain’t asked any pardon
For anything I’ve done.
I hates the Yankee nation
And eveything they do
I hates the declaration
Of independence too.
I hates the glorious union
‘Tis dripping with our blood
I hates the striped banner
And fit (fought) it all I could.
I rode with Robert E. Lee
For three years there about
Got wounded in four places
And I starved at Pint (Point) Lookout.
I coutch (caught) the roomatism (rheumatism)
Campin’ in the snow
But I killed a chance of Yankees
And I’d like to kill some mo’. (more.)
Three hundred thousand Yankees
Is stiff in southern dust
We got three hundred thousand
Before they conquered us.
They died of southern fever
And southern steel and shot
I wish they was three million
Instead of what we got.
I can’t take up my musket
And fight ’em down no mo’ (more)
But I ain’t a-goin’ to love ’em (them)
Now that is serten sho. (certain sure.)
And I don’t want no pardon
For what I was and am
I won’t be reconstructed
And I do not give a damn.
Oh, I’m a good old rebel
Now that’s just what I am
And for this Yankee nation
I do no give a damn.
I’m glad I fought against ‘er (her)
I only wish we’d won
I ain’t asked any pardon
For anything I’ve done.
I ain’t asked any pardon
For anything I’ve done…
Sorin Varzaru says
No one removed these people from the history books. You can still read how they caught to keep their slaves. The statues celebrating them have been removed.
Warren says
I agree it would have been better to place the statue in a museum. Destroying it is neither necessary nor helpful. Whether it stays up should be determined by a democratic process involving the local people involved.
But the idea that’s rewriting history is moronic. If that’s where you learn your history, as opposed to school, history books, etc, then you have much bigger problems.
Stuart Bell says
The idea that colored people are hurt by a statue in eastville or richmond is absolutely insane. They will still be pumping water from a shallow well and moving an outhouse around the yard they live in. Their childrens test scores in school will not improve or their bills be payed any faster. This is all smoke and mirrors.
Warren says
I would rather not get into racist stereotypes. Actually they are completely irrelevant. They, or whoever wants the statue down, do not need to be hurt by said statue. Their justifications are not really relevant either. If a sufficient majority simply choose to remove the statue, do you not think they have the right? I am not aware that statues enjoy any constitutional protections. Nor do your hurt feelings. So man up, and live with it. Organize a protest, rally, whatever. Apply lawful means to protect more statues if you want. No need for racist stereotypes.
Stuart Bell says
‘If a sufficient majority simply choose to remove the statue’ WTF??
They are only 13% of our nation’s population.
Racism is an attitude that takes place in one’s mind.
Discrimination is an overt act that takes place in the real world.
You repeat group think…
Bahhhhhh Bahhhhhh Bahhhhhh You Sheep!
Man-Up? My shoulders are broad, Son.
Warren says
You think only Black people want those statues taken down?
What does discrimination have to do with taking down a statue?
Are there other issues you need to clarify? In what way do you feel discriminated against?
Are you familiar with the exact legal process for removing the statue? I’m not, but I’m guessing some legitimate state representative or committee was responsible. You don’t like their decision, take it up with them. Take some lawful action against them. It’s a changing world that’s diversifying whether you like it or not. Northern Virginia will keep this state pretty blue, for a while at least. I’m sorry for your anxiety
Stuart Bell says
I reckon so…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia657B_FGZ4
Publius Americanus says
I guess deferring to a legal process is one way of going about it, silencing the past.
But, Americans were generally an intellectual, and intellectually honest country and people. Warts and Wins, we reveled in, and were revolted by them; and through open, honest conversations, held without rancor or animosity were how we taught the next generation how we got to where we are, how the journey through time wrote our present.
But then the Progressive Left found the wedge. They couldn’t get to us through class envy, we all knew the Dream was had, and was possible by All.
So they hit us with race, destroy the family, require us all to insert a wedge between our genealogical roots and our Americanism, our melting pot mentality.
African-American
Hispanic-American
Polish-American
Ad Infinitum-American
Driving us apart.
Destroy our traditions, and our past and the next generation is easy picken’s.
And to those who say taking down a statue doesn’t destroy the past, removing it from the history books(of the mind, because out of sight, out of mind, eh?) the Taliban-from the Bamiyan Bhuddas prior to 9/11/01 to the George Floyd memorial in Kabul after 9/7/2021(outstanding, one man present in Government for TWO helicopters fleeing from Embassy roofs!!!Yeah, HE’LL fix things, that new broom) begs to differ.
Stuart Bell says
Are you talking about Nazi Gemany in the 1930’s ?
Warren says
Valid points, for sure.
Remember though that many things mean different things to different people. Confederate symbols, for example, are things that reasonable people can disagree about. I for one can live with compromise