Possibly, but to ignor the impact and influence slavery had and represented during the Civil War is a bit naive as well. it was more about slavery than you present it to be.
So, what Statues do YOU approve of?? Lincoln? Jefferson? Washington? Mao? Stalin? Elvis? Jackson (Stonewall or Michael)? What is not offensive, and how many people need be offended for a statue, flag, or song to be deemed offensive?
I think a statue of either Lincoln or Grant would be more appropriate and totally acceptable. To be clear the Confederate flag or the REL statue does not offend me. My point is they have no place to be displayed in a public setting or government facility. In a private setting, no problem. As what has already been stated their association with what each represented has no place in government. Now if the South would have won you could erect as many monuments and fly as many confederate flags as your heart desired. But the South lost. Chronicle it in a history book or museum but don't keep it a part of government.
Lee was a soldier. He served 32 years in the US army with distinction, including a stint as superintendent of the US Military Academy. Most southerners and northerners fought with their states regardless of their positions on slavery. Was slavery an issue? Yes. It was not the only one and most northerners were not fighting to free the slaves. Discrimination in Union states was just as bad as that in the south. The Emancipation Proclamation was primarily a strategic act, not a humanitarian one.
True. And I don't think anyone is dabating this point, although Lincoln was an ardent supporter of ending slavery and this did play a huge role and in many ways the proclamation was humanitarian as well.
Memorials to the confederacy have been hijacked by hate groups and turned into symbols of those entities in the same way the Nazis took an ancient religious icon symbolic of spiritual principles and values and turned it into their symbol.
You know that society has been too good for too long when people are getting all butthurt and demanding that statues be removed / classical novels changed to fit better in to todays PC society, etc. What is next? Maybe the statue of Andrew Jackson should be hauled out of New Orleans because it is a tourist destination and it might "offend" British visitors... I just wish I had time to march and protest but I have one of those job things that keeps me from getting that involved. To be quite honest, I was more concerned about the outcome of the race this AM than I was over whether 2 extremist groups killed each other last night...
Yes,Lincoln wanted to end slavery,but wasnt it to free the slaves to begin sending blacks back to Africa?
The man who destroyed our republic? The dirty shyster railroad lawyer? The man who paved the way for such prudent governance as FDR and Lyndon Johnson? Yeah. Let's make a statue of him. Then bulldoze it.
I agree. These people need a hobby... preferrably a dangerous one like swimming with captive whales or sharks!
This has to be the most redamndiculos thing I have ever read on the subject of the War of Northern Aggression..... "If the South would have won... they could fly any flag or erect any statue.. and it would be just fine"... It is either right or wrong.. not who won the fkn Civil War. I am leaving now to go weld up 5 SBK Swingarms... but I will be back to see what I am allowed to do next... Mass'aBoss
Well, actually it was. The constitutional convention of 1787 was radically split on the issue of federal (ie states rights) and national government. In order to gain acceptance the issue of slavery (though they were too embarrassed to call it that) was codified into the constitution, actually guaranteeing that slavery would not be brought up again for another 20 years (ie 1808). After that the issue smoldered until erupting in 1861. Of course it was described as "states rights", the old federal vs national dominance issue...but at the heart of the issue was slavery. Read the book...Plain, Honest Men...quite revealing.
So y'all are gonna be OK when Mexican Americans want the Alamo demolished, or Japanese Americans want references to Roosevelt removed, or Native Americans want Jackson and Custer stricken?
I don't know, but I went to a small college in VA named Washington & Lee. As in George and Robert E. The chapel is named after Robert E, and used to be adorned with battle flags (haven't been back in a while). It's still his final resting place. I must say I am curious to see what, if anything, will happen with regards to his remains, the chapel, and his name on the school. Not sure how it has escaped judgment this long, especially considering the "progressiveness" of the faculty.
That's it! I'm calling for a rematch! It's been over 100 years. Time to see what's up. Lol can y'all imagine if there were a rematch? New York and Chicago would be knocked off the map!