THE REMOVAL OF SOUTHERN MONUMENTS & FLYING THE CONFEDERATE FLAG….A JUXTAPOSITION IN CONTRAST
Monuments, statues, squares and parks were erected in the years following the war, most before the turn of the 19th century. They dotted Southern landscapes where they remain an important part of the South’s culture, history, pride and remembrance.
The systematic elimination of Southern monuments commemorating Confederate war heroes doesn’t seem right. At this point it matters not …why the Civil War was fought; states rights, taxes, or slavery no longer is no longer relevant.
The idea behind their removal is that they are a constant reminder of America’s dark past of bigotry and slavery
The memoriam are dedicated to those who gave their last full measure of devotion to their country. 650,000 men died in the Civil War. Counting the maimed and wounded, that’s 5% of the population in 1865.
While they are a source of sensitivity, both pro & con, they are more about the sentiment they carry than the monuments themselves. How one interprets it depends on their racial bias or lack thereof.
The same rationale can be used in a discussion of the Confederate flag. It has been removed from the South Carolina statehouse grounds. More removals to follow.
Those who support the monuments and flags are branded and condemned as racist.
Where were the complaints when the Confederate battle flag flew over the WWII Cruiser USS Columbia? Or in Okinawa when it flew at the top of a mountain where it could be seen for miles when the island was secured? 15,000 American lives were lost. Or in Vietnam when marines wore and flew the battle flag? America lost 55,000 soldiers of all races.
Striking the flag or removal of monuments doesn’t change history. It creates a wider racial divide between the silent majority and the radical left. History is not going to be erased, it makes up our culture, good or bad; it’s who we are and where we came from.
The question remains whether the removal of these symbols is an appropriate remedy or is it an appeasement to political correctness to garner the Southern Black vote?
Racial meanings are attached to discredit the monuments and the Confederate flag. then reinforced by the same individuals that point to them as being racially divisive.
It becomes self-serving. Call it racist and those that are racist will use it to further their cause. Those that are diametrically opposed will then point to it as racist. Cycle repeats.
The Civil War, regardless of sides, is a part of our glorious history. Southern pride will not be wiped out because the flag is discredited or monuments taken down. It changes nothing. Everyone knows the real meaning of the flag…..it is not aimed at blacks nor a hatred of them, rather it is part of our American Southern culture.