Keep the past in the past
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Despite a global pandemic and a list of domestic issues too long to count, there’s been fervent debate recently about an issue that should have died 155 years ago.
Several southern American cities have been removing statues and monuments of Confederate leaders, and there’s also been a strong push to rename U.S. military bases named after Confederate generals. It’s head-scratching these vestiges of the past even exist in the first place. Why would you want to put traitors to our nation on a literal pedestal?
Nothing is ever as simple as it appears. Many folks down south bemoan their removal and claim these monuments are nods to Southern pride. That seems ridiculous when you remember what those men fought for in the first place. The institution of slavery was the key reason for the Civil War, which led to deaths of 750,000 Americans. It’s the bloodiest chapter in our nation’s history and these men who’ve been idolized in bronze are on the wrong side of it.
Removing their names from military bases and stashing their statues in a museum seems more than sensible. There shouldn’t be a debate on this, and their existence in the public square is unnecessary. This isn’t private property. Honoring Confederate traitors on public boulevards and U.S. military bases is simply nonsensical.
These monuments are symbols of slavery, which is why they’ve recently re-entered the limelight. Protests have erupted nationwide following renewed calls for civil justice reform for minorities who’ve been subjected to unfair institutional discrimination for decades. These are issues that have persisted since the Civil War and monuments idolizing those who fought to uphold white supremacy are simply wrong.
The Civil War ended in 1865. There is no need to honor the men who wanted to rip this nation apart two decades into the 21st Century. If we as a nation want to believe we’ve come a long way since then, we shouldn’t be lauding the efforts of traitors in public spaces. Take them all down and change the names. The Confederacy died 155 years ago.
