Born and raised in the south. My heritage - sm Posted: Aug 20th, 2017 - 11:11 am In Reply to: Well, that comment could be a treatise - Answer
From Atlanta, GA, now live in Richmond, VA. Had 3-great uncles who fought and died in the civil war. This is noted on the grave stones. Not proud of the fact that they did so, but that was part of their history. Do not claim this to be MY history. I climbed Stone Mountain many times, saw the 3 engraved figures there. No one ever told me who they were or why they were there. There are over 700 confederate statues in the State of Virginia. I have only seen the ones in Richmond on Monument Avenue. Never took the time to see who they were. They are just there. They mean nothing to me or my life. They are not there because they owned slaves. They are there because they lead in the south in the civil war. Shameful part of this country's past, but that is what happened - unlike Washington, Jefferson, or anyone else who owned slaves. Washington and Jefferson fought for the country, not against it.
That being said, I do believe the civil war should continue to be taught in schools forever! I do believe all of the confederate museums should remain forever! That is where our history is. A statue celebrates something. These do not, but being part of history they should perhaps be put at the confederate cemeteries or museums where they will remain history and not be vandalized and destroyed. Those who want to see them will, and those do who don't will not. Removing the statues do not remove our "history or heritage." You can't wipe slavery out of our past and it should never be forgotten. Do you see any statues of Hitler in Germany?
I do not think the country's issues are about the statues at all, but goes deeper. I thought we had made significant gains but evidently we have stepped back about 50 years. While everyone is entitled to free speech in this country, do not think you will not have violence over the neo-Nazis and KKK exercising their first amendment. While they were standing outside the Synagogue, FULLY ARMED and wearing Nazi garb, in Charlottesville on Sunday morning after the demonstration, the Jewish people inside were hiding and afraid to leave. An unknown veteran watched the front door while the Rabbi escorted them out the back door. No one said a word to them, but they were terrified. This is the definition of terrorism. After these demonstrators marched through the streets of Charlottesville the night before with anti-Jewish chants, we can probably never know just how scared these people were. It breaks my heart.
We need new rules/laws about these type of demonstrations as well as the people who protest them. When all the statues are gone, right or wrong, when and what will they demonstrate about then?
I personally think this is just a deflection of many urgent matters that need to be addressed for ALL Americans right now, infrastructure, taxes, health care, education, etc.
For the white "supremacists," and the KKK, do you think the names of African Americans who fought and died in Vietnam should be removed from the memorial in Washington DC so we can remain separate? Do you think we should remove all the bodies of people of color from the Arlington Cemetery. When/if we go to war again, or attacked on our soil, do you think all of the men of color should stay home and let YOU and your families go fight?
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