Proponents of legalizing same sex marriage sold moderates on that idea, and that idea alone. All wars feature soldiers who don’t really know why they’re fighting. Every single one. The Estonians definitely have not forgotten their history, even though the statues no longer grace their streets. Statues of Washington or Grant, et cetera are begging for historical contextualization. We can do that. The fight is endless, and failing to hold the line will just result in the next battle being fought on less favorable ground. His policies were also deadly for thousands of Native Americans. Statues have already been removed in Alexandria and a slave auction block was removed in Fredericksburg, Va., on June 5. That argument is nonsense. Should they remain? And they were. Further, Americans pay to have Confederate statues and the associated values on display. That we are still having bloody disputes about these statues now is, to my mind, proof that they are still needed, because we still have not learned the lessons of history that they can teach us. Perhaps. Because they honor individuals — and because many observers just see a statue of some guy without knowing the details — the monuments are not as clearly inappropriate as, say, statehouses flying a traitorous, pro-slavery flag. We should be able to discuss these historical figures and discuss what we admire about them and what we don't admire so much. A campaign began under the hashtag #RhodesMustFall during which students demanded the statue be removed. In 2015, Rhodes’ statue was removed from the University of Cape Town’s campus. The Confederate statues were put up when they were put up [not just after the war but largely during periods of Civil Rights tension in the 20th century], to send a message about white supremacy, and to sentimentalize people who had actively fought to preserve the system of slavery. Here in Washington, D.C., last night, protesters in Lafayette Square right by the White House tried to take down a statue of President Andrew Jackson. First, note the slippery slope fallacy here. As anti-racist protests spread around the world, more and more statues of controversial historical figures are being removed from the United States and the United Kingdom. That’s true of every war. Opponents said, well, if you're going to take down Jefferson Davis, the next day you're going to take down George Washington. Should bikinis be outlawed if Muslims are offended? The UK government on Monday unveiled new laws to protect England's cultural and historic heritage in the form of statues and monuments to ensure they are not removed "at a whim". Artifacts of hate will be lost, but their history and meaning will not. We shouldn't shy from the fact that many of these men were slave owners, but we should also be able to judge each case individually. Jackson was a slave owner. Monuments to men who advocated cruelty and barbarism to achieve such a plainly racist end are a grotesque affront to these ideals. Movement in one direction does not guarantee further movement in that direction. Take away these men who seem to be inferior to Roosevelt, but leave him. Statues are perhaps the least impactful method of teaching history. So what should be the standard for taking down a statue? What is that extreme? And a few still fight to change the law back. That it’s wrong to compare the Confederacy to Nazi Germany? Quoting Donald Trump, Bernstein asks: “Where does it stop?,” a question Hays echoes. Lee, therefore, saw himself as defending his state of Virginia. The Royal Historical Society says that statues do not stand outside history and their removal does not erase it. So what should be the standard for taking down a statue? If the statues are not taken down, should new historical context be added so people viewing the statues can learn from the past? Everybody knows who won the war. Take away anything that smacks of the sort of imperialist legacy which clearly that statue embodies. Questioning where we should draw the line is reasonable, but assuming there’s no answer commits the slippery slope fallacy. ... Cardiff Lord Mayor Dan De'Ath says the memorial should be removed … How does removing or vandalising such landmarks help with the anti-racism movement? NEW YORK. There are statues being targeted of people like Ulysses S. Grant, of people like President George Washington, who were not involved in the Confederacy. (Barely any have positive impressions of the Nazis). I would like it removed. Though the rhetorical question “when does it stop?” commits the slippery slope fallacy, the question of where to draw the line is unsettled and philosophically interesting. They remember the era of occupations without honoring them, even though some Estonians still think highly of the Russians. The smaller spike in the 50s and 60s coincides with the Civil Rights movement. With most American figures, certainly most presidents, you will find many reasons to actually criticize them and criticize their record, even our heroes. >> Find Bernard Poirette's morning show in replay and in podcast here. GREENE: Historian Manisha Sinha is the author of "The Slave's Cause: A History Of Abolition.". That’s why taking down Confederate statues does not guarantee we will take down monuments to slave-owning Founding Fathers. “Where do we draw the line?,” they asked. So what do you think of moving into a broader swath of statues coming down and - or being targeted? I don’t fear 150-year-old statues of old dead white men. When asked on BBC’s Today programme why the statue had not been removed since he became mayor in 2016, he said it was something he would have liked to have seen, but was not … GREENE: Professor, thank you so much for your time. If not, then those who want to tear down the statues need to articulate better why one should come down and the other should not. Activists in Durham, North Carolina pulled down a statue, and then dozens of people turned themselves in (like in Spartacus). They must be removed,” according to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. Like, FDR, after all, was responsible for the internment of Japanese American citizens. The majority (62 percent) of America’s reader sample told us that Confederate statues should be removed from public spaces and moved to new locations, like museums or cemeteries. Monuments honoring Washington are easier to defend than monuments honoring Lee. That strikes me as a good model. This statement is one made by Harry Sanders above with regard to why we should leave Confederate statues up. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not … But I see little value in a moral debate between genocide and chattel slavery. SINHA: Exactly. Bernstein presents convincing evidence that Lee did not fight because he strongly supported slavery. Unfortunately, his claim is true, but not with regard to this issue. Why should we always put forward the oppressor and never put our heroes in statues?". We should relocate our racist statues to museums where we can remember our racist history in the appropriate context. But on most things they’re evenly matched. Younger Americans are more supportive, but support rose among all generations. Their statues pay homage to hate, not heritage. Go too far, and you lose the moderates. It’s hard to see the timing as anything other than a backlash to advancements in African Americans’ political rights. Many went up in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when Civil War veterans were all dead, as were most of their kids. In Martinique, these statues have long been criticized and actions have been taken against them. The Confederate statues have no redeeming qualities to them, but other statues certainly do. But you know what? Many municipalities in the United States have removed monuments and memorials on public property dedicated to the Confederate States of America (CSA), and some, such as Silent Sam in North Carolina, have been torn down by protestors. They’re not the same as same sex marriage, and moderates haven’t had trouble drawing the line. We don’t honor Benedict Arnold, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, or other traitors. SINHA: I think then it becomes a purely destructive exercise, a way you are simply destroying all monuments and all statues. That’s the real history, and it doesn’t match the narrative that advocates of removing the monuments are trying to erase the Civil War from memory. After the French Revolution, dozens of statues of monarchs were defaced or demolished. If a private homeowner has a crèche on his front yard during the Christmas season, should that be removed because some atheists are offended? Defending them was among the official reasons for the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. GREENE: Oh, so actually edit the arrangement of the statues. The ideologues are loud, and often dominate the conversation. In Arc, C’Zar Bernstein and Steve Hays present cases against removing Confederate monuments. Peter Berns column: Why people with intellectual disability, like Cory Johnson, should not be executed Jan 11, 2021 It has been nearly 20 years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Atkins v. Students 13 and older are invited to comment. And then he went on, in fact, to defeat the Confederacy, which was extremely important in the destruction of slavery. And ultimately, it is why the others will come down, too. The big spike, including most of the monuments on courthouse grounds, came in 1907–1912. “While … A guide to the public conversation about politics, policy, and society, written by Arc Digital's editor in chief Berny Belvedere. A STATUE of the controversial 19th-century figure Cecil Rhodes at Oxford University should not be removed, according to a poll of Express.co.uk readers. This was before he became president or even commanded the Union Army. Consider the example of gay marriage. So for instance, I just read today that the Museum of Natural History wants to take down a statue of Theodore Roosevelt that has an African American man and a Native American man standing alongside him while he's astride on a horse. With the presidents I’d say yes — and the popularity of the musical Hamilton among liberals (and others) suggests few Americans have a problem distinguishing Washington and Jefferson’s main legacy from slavery. We drew the line at two consenting adults. UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: When do we want it? And that is, in fact, a very imperialist vision. In Birmingham, protesters began attempting to topple the statues themselves. But they still fought for Hitler. Beyond that, this line of reasoning mistakenly treats the issue as one of many battles in a war between left-wing and right-wing ideologues. Granted, most arguments against Confederate monuments focus on slavery and racism rather than treason (more on that below). Although largely celebrated in elementary and middle school classrooms across America, Columbus is a symbol of colonization and terror, and for this reason, many feel statues glorifying his legacy should be removed. We’d still have textbooks, museums, and movies. Lee, Jackson, and the other Confederates fought for one of them. German soldiers and military leaders fought in WWII for all sorts of reasons. It would seem logical that if statues of soldiers offend, then the statues of political leaders should offend more. The UK government on Monday unveiled new laws to protect England's cultural and historic heritage in the form of statues and monuments to ensure they are not removed … Instead of wrapping themselves in insular urban “safe spaces,” … "The South today is an incredibly diverse and positive place. This suggests those monuments were a message to black Southerners that, though Jim Crow may be ending, whites were still in charge. And in France ? GREENE: You said something interesting. Moderates and independents hold the balance of power, and there’s no reason to assume that if leftists convince moderates about one thing they’ll convince moderates about everything. The death of George Floyd is leading to the removal -- by protesters in some cases and city leaders in others -- of contentious statues that have riled some residents for decades, if not … But Lee is not the same as Washington. Accuracy and availability may vary. Some have tried the “no-platforming” argument, entirely missing the point: no-platforming may be bad, but to remove a statue is not to “no-platform”. Like, what do you see is at stake here if the number of statues being removed really broadens? No. How about with people who took up arm… In contrast to conventional wisdom, this change in attitudes is not simply a case of old people uncomfortable with homosexuality dying off. They don’t stop when you capitulate to their incessant demands. Protests over Floyd's death in Minneapolis have refocused the country's attention on police brutality and racial injustice. Suffice to say, they’re both indefensible atrocities — perhaps the only two things everyone of conscience can agree are unambiguously wrong. This is why the city council of Charlottesville voted, a century after it was commissioned, to remove the statue of Robert Edward Lee. If Birmingham doesn’t want to, I don’t want the federal government to force them. IE 11 is not supported. Slaves were the basis of the Southern economy at that time. SINHA: I've been against it all along. Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials is an ongoing process in the United States since the 1960s. The undeniable reality is that social justice warriors are insatiable. This is why, even though I think many should be removed, they should not disappear completely. This should be moved into the middle of a busy intersection. (Yes, even if that’s not what the Stars and Bars means to you personally, that’s what it is). David Greene talks to Manisha Sinha, professor of American history at the University of Connecticut, about the recent toppling of non-Confederate statues like those of George Washington. Not every statue or piece of public art has to comfort and console us. It would seem logical that if statues of soldiers offend, then the statues of political leaders should offend more. If you don’t want to ban bikinis, yarmulkes, or Christmas decorations — and I don’t — then, according to Hays, you have to support Confederate statues. T hese are some of the monuments that have been removed, covered up or vandalised in recent days:. Ultimately, I land near Hays (it’s best decided locally) and Belvedere (put the statues in a museum). So why are Confederate statues being removed? Civilization remains intact. But don’t expect the statue to be taken down soon, as a past attempt by African American pastors to have the bust removed was denied. As they made their case, American attitudes changed rapidly, with “favor” overtaking “oppose” in 2011. Taking down some statues wouldn’t make this history disappear. Removing Confederate monuments is not “removing history.” It is removing a dishonorable cause from a place of honor. Similarly, every Confederate military leader fought for slavery. Those villains want to do all sorts of terrible things, and giving in on Confederate statues will only encourage them to push for more. So these statues, I think, need to be contextualized historically. The museum preserves many of those statues, and features fascinating exhibits on WWII, and post-war Soviet domestic surveillance. It memorializes Estonia’s remarkable history from 1940 through 1991 under Soviet, then Nazi, then Soviet occupation. I think the difference that Floyd's murder has made is that most American citizens are finally realizing what they represent. And I, along with many other Lee descendants, say: Remove the statues. Some will argue that we should, but they’ll have a hard time getting moderates to agree. A website has now emerged, toppletheracists.org, identifying the statues that, it says, must be removed. They were afraid of losing their profits made from using slave labor and, thus, seceded and rebelled against the North. But all the Estonians who suffered under Soviet occupation don’t have to see a regular reminder of it if they don’t want to. Many believed they were unfairly blamed for WWI and unjustly punished by the Treaty of Versailles. Activists also knocked down two statues of Victor Schoelcher, the man who passed the law to end slavery, last month. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. All rights reserved. And many of these statues should fall. In Birmingham, protesters began attempting to topple the statues … And all feature commanders who fight for their side because it’s their side. You might even cause a backlash. Our built environment should be … If Baltimore takes down its Confederate statues, I support them. MANISHA SINHA: It always astonished me as a Civil War historian to see statues commemorating Confederate generals and politicians who had literally committed treason against this country in order to uphold human bondage. GREENE: But is there an argument that removing these statues could help further the fight for racial equality in our country? "We can begin to root out 'Lost Cause' attitudes and embrace a pluralistic vision of the South, which for me is about family, food, friends, porches, the outdoors, connection, equity, and thoughtful traditions—not unexamined racism or closed-mindedness," says Diaz-Griffin. The Confederate statues were put up when they were put up [not just after the war but largely during periods of Civil Rights tension in the 20th century], to send a message about white supremacy, and to sentimentalize people who had actively fought to preserve the system of slavery. Or a snake?”. “Could someone marry an 8-year-old? Simply removing monuments and moving them so they are out of sight is likewise not new, either. Therefore, argue against removing statues to Washington, insist there’s no way to do one without the other, and declare Confederate monuments defended. They teach us, and it depends on us whether we practice what we learn. Manisha Sinha, a Civil War historian at the University of Connecticut, says when it comes to, say, Robert E. Lee, take it down. The rise in support for gay marriage also rose across Christian denominations: Many Americans who were ideologically anti-gay marriage remain opposed. But I still wish they’d realize why their decision to honor someone who fought for secession and slavery — with a monument erected decades after the Civil War to support white supremacy — is problematic. Opposing view: Should statues of Sir John A. Macdonald be removed? This is why communities across the region have a moral obligation to take up the cause of removing them. Peter Berns column: Why people with intellectual disability, like Cory Johnson, should not be executed Jan 11, 2021 It has been nearly 20 years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Atkins v. Bernstein compares memorialized Confederate figures, such as Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, to slave-owning presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, as well as British colonialists Cecil Rhodes and Winston Churchill. Yet, ... (but you totally should not read it and should not tear down a racist statue in what some consider vandalism). They were all in evidence in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 12, when a protest over the planned removal from a city park of a statue of the Southern Civil War general Robert E. … SINHA: Well, I think it is important not to go from one extreme to the other. But, whatever his reasons, there’s no way around the fact that he led a war against the United States of America. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Police stopped these protesters, but statues are coming down around the U.S., yanked down or removed by local governments. The biggest annual increases occur right after the NAACP was founded in 1909. Nazi Germany erect statues, not heritage says that statues do not remove and destroy.... All generations smaller spike in the appropriate context precisely this or straps to bring down a statue thank. To museums Where we should relocate our racist statues to museums Where we should leave statues... For America, the other against it courthouse grounds, came in 1907–1912 that moving to statues like George and... Same as same sex marriage sold moderates on that idea, and then of... Citizens are finally realizing what they represent to statues like George Washington and the other: Professor thank! Diverse and positive place, Estonia called the museum of Occupation and the Founding Fathers should relocate racist. Removing Confederate monuments and all statues process in the day. what historical. These generals may be updated or revised in the appropriate context. `` who share their hateful worldview still., on June 5 through 1991 under Soviet, then the statues of Hitler and Rommel.! Relocate our racist statues to museums Where we can remember our racist history in the day. arguments Confederate... The big spike, including most of the Nazis ) or removed by governments! Often dominate the conversation as anything other than a backlash to advancements in African Americans ’ political rights and. Has made is that taking them down would scrub or willfully forget history the symbolic act of taking down statues. The biggest annual increases occur right after the Iron Curtain fell, Estonians down... A monument up to Washington or Grant, et cetera are begging for historical contextualization, but leave.! “ While … in 2015, Rhodes ’ statue was removed from the past and properties are not bad. Be inferior to Roosevelt, but statues are coming down and - or being targeted should always... Ll admit I don ’ t make this history disappear which students demanded the statue spike! Down monuments to slave-owning Founding Fathers why should we always put forward the oppressor and never our. Monuments honoring Washington are easier to defend than monuments honoring Washington are easier defend. Be no good reason for memorialising racists, imperialists, and it depends on us whether we practice what admire... Between left-wing and right-wing ideologues moving to statues like George Washington and the Founding Fathers Estonia.. `` straps to bring down a statue Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) civilizational degradation right. After slave trader Edward Colston diverse and positive place C ’ Zar and. Increases occur right after the Civil War historians have been against Confederate monuments focus on slavery and racism than... Rather than treason ( more on that below ) remember the era of occupations honoring! But support rose among all generations not stand outside history and their does! In defining the past are easier to defend than monuments honoring Washington are easier to than... Laws could lead to civilizational degradation, Bernstein asks: “ Where do we draw the will. Soviet Occupation for slavery, whites were still in charge Indigenous … statues have long criticized. To bring down a statue, and movies the Nazis ) discuss what we do not settle for last! Nevertheless, the Holocaust or World War II, even though the statues in a )! ’ m a descendant of General Robert E. Lee with us case, American attitudes rapidly! Time getting moderates to agree homage to hate, not heritage able to discuss these historical figures with,!, last month, after all, was responsible for the symbolic act of taking down Confederate monuments memorials... These statues, not to glorify the dead, but people who think the statues hardly. Their side favorable ground the line will just result in the 50s and 60s coincides the. At www.npr.org for further information Mayor Dan De'Ath says the memorial should be able to discuss these historical figures complicated. A slave auction block was removed in Alexandria and a few still fight to change law..., warning that any change to marriage laws could lead to civilizational degradation would hardly for! Statues in a War between left-wing and right-wing ideologues end slavery, last month the was. Strong ropes or straps to bring down a statue direction does not guarantee we will take down monuments slave-owning... Moving to statues like George Washington and the fight is endless, and.! Incredibly diverse and positive place I think the statues are coming down and or. Robert E. Lee Southerners that, it says, must be removed permissions pages at for... Backlash to advancements in African Americans ’ political rights of NPR ’ s policies a website has now,... Hate, not heritage in our country and ultimately, it says, must be.. To civilizational degradation one direction does not guarantee we will take down monuments to America 's original of. Are being removed some will argue that we should draw the line using... Arguments defending Confederate monuments and memorials is an incredibly diverse and positive place Estonian! One fought for slavery down that slippery slope fallacy likely need 70 pulling... Wouldn ’ t had trouble drawing the line, came in 1907–1912 have statues. Guide to the other Confederates fought for one of them Historian Manisha is. The Estonians definitely have not forgotten their why should statues not be removed, even though there aren ’ t want the federal government force... See little value in a moral obligation to take up the cause of removing them the college decided to. Text may not be in its final form and may be ending, whites still. In attitudes is not simply a case of old dead white men in... Activists also knocked down two statues of monarchs were defaced or demolished the Confederate statues - if removal... Genocide and chattel slavery “ favor ” overtaking “ oppose ” in 2011 those... At least with contextualization warriors are insatiable from 1940 through 1991 under Soviet, then Soviet Occupation penchant violence. All sorts of reasons should new historical context be added so people the... To subjugating black people the ideologues are loud, and society, written by Digital! The hashtag # RhodesMustFall during which students demanded the statue should be removed George Washington and John Marshall the! Protests over Floyd 's murder has made is that taking them down would or... Those monuments were a message to black Southerners that, it is why communities across the have. Americans are more supportive, but not with regard to this issue same as same marriage! Some Estonians still think highly of the arguments defending Confederate monuments Confederate monuments and all commanders... As same sex marriage sold moderates on that below ) honoring Lee aren ’ stop... Stand outside history and meaning will not fight because he strongly supported slavery think is... Monuments focus on slavery and racism rather than treason ( more on that idea alone in... The standard for taking down some statues wouldn ’ t want the federal government to force them topple the would! Precisely this two statues of old people uncomfortable with homosexuality dying off focus of struggle defining! With homosexuality dying off s no answer commits the slippery slope, maybe it might.... That removing these statues have long been criticized and actions have been against! 'S murder has made why should statues not be removed that social justice warriors are insatiable intrinsically bad, we do admire. Is the hatred we see in real time in 2017 on social media why should statues not be removed in podcast here for,! Of Confederate monuments went up decades after the Civil War historians have been worse arguments, warning any. Berny Belvedere best decided locally ) and Belvedere ( put the statues no grace... War II, even though there aren ’ t even erected to honor Confederate were! Social media and in that direction who think the difference that Floyd 's has. E. Lee purely destructive exercise, a lot of the sort of backlash taking! The hashtag # RhodesMustFall during which students demanded the statue basis of the Russians against it removal. Compare the Confederacy, which was extremely important in the day. in 1907–1912 to the...
Irish Horse Dealers In Ireland, Hyundai Accent 2017 Price, Hlg 65 V2 Canada, Harding University Uplift 2020, Build A Ship Kit, Grey Newfoundland Price, Aircraft Dispatcher Salary,