[stadry]

i f you're thinking 'lee' he honorably resigned from the us army prior to assuming command of confederate forces therefore, by definition he could not commit treason.. currently wiley is much closer

[Ben Franklin]

Originally Posted by stadry

i f you're thinking 'lee' he honorably resigned from the us army prior to assuming command of confederate forces therefore, by definition he could not commit treason.. currently wiley is much closer

Wiley? Who is Wiley? Wiley Coyote? Is he one those 47 US Rep. Senators who went over a President's head and sent Iran a letter? I don't recall a Wiley in that bunch.

[stadry]

appears some still don't understand the definition of treason...please inform & educate yourselves

[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by Byte1

So, the idea is that we should tear down, remove, eliminate all references to anything in history that shows unfavorable on our country. That way, no one will ever know our blemished history. We should not have any reminders, so that when a few years or decades down the road, there will be questions without answers. Slavery never existed and the Civil War never happened. When are we going to rid ourselves of those nasty reminders in D.C. like the Vietnam Veterans wall, or the WWII memorial, etc. After all, American soldiers killed a lot of Asians and Europeans in our violent history.
History=bad
WOK = good

After all American history is removed will THEY feel better?

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by GrumpyOldMan

I see nothing to support your comment. The statues are of traitors. If you want statues on your property, then erect one. Nothing stopping you. No one is saying we should not teach about traitors, but what I see is people here honoring traitors, and even denying they were traitors. That is certainly rewriting history.

See any NAZI flags in Germany? See any statues of Hitler? See any statues of Saddam Husain.

I firmly believe we should accurately teach our children about our history, both the good and the bad. As a vet I am totally opposed to honoring anyone that that’s up arm against our country.

So, you would not have a problem with your neighbor flying a Confederate battle flag on their property?

The idea of a confederate soldier being a traitor is not being realistic. Perhaps a leader of the movement being a traitor, sure. But, a soldier fighting for his state to protect his family from harm is hardly being a traitor; it's being realistic and defending his family and property. Yes, the war was about rebellion. I understand that. But, I also notice how easy it has been recently to proclaim anyone that does not agree with someone's opinion, to be a traitor. That word gets bandied about quite a bit today.
Personally, I have no skin in the game. My family was not here during the Civil(oxymoron) War and NONE of my family has ever owned a slave. But, I have an opinion on statues. If one has no problem with other statues of people, such as Floyd (as an example) then I do not see why anyone would want to destroy statues that suddenly (after decades) become a sensitive issue for the weak minded, that feel that by illuminating something that they do not favor, it will make change history.
Who decides the act as being traitorous? The winner, of course. During the revolution, American colonists such as General Washington were traitors in the opinion of Brittan. American Indians (indigenous) were the enemy in the past, because the interlopers were the winners.
A statue only represents a historically significant event. It is not dangerous; nothing more dangerous than a library history text book. I am sure that folks know when they see a confederate soldier that he represented a blemish in American history. Taking down a statue should not be done by a minority group that makes the most noise. It should be voted upon by the local residents, as to whether or not they wish it removed. After all, it is THEIR town/city. It's the DEMOCRATICALLY correct method.
By the way, we are NOT Germany. Do you think that if we had lost, that Germany would not have statues of Hitler?

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Ben Franklin

I have to laugh at those who are upset that taxpayers are paying to remove statues of American traitors. How much did it cost taxpayers to design, create, and put up those statues in the first place? SMH.

Slavery is a hateful, arrogant, dehumanizing and disgusting belief system.

Many, if not most were paid for with private funds...

[jdulej]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

Many, if not most were paid for with private funds...

I wonder if part of the private funding went to pay the city/county/state for the space the statue occupied?

[Chi-Town]

Taking the statues down is a one time cost. Putting up and taking down fencing to protect our Capitol and Supreme Court appears to be a recurring cost.

[Michael G.]

Wait, soon they will start on Mt Rushmore

[Bay Kid]

After removal what will THEY replace them with? Monument Ave. in Richmond, VA will need all new, but with what?

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

After removal what will THEY replace them with? Monument Ave. in Richmond, VA will need all new, but with what?

Rainbows?

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Byte1

Rainbows?

And Unicorns...

[Chi-Town]

Monument Ave has one statue left, Arthur Ashe, who was born and raised in Richmond. Perhaps other local dignitaries can fill the remaining pedestals. The Lee one is huge with a traffic circle.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

After removal what will THEY replace them with? Monument Ave. in Richmond, VA will need all new, but with what?

Originally Posted by Byte1

Rainbows?

Originally Posted by JMintzer

And Unicorns...

Rainbows and unicorns would be an improvement over statues glorifying those who fought to preserve the institution of human slavery.
Doesn't seem to me that should be such a difficult concept to grasp.
From Robert E. Lee's great-great-great nephew, according to Smithsonian Magazine: "I see them as idolatries," Rev. Robert Lee IV told ABC News last year. "They have been created into idols of white supremacy and racism."

Those of you who claim that statues honoring the Confederacy were erected to "preserve history" are missing the boat. They were erected to glorify the concept of the Confederacy, which includes human slavery, and white supremacy.
By all means, the fact that these attitudes were considered not only normal, but just, and the divine right of the White Race should be included in every curriculum in the United States.
It should be forever taught, that Alexander H Stephens, the Vice President of the Confederacy, proudly spoke the following, as justification for the secession of the Confederate States,
"Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite ideas; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth"

That , folks, is the essence of the Confederacy. While honorable men fought honorably for its survival, it should never be whitewashed, or forgotten, exactly what they were fighting for.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Laker14

Rainbows and unicorns would be an improvement over statues glorifying those who fought to preserve the institution of human slavery.
Doesn't seem to me that should be such a difficult concept to grasp.
From Robert E. Lee's great-great-great nephew, according to Smithsonian Magazine: "I see them as idolatries," Rev. Robert Lee IV told ABC News last year. "They have been created into idols of white supremacy and racism."

Those of you who claim that statues honoring the Confederacy were erected to "preserve history" are missing the boat. They were erected to glorify the concept of the Confederacy, which includes human slavery, and white supremacy.
By all means, the fact that these attitudes were considered not only normal, but just, and the divine right of the White Race should be included in every curriculum in the United States.
It should be forever taught, that Alexander H Stephens, the Vice President of the Confederacy, proudly spoke the following, as justification for the secession of the Confederate States,
"Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite ideas; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth"

That , folks, is the essence of the Confederacy. While honorable men fought honorably for its survival, it should never be whitewashed, or forgotten, exactly what they were fighting for.