Confederate Monuments

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,376]

This is more typing than I ever care to do.

I grew up in the deep south. My great grandfather was a confederate soldier. I have always seen the Civil War as a stand to a federal govt that ignored the constitution part about all rights not specifically given to the federal govt shall be reserved by the states etc

 

I have given it a lot of thought lately. The state right the south wanted that we went to war over was slavery. 

Here is my question. 

A black coworker recently went to Stone Mountain park and posted a picture of the confederate Generals carved in the Mountain with a comment that he felt a certain way. I always feel I have a gift to see things from many view points. 

If I was Black I think I would feel the same way about a monument dedicated to a system that basically advocated for genocide and slavery of my ancestors. 

 

Someone said recently,  how would Jews feel if there were statues and monuments to Nazi leaders in Germany? 

 

Opnions. Just thinking out load that my opnion on confederate statues etc has evolved,  that I think it should be in museums with proper context.

Thoughts ? 

 

 

 

[TBoneTX 45,522]

13 minutes ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

Opnions. Just thinking out load that my opnion

English-only outside the regional forums.

 

A point can be made for both sides -- in the open, or in museums.

Some Confederate statues might have been sculpted by Union men, or even by blacks.

Some of it depends on what the plaque says.

 

Robert E. Lee, for example, was apparently a gentleman of the highest caliber.

Nathan Bedford Forrest, conversely, was quite the racist and bigot (and founded the KKK?).

 

The analogy to Nazis/Jews won't fly, because the Nazis were 100% evil mass murderers.

 

Regarding Confederate statues, I would vote for circumspection and education about who the people were, and why they chose the side they were on.  If Abraham Lincoln himself didn't see fit to execute these people and erase the memory of them, leaving their statues up is something to consider.

[Mike E 11,740]

Just read about Stone Mountain Park.  It’s fascinating that someone thought this was a great idea to establish. 
 

If the place didn’t exist today I probably would not have realized just how tone deaf leaders in that part of the country were.
 

[Ban Hammer 13,401]

8 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Just read about Stone Mountain Park.  It’s fascinating that someone thought this was a great idea to establish. 
 

If the place didn’t exist today I probably would not have realized just how tone deaf leaders in that part of the country were.
 

and the us mint made this

[Mike E 11,740]

And there was a stamp issued as well. 
 

So if one wants to make the argument that the USA post civil war has a history of systemic racism, erasing the evidence seems wrong to me.  

[yuna628 9,680]

13 hours ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

This is more typing than I ever care to do.

I grew up in the deep south. My great grandfather was a confederate soldier. I have always seen the Civil War as a stand to a federal govt that ignored the constitution part about all rights not specifically given to the federal govt shall be reserved by the states etc

 

I have given it a lot of thought lately. The state right the south wanted that we went to war over was slavery. 

Here is my question. 

A black coworker recently went to Stone Mountain park and posted a picture of the confederate Generals carved in the Mountain with a comment that he felt a certain way. I always feel I have a gift to see things from many view points. 

If I was Black I think I would feel the same way about a monument dedicated to a system that basically advocated for genocide and slavery of my ancestors. 

 

Someone said recently,  how would Jews feel if there were statues and monuments to Nazi leaders in Germany? 

 

Opnions. Just thinking out load that my opnion on confederate statues etc has evolved,  that I think it should be in museums with proper context.

Thoughts ? 

 

 

 

I feel that Confederate monuments are only acceptable in the following locations: museums, battlefields, Confederate specific graveyards, and whatever private entity wants to have them on their private property. The history around Stone Mountain has always bothered me, and I don't feel as if people only have to be black to be bothered by it. It is pretty appalling. Most of my ancestors were thankfully abolitionists, because they understood what it was like to not have freedom. That being said some of my ancestors were indeed slave owners (as in held the plantations where Harriet Tubman walked) and specifically moved to certain southern areas to continue that habit. They were hardcore Confederates and it was about slaves and $s for them. My great grandmother came from the islands - her ancestors had sugar plantations, so you can imagine the history attached to that. 

 

I do feel as if we need to really step up as a society to present history in a fair manner, but also one that we are not so afraid that we gloss things over. Ever been on a tour to Williamsburg and had a really unpleasant person start harassing tour guides about slaves for 'fun'? Ever been to a sprawling southern plantation museum site and gotten to the 'slave quarters' where the only thing they could be bothered to put up was a small sign saying "well here is the slave area.. we know there was a lot of people here... no other info". It troubled me. And it has always been very odd the types of monuments we chose to put up. There are so many wonderful people that deserve recognition that never got it. 

 

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,376]

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

And there was a stamp issued as well. 
 

So if one wants to make the argument that the USA post civil war has a history of systemic racism, erasing the evidence seems wrong to me.  

its a cool place to visit. I value all your opinions as I am have many conflicting thoughts on the issue /.

 

I will say this. I think the Racism thing gets used way too much and applied to way too many things that are not. I think it makes some tone deaf to issues like this. 

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,376]

5 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

I feel that Confederate monuments are only acceptable in the following locations: museums, battlefields, Confederate specific graveyards, and whatever private entity wants to have them on their private property. The history around Stone Mountain has always bothered me, and I don't feel as if people only have to be black to be bothered by it. It is pretty appalling. Most of my ancestors were thankfully abolitionists, because they understood what it was like to not have freedom. That being said some of my ancestors were indeed slave owners (as in held the plantations where Harriet Tubman walked) and specifically moved to certain southern areas to continue that habit. They were hardcore Confederates and it was about slaves and $s for them. My great grandmother came from the islands - her ancestors had sugar plantations, so you can imagine the history attached to that. 

 

I do feel as if we need to really step up as a society to present history in a fair manner, but also one that we are not so afraid that we gloss things over. Ever been on a tour to Williamsburg and had a really unpleasant person start harassing tour guides about slaves for 'fun'? Ever been to a sprawling southern plantation museum site and gotten to the 'slave quarters' where the only thing they could be bothered to put up was a small sign saying "well here is the slave area.. we know there was a lot of people here... no other info". It troubled me. And it has always been very odd the types of monuments we chose to put up. There are so many wonderful people that deserve recognition that never got it. 

 

I grew up in a time and place where De-Facto type slavery still existed. 

[Mike E 11,740]

16 minutes ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

its a cool place to visit. I value all your opinions as I am have many conflicting thoughts on the issue /.

 

I will say this. I think the Racism thing gets used way too much and applied to way too many things that are not. I think it makes some tone deaf to issues like this. 

I’m sure it is an interesting place to visit.  If I knew the profits from my admission ticket would go toward combatting racism I’d have no problem going as I think ending evil starts with exposure not shadows 

[Ban Hammer 13,401]

8 hours ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

I grew up in a time and place where De-Facto type slavery still existed.