New Orleans : The Big Easy

Imagine walking through a town plaza and suddenly spotting a bust depicting Adolf Hitler, or a statue of a Nazi Swastika. A passerby may stare in horror upon its recognition, and wonder why a symbol of such hatred and violence is displayed prominently in a town. These statues would incite an uproar and immediate demands to remove such offensive monuments. Thankfully, such a situation would never arise in modern America; however, a similar plight is unfolding across the country concerning the removal of Confederate statues. Confederate statues should not be displayed in public areas because they are reminders of a time when racial violence went unpunished, they are honoring people who wanted to keep other

“‘A great nation does not hide its history, it faces its flaws and corrects them.”’ George W. Bush spoke these words at the grand opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (Nelson). He said this in hopes of keeping monuments reflecting slavery and segregation standing so people today could learn from mistakes in the past. Most monuments dealing with the topic of slavery are Confederate monuments, but they are causing controversy over their true meaning. Some people believe Confederate monuments are about southern pride, but many think they are symbols of racism (Ingraham). The debate over these monuments has caused violent protests like in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a Robert E. Lee statue was removed. Although Confederate monuments anger many people because of the history behind them, they provide lessons that can be taught to help end racism and make a better country. Confederate monuments and statues need to stay to preserve the history of the United States so it is not repeated, but the meaning to them should be altered to show segregation is immoral.

Confederate Monuments have been a hot topic of debate through the years of whether they should stay or go. Throughout history the idea of removing the Confederate Monuments has been perceived as the best possible solution citing that they had a sense of evilness and could flare up racial emotions. While a strong point could be made for the removal of Confederate Monuments, the Confederate monuments should stay in public places because they honor timeless virtues, they could be used as figures to reflect upon our nation’s past and they could be used to educate future generations.

Southerners attempted to restore and preserve their pride and honor by preparing grand memorials for the dead Confederate war heroes, as depicted in

Confederate statues depict anti-abolitionists as heroes and very honorable men, therefore they should be removed. These men who are depicted as heroes fought for the institution of slavery. These statues not only glorify anti-abolitionists but they remind people of the strong racism of the time. Many people fight for the removal of these statues for the sole reason that they “serve as constant reminders of institutional racism, segregation and

The removal of Confederate monuments has been a controversial topic over the past few years. Many want to tear them down, others want to keep them up and some want them to be moved to museums. Although controversial, many still do not know why exactly people want these statues to tear down or be kept up. After reading and analyzing both Michele Bogart’s and The Guardian’s view on Confederate statues, I would say that Michele Bogart’s “In Defense of ‘Racist’ Monuments” article was the most persuasive. Right off the bat, Michele Bogart starts off with how the rise of white nationalism is causing officials around the country to remove memorials of Confederate soldiers, military leaders, and symbols of “the Lost Cause”. Bogart clearly states that not all civic statues represent white supremacy or racism, but that they are “the culmination of complex social and artistic engagement at the community level” (Bogart). She further explains how eliminating these statues is not going to help solve the problem of racism in the United States. Her purpose in this essay is to persuade the reader that civic monuments should be kept up as pieces of art, not as “symbols of hate”.

A recent hot-button subject in the media has been what to do with Confederate monuments in the South. After the removal of a statue honoring Robert E. Lee, a general in the Confederate Army considered by many to be a hero for the part he played in the American Civil War, a clear divide has formed over whether it was the right thing to do. Some agree with this choice, calling the statues remnants from a time of racial oppression in the United States. Others are outraged, considering it desecration of their proud history. Still others don't understand either side of the issue, and see it as a pointless feud. It is imperative to understand that to many people, these are more than just statues. Whether their impression is positive or negative, this issue goes beyond physical monuments.

First, removing all these statues and monuments cost a lot of money and take a long time. For example, The cost to remove all the monuments and statues in New Orleans could cost $600,000. Thats a lot of money for one city to pay for, and that money could be used for more important things. Another reason I feel that we should keep these statues and monuments because it’s a part of our history. Yes, the Confederacy did believe in slavery, but it isn’t about honoring slavery. It’s about understanding that this is what we once were as a nation. Keeping this symbolizes how far we’ve come as a country and how much we’ve progressed. Taking these monuments down would be in a way an attempt to erase our

The confederate era monuments in New Orleans have been a hot topic of debate. People on both sides feel passionately about whether these local historic landmarks should remain standing or be torn down because of the atrocities the men they honor committed well over one hundred years ago. Whether over racial or personal beliefs there are strong motives on either side. As of now the future of the cityscape lays in limbo. Will history prevail over emotion?

The removal of the Beauregard Monument was the correct action. Nowadays, New Orleans is compromised of millions of culturally diverse races who are now living side by side. In the past, however, New Orleans was dominated by white supremacists who bought, sold, and forced people of all ethnics, including blacks, into slavery. For instance, slaves worked from the sun up to the sun down, were raped by their masters, and in return for their payment they were given scraps of bread to eat. Confederate Monuments in particular, the Beauregard monument, was built to honor men who fought for slavery. In other words, the monuments were built to honor the slaves who were beaten to death, the slaves who were treated like cattle, the slaves who were forcefully

Now many who oppose this will say that this isn’t true due to groups like Neo-Nazis and the K.K.K going out of the way to stop the removal of these monuments, but supporters feel that small groups not directly associated with the confederacy should not be a just cause for removal, because to many it is misrepresentation. The K.K.K might be the hardest to argue on this idea, but their clan was made after the Civil War, on behalf of the Confederacy, not part of it. Therefore, the Confederacy and its symbols should not be held accountable for what groups after it take action

Many years prior to the Civil War, Confederate statues, monuments, and other historical figures were placed thoroughly through the nation to represent the the remembrance of the Confederacy. In the “Monumental Battle” article, Laura Anastasia tells of the growing controversy that this nation has about the removal of Confederate monuments. The statues were placed to instill fear in the hearts of African Americans and portray a dominantly white future. THESIS !

Of all the things in this world for people to fiercely debate today, 100-year-old statues of dead generals have somehow made their way into public discourse. In America, we face an interesting issue that has been ignored for quite some time: what to do with our monuments to Confederate soldiers. There are many reasons why I chose this topic, partly because I am already somewhat knowledgeable on the issue, but I still have much to learn about this topic. Confederate monuments are an important debate being held in our country right now and I intend to help explain why that is and help people to form their own opinions based on strong arguments.

Just a few hours before workers removed a statue of a general on the confederate side General Robert E. Lee, the fourth statue in recent week to be removed depicting various people on the confederate side- Mayor Mitch Landrieu gave an address on the topic of the removals at Gallier Hall. In his address Mayor Landrieu shares his reasoning with the audience and with the world for the removals of the statues. Mayor Landrieu begins his speech by affectionately talking about the diversity in the city of New Orleans referring to it as, “a melting pot, a bubbling cauldron of many cultures.” Through the speech he addresses issues not only with the statues but with New Orleans itself. He states that in the time of slavery, New Orleans was one of the

Confederate Monuments continue to be a hot topic of debate of whether they should be removed or remain in public places. Throughout history the idea of removing the Confederate Monuments is the popular choice among decision makers, citing that the monuments have a sense of evilness consequently flaring up racial emotions. Strong points are continuously being made for the removal of Confederate Monuments, however the Confederate monuments should remain in public places because they honor timeless virtues, the monuments would provide an opportunity to reflect upon our nation’s past as well as an opportunity to educate future generations.