Persuasive Essay About Monuments

“‘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.

From Trajan’s Column, completed in 113 AD, to the statue of Christopher Columbus in Easton, Pennsylvania, monuments and memorials have been a significant element of celebration and honor throughout history (Source B). Though monuments are typically meant as a symbol of honor, recent controversy over statues dedicated to Confederate leaders and generals has sparked the debate over how to choose subjects to memorialize, and the actual development of these memorials. When considering what or who to honor, one must also consider the subjects impact on history, ensuring that it is positive. In creating memorials and monuments, groups and agencies should examine the historical significance of the events or persons they wish to memorialize, and the

Providence Canyon, or the "Little Grand Canyon" as some call it, is a well-known tourist attraction in southwest Georgia. It is, as of now, a state park. However many believe that it should be recognized and made a national park. There are many reasons to support this decision. There is various types of wildlife, it could also be good for education on erosion and rock formations, and it would be good for the economic purposes because it is engulfed in tourism every year. This is why many believe that Providence Canyon should be made a national park.

There are many monuments in the world and they are all built to honor someone or something that was done by that person. For example, after the Maine Lobsterman was built, the fake bronze statue returned to Maine and spent several decades being moved from city hall to museum to museum. No one seemed to want the man and his lobster. The issue at hand is if the monuments being built are memorializing the person or moment created accurately. Monuments capture legacy and preserve the individual's actions throughout history. Specifically, monuments should consider purpose, location, and size in their creation.

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.

Depending on the placement of the monument the importance of the events contues genrations on. For an example, inorder for placing something of sagnificant value, the holocaust, would be placed somehwere of sagnifcant value, like a nations capital, but just anywhere in the nations capital. Eventhough DC is the nations capital "placeing the holocaust museum in a mall in DC is disrespectful and offensive" to the people who died and the servivers(source E). Just because its the national capital doesnt mean a mall in the nations capital is appropreate, besides lives were lost, not material things being bought. The failure for the creator(s) to think of that stripped the meaning and the pain behind the holocuast away. The placement of that museum made fun of, or even mocked the holocuast as if it is important to be remebered by America but not important to petray horrifying details of it. If the placement of the museum was to be in central DC near the White House, it creates a more important rule in Americas everyday life, because its near where the prisident lives, its near where people go to live the American dream. It would reinforce the meaning of the tragidy, the menaing of being saought out just becuase of you religion, the meaning of being gased alive, the meaning of being torn away from your family, the meaning of starving in the cold winters, and lastly

The iconic monuments on Monument Avenue are at the center of a debate that is spreading across the entire southern part of the United States. Support has been growing within a group that feels that these Confederate monuments represent hate and oppression. This group wants all of the monuments

Karen Cox bluntly states which side she has taken in the argument. Her title blatantly says that the “Monuments Must Fall”. Throughout her article, there are few facts about how the monuments were built between 1890 and 1920, a time of extreme violence in the South between white supremacists and the African American Community. The article is lacking debate from other points of view. Therefore, the article seems very opinionated. Karen is a white female, she has empathy for the African American community. Although, she can’t possibly know how the monuments make them feel. Including an

Monuments, are how we as people can relive the past and be able to put ourselves at that time period. For Americans the 9/11 memorial puts us in the gravity and it gives us the impact of what that disaster did but, it also shows a sense of beauty with how the water falls into the spot where once stood a tall and powerful building. Monuments, have the aura that has a sense of empathy and shows more emotion than words ever could, the Holocaust museum gives a solid reminder of what genocide really is. Monuments and memorials should be based on the size location and what it is actually standing for it should be for someone who has been influential or it should be something of war or tragedy. We as Americans don’t pay attention to local cemeteries but when they see the Arlington cemetery or Vietnam memorial or even the WWII memorial people understand what death is really like and are more appreciative of those people who fought for the United States. Monuments and Memorials are not to remember those who fought for slavery, who have committed genocide, or any acts of treason and terrorism there should be no reason to make a statue that symbolizes something that a culture and a nation does not stand for anymore. Therefore, a Monument should consider the location, size, and why the monument is built along with the emotional aura that goes along with it.

Agencies might not want to have Holocaust memorial “...in the United States, who did little to stop the Holocaust from occurring…” (Source E). People might get offended if the place where the memorial is located does not really fit or if it does not make much sense for it to be there. The surroundings should be appropriate, somewhere where the memorial actually belongs. The memorial itself should be appropriate as well. Statues and plaques are made out of respect, to admire and remember. To just “...[slap] a coat of bronze paint over [a] plaster model…” (Source F) does not seem like the thing someone would want to do for a memorial. The Christopher Columbus statue in Philadelphia (Source B) is a good example of a respectable

In every culture, respect is a quality that communities embrace around the world. Whether it be to remember a person’s achievement or to provide a sense of connection in a community, monuments link together the present and the past with the motive of respect. Memorials are far more relevant than a seemingly trivial granite monument that one could notice in a park (Source B); they embellish meaning, symbol, emotion, and memories into a collective emblem. In memorializing an event and creating a monument, it is essential for the group or agency to not only consider the basic elements such as the historical significance or size, location, and materials but also to acknowledge the emotional linkage the event or monument may induce through attachment

Why spend money that is really needed for other things? Why live uncomfortably? Why be trapped in this hole called a home that belongs to another person? Why not live free and peacefully? When a person rents he or she usually throws away money that could be used to purchase something that belongs to them. Money is not easy to come by so why pay out hundreds toward something that is not benefit to the person paying it out. There is no good explanation for making a decision like this. The best option in a situation like this is to buy a house. Buying a house is a better option than renting an apartment.

Secondly, placement is a key factor in creating a monument of someone or an event. As described in Source E, placement could offend the surrounding population. In this source, the Holocaust Museum is located in The Mall in Washington, DC and it offended both Jewish and non-Jewish communities. This is “primarily due to the fact that a museum dedicated to the memory of the Holocaust would be built in the United States, who did little to stop the Holocaust from occurring, or…”...open our shores to the few survivors…””. The United States didn’t act on what it stands for, equality and freedom, and so to have it there seemed to be a sign of disrespect to many. On the other hand, supporters believed, such as George Will, a political columnist, that, “No other nation has a broader, graver responsibility in the world...No other nation needs citizens trained to look like in the face.” Due to what the United States stands for, he says this because by displaying your mistakes you can create a

The American Civil War was a clouded era where, by comparison to modern norms, judgement was ill evolved; during the American Civil War era, slavery was still acceptable in certain parts of the country. However, it was nevertheless a cultural turning point in the history of our nation. Our nation has not always been the cultural mixing pot it is now. To arrive to modernity, there are many factors that we ought to take into consideration so we can be knowledgeable about how we got to where we are today. In the past months, there have been events that have caused a big spark in the debate of Confederate monuments; such as the rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where protesters and counter-protesters caused a riot, and a big part of their fight pertained to if specific Confederate monuments should be removed or be able to stay. Some argue that Confederate monuments should be removed due to the very apparent connections to slavery and racism and also that times are rapidly changing. However, I argue that Confederate monuments should be preserved, but the monuments should also be evolving with our ever-changing society, in order to be honest about our nation’s past even if those memorials are somber or difficult to talk about. If we were to keep Confederate monuments we should add placards where it talks about specific events that will help with maintaining the education and learning of the American Civil War.