“Chamberlain felt an oddness, a crawly hesitation, not wanting to touch him…he felt it again: a flutter of unmistakable revulsion…He had not even known this feeling was there.” (p. 169 The Killer Angels)
Racial differences exist, to pretend they don’t is a ridiculous notion and does nothing to bridge division and heal wounds caused from years of exclusion. However, the difference lies in acknowledging one’s racial biases, and having the self-awareness to want to correct it as General Chamberlain did. The flip side is believing that you are doing “God’s will”, and continue to foster this ignorance, hatred and racial discord through generations.
“Thou shalt not take the name of Lord thy God in vain” is one of the Ten Commandments. When the South decided to go to war and fight to the death over the right to enslave human beings, who were brought to this country by force, bought and sold like meat at an auction, separated from their families and subjected to unimaginable horrors and repeatedly justified it by saying, “It’s in God’s hands now”, they took His name in vain. The hypocrisy of being a Christian army, representing supposed Christian people while treating African American’s the way they did is the height of absurdity.
Slavery, and what to do about it is a topic that our country is still
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Paul Reeve says it best, “Newsflash: Historians do not sit around waiting for people to erect a monument so that we can then teach history. Statues are not the totality of “history,” but manifestations of public memory, specific to a place and time. Removing a statue does not erase history. History is not the study of statues. If there were no statues of Robert E. Lee, he would not be erased from history. He left a written record. Rest assured, historians will still teach about Robert E. Lee and the racism and evils of the Confederacy that he supported even if all the statues are
Another issue with the statues are the actual subjects monumentalized. Notable people that are commemorated with having models of themselves publicly displayed are usually figures that the people of America are proud of, like Abraham Lincoln or Harriet Tubman. Confederate statues, however, are the exception; for they are monuments that represent the institutionalization of racism. “Our public spaces should not glorify historical policies of hatred and racism,” argues Kevin Kamenetz, executive and president of the Maryland Association of Counties (Eversley 2017). That single phrase perfectly sums up what people across the country are attempting to convey, and expresses the main issue that many have with these statues. No person who fought for the right to keep humans as property is deserving of modern honor.
Slavery had always been an issue in the United States, and some will argue that it was the main reason the Civil War broke out in 1861.
Through our current world, we are able to see how our ancestors were able to shape the world we live in today. From where state lines are drawn to the political views of that state to finally the culture of each state, can be drawn back to one issue. An issue that is still showing it face, but in a different form, today. That is the topic of slavery. The issue of slavery is an issue that shaped the development of the United States, and is the cause of the political unrest we can see in our everyday lives. Slavery has shaped the development of the American Republic by establishing clear political boundaries for each state,
In order for America to evolve with the history, the best option would be to keep the Confederate monuments in the eye of the public only if a supplemental plaque is added since this solution could work in the favor of most of the nation and will be able to satisfy their basic needs. White supremacists have not only spoken about unhesitantly hurting others for wanting to remove these Confederate monuments, but dozens of them have committed to unspeakable crimes of violence to preserve the meaning behind the statues. This is a very complex matter that can be mentally, physically, and economically fatal to the United States’ citizens and the future generations to come. Countless blood-soaked homicidal videos and pictures roam the world wide
Introduction: In 1619, Jamestown, Virginia, African Americans were brought to North America to aid in production of crops such as tobacco. Slavery happened from 1619 through 1865. Eli Whitney, the inventor of the cotton gin was invented in 1793 and led slaves to great demand in the South. The cotton gin influenced the history of the United States. Slavery was finally abolished when Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation the book. In The Glory Field, by Walter Dean Myers, developed the central conflict by using figurative language to explain how difficult slavery was for African Americans. Walter Dean Myers uses metaphors, imagery, and symbolism to demonstrate the era of what slaves experienced in the 1750s-1860s through nine
Ashley states that “statues of the individuals who are symbols of should be removed, but they should also stay because it's a part of history”.
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
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
In the United States, there are at least 1,500 Confederate symbols with highest density of emblems dedicated to soldiers. Although these statues and public properties are causing much controversy, there is no reason anyone should take these down. The Civil War was an important part of history and what is left behind to honor the soldiers should stay in America. Over 600,000 Americans sacrificed everything they had over whether or not we should have a united nation or not. The people that are trying to forget the past are also going to repeat it. With our divided country right now, it is looking like it is going back to the way it used to be. Donna Work told Chicago Tribune, “President Andrew Jackson, facing the first nullification crisis, insisted that our federal Union must be preserved. United we stand, divided we fall. Now even more than ever” (Work, D. 2017). Not one of the early presidents wanted the United States to get to where it is
Imagine your children living in a world full of hatred, prejudice, and discrimination from their brothers and sisters of America. The ultimate reality where a minority man or woman can’t cross the street without feeling vulnerable or concerned of an issue occurring because of who they are. I am telling you this because if we let the Robert E. Lee statue remain standing, our world will become a dystopia of animosity and bigotry with the support of White Supremacists and Neo-Nazis. In the late 1800’s, President Lincoln wanted to abolish slavery all throughout the United States, however, the South believed that it was unconstitutional to eradicate slavery. Due to the disagreement about slavery between the Union and the Confederates, they began the American Civil War and endured the four years of combat casualties on both sides, until the Union won and slavery was completely abolished. Subsequently, many statues emerged in southern states honoring Confederate soldiers and leaders that fought against the Union in the Civil War, such as the Robert E. Lee monument. With rich history, like ours, we can see the evolution in our society and learn from our racial, degrading, and dishonorable actions that has affected one to several millions of Americans. Although the Robert E. Lee statue is a form of history, the statues need to be removed from the public property because of the true representation behind the monument and the pain in remembering our infamous racial past.
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
Slavery. A topic that should never be brought up in a conversation, should never be said casually, and should never happen. Slavery, despite being illegal in every country, is still going on, and at different odds. Slavery has many forms. Many of which, only the cruelest of minds can think up. Slavery is different than in the 1800s because it has many more forms, has more potential slaves, and more profit.
People who suffered from Confederate slavery have different thoughts of the flag than southerners. Southerners celebrate their Confederate ancestors but for people like African Americans who have suffered from racial injustice and slavery see these monuments and symbols as the horror and painful memories of their ancestors in slavery. African Americans mostly deal with some form of racism in their life time. acts of racism can lead to post traumatic stress disorder. A definition by Google says "A condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury or psychological shock, typically involving disturbance of sleep and constant vivid recall experience, with dulled responses of others and the outside world". PTSD
“‘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.