White Supremacism In Confederate Monuments

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.

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”.

Thesis: As the debate continues on whether or not we should keep confederate monuments and symbols displayed publicly, it is important that we recognize both the benefits and downfalls of removing these symbols.

After the violence and attacks in Charlottesville, a debate is raging on whether or not to take down Robert E Lee and other confederate monuments or to leave them up. Those for taking down the confederate monuments argue that the monuments are equated with the slavery era and should therefore come down. Those on the other side say that the monuments represent southern pride and that they should stay up. The debate says is why not take down all monuments that supported slavery according to Washington and Jefferson. Taking down the confederate monuments is important today to prevent violensce from occurring from both the white nationalist leaders, such as the KKK and Nazi groups that are left, as well as the counter protesters.

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.

Recently history has hit the headlines. The overwhelming issue of whether or not Confederate monuments should be removed has many up in arms- in some cases, such as Charlottesville, Virgina, literally. Those for the removal of the statues argue that they honor a cruel regime and support white supremacy, while those opposing the removal argue that removing the statues would damage the preservation of America's history and lead to the removal of statues depicting other historical figures like President George Washington. The article "Confederate monuments should be removed in their entirety and it shouldn’t even be an argument" by Lucas Johnson on The Badger Herald website, argues the pro-removal side of the issue. Johnson's article is a prime example of the pro removal argument as he seeks to convince the reader to agree with his stance on the issue by using historical facts and addressing the connection white supremacists feel towards monuments from that era in an attempt to sway his audience to his side of the dispute.

The removal of Confederate monuments in some cities has stirred up intense controversy because of white supremacist protesting the removal of the statues. These white supremacist are protesting the removal of the statues because when they think of the Confederacy they think back in history when the whites are firmly in control. So that's how the thought of believing whites should have more power over all other races started. Another reason why white supremacists want to keep the statutes is because they believe that by removing the statues, you're erasing the south's history. “They say the history of the south is being erased. Memorials like the one to Lee honor the bravery of the southerners who did battle in the Civil War, they say.”

Today, there are two primary societal conceptions about the Confederate battle flag; both sides of the argument are rooted largely in the emotional response and ideology of the flag and the perception of its meaning (Coski, 2005, p. x). Looking deeper reveals a rich history as to why and how these conceptions exist. The historical reasons that are called upon by heritage supporters of the Confederate flag are not unfounded. During the South’s secession, citizens of the southern states genuinely felt as though the Federal government was encroaching on their rights as well as moving in a direction drastically different than was originally intended after winning the war for American independence (Coski, 2005, pp. 21-22). Also, it’s difficult to ignore the sense of honor that the men who fought for the confederacy felt while serving with their respective units and the flag served to preserve and revere that (Coski, 2005, p. 29). From Coski (2005), it’s this honor and fervor to fight against an oppressive government that has stood the test of time and continues to inspire people around the world to this day. To those supporters, it is merely the rebel flag, not a racist symbol, having changed their perception of the flag in their own minds (pp. 292-294). With that, some people have sought to stay true to the Confederate cause and its well-recognized goal of protecting the “necessary domestic institution of slavery” (Coski, p. 25). An example is later iterations of the once defunct Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups have used the flag to represent themselves and their beliefs (Foreman, 1991, p. 525). Others, says Coski (2005), like the supporters of the Dixiecrat party

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.

Shortly after the passage of Jim Crow Laws, statues of Confederate leaders and generals were sculpted and placed in public areas. Over 100 years after the Civil War, the question has arisen over whether these statues should be destroyed, or remain where they are. Many people have noted the high expenses that removing statues would require, however, others have argued that the statues were put up as a scare tactic, rather than as a memorial, and are a reminder of our past that prevent African Americans from being able to move on. The statues are daunting to the public and are known to be an emblem of white supremacy, so they don’t belong in a public area. They shouldn’t be destroyed, though, but instead placed in museums with compilations of other Civil War memorials.

Along Highway I-65 in Tennessee is a Confederate monument of General Bedford Forrest. It was sculpted to pay homage to the Confederate southern General with dignity and grace. However, this unappealing rendition ironically reflects the ugliness of its subject. Unfortunately, the ugly history is not as visually noticeable in most erect monuments in the United States today. Hundreds of monuments and historical markers stand to be a representation of power and privilege of those who were considered significant in history and not addressing the problems. With that said, many memorialize and romanticize a time where there was slavery and endorse inequality. Public art pertains to the relevance of race equality within a community and regrettably monuments have a habit of not addressing this. While intending to portray a sense of nationalism by inventing blemish- free heroes to look up at and in some cases worship we are left with a negative mark on our historical memory, leaving behind a trail of ignorance for every generation to follow. These monuments, preserved historic sites, and historical markers perpetuate and prolong a history of inequality; preserving a kind of acceptance towards racism. Let us take the initiative to examine examples that are revered by history to recognize truth and acknowledge the warped view that has become the way we look at people and how our history has become (warped).

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.