More than 90 Confederate monuments stand in public places other than cemeteries around the state. Brian’s parents were slaves. The statue, erected in 1890, is slated for removal. By clicking “I agree” below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. A recent statement on the park’s website says the park service “is committed to preserving these memorials while simultaneously educating visitors holistically about the actions, motivations and causes of the soldiers and states they commemorate. Marist College. The statue of Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg is one of the most striking on that great Civil War battlefield. There were several thousand slaves at Gettysburg that the Confederates used as forced labor for logistical support, Hancock told me. We must confront our past, not whitewash it. Contrary to comments from President Trump and others characterizing the removal of Confederate monuments as rewriting history, their removal corrects history. The graves should stay where they're at. Flying it over monuments to Confederate war dead is simply history. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. Based on the fuzzy logic of protestors, it is unclear how removing statues of Robert E. Lee will not also lead to the removal of statues of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and others. When the … If so, this is exactly why they should remain. No statue.”. He told me that since he wrote the article, nothing significant had changed at the park, at least to his knowledge. We must confront our past, not whitewash it. The war was fought because slave-holding states wanted to secede from the union. I found his words compelling. They are monuments to the dead, soldiers who fought and often died for the Confederate cause. The Monuments of the Confederate soldiers that are scattered across the United States are symbols of freedom in our country. The graves should stay where they're at. Who is Nick Sirianni, the new Eagles coach? But so do almost all images of the 19th century. If one takes down the statues of slave owners and changes names of schools, streets, etc. Controversial statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Charlottesville, Virginia. More than 90 Confederate monuments stand in public places other than cemeteries around the state. “Dismantling Confederate monuments and ridding sports teams and brands of racist imagery is not enough,” Marcos Martinez, the owner of the blog, www.themenwhobrunch.com, wrote in an email. But both armies were supported by African Americans while there, and local residents suffered because of the fight. Black people ultimately were the reason why over 165,000 soldiers came to this Pennsylvania town in the first place. ... remember to stay safe and healthy. A committee Mayor LaToya Cantrell appointed to decide where three Confederate monuments removed last year should be relocated is advising her to place two on private property in New Orleans. Wilentz ignores the almost religious veneration white Southerners held for the men who led them through years of extreme privation and misery. Leaving statues of Rebels on the Gettysburg battlefield will offend some people. Why We Should Keep The Confederate Monuments Right Where They Are Tearing down Confederate statues, or any monuments from our history, will … They were erected years after the Civil War. After New Orleans removed four public monuments depicting Confederate leaders and events in May, we asked you, Washington Post readers, to tell us about the dedicated statues, parks and streets near you.You told us about monuments that should come down, and ones that deserve to stay. Morning Call columnist Paul Muschick can be reached at 610-820-6582 or paul.muschick@mcall.com. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. Those monuments in North Carolina, and others across the South, have come under mounting criticism. In 2015, photos surfaced showing Dylan Roof brandishing a Confederate flag before he had killed nine black Americans holding a Bible study class in a Charleston, South Carolina, church. The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his mount, Traveler, face the setting sun on Monument Ave. in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012. We do not build war memorials to celebrate war, but as a reminder of the tragic cost of war and a warning to future generations. I don’t support protesters tearing them down and destroying them. Why Confederate monuments stay standing in rural areas This year ... Aug. 1, 2018. Although the Confederate monuments have been standing for many years now, the conversation on whether they should stay standing is just beginning. But on the battlefield, as far as the physical memorials, they disappear,” he wrote. We rely on readers like you to uphold a free press. Opinion: Don't Take Down Confederate Monuments. More than 60% of Americans want Confederate monuments to stay, ... Just 27 per cent of people said that the monuments should be removed from parks, roads and schools across the United States. Those monuments in North Carolina, and others across the South, have come under mounting criticism. The reason pertains to the fact that confederate statues have been up for the last 130 years or so. What she would like to see, however, is an effort to move the state's Confederate monuments to Stone Mountain Park and then supplement them with accurate history. I hope visitors will consider that the markers hold the Confederates accountable for risking their lives to defend such a despicable proposition as slavery. 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