Jeez, I take a few days off and America decides to re-fight the Civil War. 152-years after General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse, there is actual bloodshed over how the history of the war should be remembered. As I’ve stated here before, those who fly the Confederate flags in front of their homes or who have the giant Stars and Bars on their vehicles are idiots who support a losing cause. And those that think that taking down statues is somehow going to alter history (on both sides) are just as big as idiots.
If no statues were ever erected in honor of General Lee, would he be any less remembered for the major role he played in US history? Would military historians spend no time studying his tactics–which allowed an under-manned, under-supplied, and under-funded army to win more battles than they lost for the better part of four years?
It was under-reported this week that the National Parks Service issued a statement that Confederate memorials on the Gettysburg Battlefield–and other Civil War sites around the US will not be taken down or altered–as they stand as important historical monuments to men that actually existed. Despite what hatred you think existed in the hearts of those soldiers, Pickett’s Charge did happen.
Seeking to capitalize on the media frenzy this week, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin has ordered the removal of a memorial to Confederate soldiers that died at Camp Randall. Soglin believes it to be offensive that terms like “valiant” were included on the monument. He says that a “proper” memorial will go up in its place–with his version of history.
And what comes next after all physical symbols of the Confederacy are removed from our nation? We still won’t have forgotten about it, because millions of pages of books are dedicated to the cause–not to mention countless hours of film–documentary and drama–that do not portray every soldier, politician and resident of The South as white supremacists and traitors to their country. Textbooks will be the first to be re-written–with Civil War reference books and period pieces heavily scrutinized and removed from school libraries. Public library shelves will be stripped bare next–or new print editions with modern interpretations will be published to replace those that accurately detailed the War Between the States for 150-years.
The folks at Colonial Williamsburg, Monticello and Mount Vernon may want to start polishing up the resumes, because those versions of “living history” appear to be short-lived as well.
