The Democratic Party of 2015 is pursuing a dangerous trend, that of denying history.
Many Democratic state groups have decided to change the name of their annual dinners, which have been called the “Jefferson-Jackson Day” dinners.
This is political correctness to the extreme, and totally wrong.
The point that is made is that Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson both were slave owners, which is certainly true.
Somehow, Arthur Schlesinger Jr, who wrote the acclaimed “Age of Jackson” in 1945, and who passed away in 2007, must be turning over in his grave at the denial of the importance of Jackson, and the political correctness, better known as ignorance, that is being promoted. And many who have published on Jefferson, while realizing his many shortcomings, must feel that trying to wipe out his memory is inappropriate.
Both Jefferson and Jackson have faults and shortcomings, and this author and blogger is the first to admit that.
But to wipe out memory on their founding of the Democratic Party simply because of their stand on race 200-250 years ago is totally wrong.
Both Jefferson and Jackson were crucial to the development of the concept of democracy, even if it had terrible limits in their era.
Both had major contributions to make, which cannot be wiped out, and should not be written out of the history of the Democratic Party.
One can criticize the negative legacy of anyone, but also, one must acknowledge the positive legacy of these two significant Presidents, and early founders of the Democratic Party, which has made great strides since their lifetimes!
This is the same narrow mindedness that leads to many saying all Confederate statues and memorials should be removed, when it is part of our history.
We are not the old Soviet Union, or other dictatorships, past and present, which try to rewrite our history, and sanitize it, when we need to have understanding of what our past was, and destruction of memorials and statues is not the answer, anymore than taking Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, both slave owners, off of Mount Rushmore!
This is the promotion of ignorance and denial of the truth of history!