The Civil War ended 155 years ago, but for many people in the South and some elsewhere, they still revel in the Confederate heritage.
This is so despite the fact that the Confederate heritage is one of treason and promotion of the degradation that African American slavery represented.
It is one thing to teach about the history of the Confederate heritage, and it is fine to have public displays of Confederate heritage in museums
But in 2020, it is not acceptable to have such monuments and statues in public squares and on government property!
Whether one likes it or not, displaying such statues and monuments is promotion and endorsement of white supremacy!
The time has passed for such displays, and Donald Trump, a New Yorker his whole life, is ironically bitterly opposing any renaming of Confederate military bases, when a large percentage of the military in 2020 are non whites!
It is long overdue to take Confederate names off streets and schools, and recognize the multi ethnic and multi racial nature of 2020 America!
Heh. Scratch a Progresssive deeply enough, and among other things, one will find a deep-seated passion and longing for an Orwellian “Memory Hole” in a MiniTrue.
In previous conversation, Professor, You acknowledged that that War was not about Slavery [certainly not in Lincoln’s mind], but preserving “the Union.”
That was neither a “Civil War,” nor a “Rebellion.” It was a War of Secession, just like the American “Revolutionary” War was a secession, and not a revolution.
And as somebody pointed out over on Breifbarf: Should all those bases named after all them post-Civil War Union Generals who massacred all them Injuns in “The Indian Wars,” concluding at Wounded Knee, be changed?
And, given that they were slave owners [while President, no less], shouldn’t the statues, memorials, etc, to Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Jackson be removed, and the names of bases, buildings, etc also be changed?
The wings aren’t falling off just yet, but after The Suleiman Hit, The COVID-19 Event, The Lockdown and Greater Recession, and Race and Cop Riots, taking those statues, monuments, etc down is just another rivet popping loose.
No wonder the Chinese call this “The Year of The Rat,” eh?
Jeffrey, I never said that the Civil War was not about the evil of slavery.
I did say that Lincoln saw the major purpose of the war to “preserve” the Union, and then saw ending slavery as essential as time went by, as he was not an abolitionist, but a free soiler in public utterances.
At the same time, he was tormented by the horrors of slavery.
You have brought up an important issue, those Generals who massacred Native Americans.
And I must condemn your use of a racist term, “Injuns”, which was unnecessary to use, as it shows lack of respect for native Americans.
I think such bases should also have their names changed.
As far as slave owners, the idea of all of the 10 Presidents who owned slaves being repudiated in every way possible is much more complicated, and I think the difference is that the Civil War Confederate Generals committed “Treason”, so they are put in a different category.
Certainly, the reality that all Presidents through Zachary Taylor, except John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Martin Van Buren, owned slaves, in addition to Andrew Johnson, needs to be taught as sinners who owned other human beings and in many cases brutalized them, and I have always done so in classes.
It is part of the truth of American history that needs to be taught!
RF: “Jeffrey, I never said that the Civil War was not about the evil of slavery. I did say that Lincoln saw the major purpose of the war to “preserve†the Union, and then saw ending slavery as essential as time went by, as he was not an abolitionist, but a free soiler in public utterances. At the same time, he was tormented by the horrors of slavery.”
i’ll let Lincoln have the last word as he expressed it in his [in]famous letter to Horace Greeley: ““If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.†And Lincoln was “tormented” by lots of things; possibly even Slavery.
Add to that the fact that the “Emancipation Proclamation” only freed Slaves that were in areas that were still controlled by the Confederacy; not in areas that had been “liberated” by Union forces.
RF: “You have brought up an important issue, those Generals who massacred Native Americans. And I must condemn your use of a racist term, “Injunsâ€, which was unnecessary to use, as it shows lack of respect for native Americans. I think such bases should also have their names changed.”
Like i said, i didn’t bring up the Indian Killers; some Deplorable over at Breifbarf brought it up. And it was he who used that “racist term ‘Injuns’,” not me.
RF: “As far as slave owners, the idea of all of the 10 Presidents who owned slaves being repudiated in every way possible is much more complicated, and I think the difference is that the Civil War Confederate Generals committed “Treasonâ€, so they are put in a different category.”
Why is the ownership of Slaves by Presidents “much more complicated”? Because it unmasks the open, blatant hypocrisy of national icons Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Jackson [plus there’s Old Hickory’s “Trail of Tears” even before the Indian Wars started]?
“All Men are created equal…. ,” eh? Like Orwell’s ANIMAL FARM, apparently some were created more equal than others back in those days. The beginning of the end of the United States of America happened when the Founding Fathers built Slavery into the Constitution. But, that was the only way that that Constitution could have happened, and that those 13 independent former British Colonies could have become that “United States.”
And if those people committed “Treason,” then why was Nobody in the Confederacy ~ especially the Generals and leaders like Jefferson Davis ~ charged with Treason after the War ended?
RF: It is part of the truth of American history that needs to be taught!
There are a lot of “Truths” about American History that need to be taught; including the fact that Lincoln did not wage that War to end Slavery, but to preserve a “Union” long enough for America to become the dominant hegemon in the Western Hemisphere.
Just as there are a lot of Secrets about American History that need to be unmasked and revealed. Which would in all likelihood destroy this nation; or at least the rule of its political class elite.