Monuments Erasing History Makes Us More Likely To Repeat Its Mistakes

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Erasing History Makes Us More Likely To Repeat Its Mistakes
The Confederacy’s destructive purpose does not mean that we should snuff out all of its memorialization now.
Joshua-Claybourn.jpg

By Joshua Claybourn
February 20, 2017

The city council of Charlottesville, Virginia, voted earlier this month 3-2 to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from the city square after deeming it an offensive symbol of ****.

The council considered two options: relocate the statue someplace less prominent, or provide historical context to the monument and use it as a forum for discussion. They opted for the former. A statue of Stonewall Jackson will be allowed to stay, for now.

More: http://thefederalist.com/2017/02/20/erasing-history-makes-us-likely-repeat-mistakes/
 
Removing public monuments isn't erasing history, it's simply no longer <officially> honoring a particular viewpoint of history. People are still free to write history as they please and honor what they please <on their own dime>.

These monuments were erected to reflect a certain political power and now some are removed to reflect a different political power. And now this change is becoming part of history.
 
I remember when ISIS decided to destroy old monuments that they felt were offensive. "But that's different!" There are plenty of statues in Italy and Greece of tyrants. They are considered national treasures. We need to study history not destroy it.

Nobody is stopping you from studying history. Nor from erecting memorials to whomever you please. The removal of unpopular <public> monuments in the United States is an act that reflects the will of the local electorate, States Rights you might say.
 
Addresing the notion of erasing history. I lived in Italy for five years: It is known for its layers of history sitting under piles of rubble. Each generation of artists cannibalized the creations of those who came before them. Much of the art of the Roman Empire was poached by the Renaissance generation that came about looking for locally/conveniently placed hunks of marble. Has anyone forgotten the Roman Empire? As an aside that I will not elaborate on: factions in Europe made a certain effort to wipe out all trace of Jewish culture, tradition, art, and the people themselves. It did not work, because the memory resides within the generations, and unless every last descendant is exterminated, the memory lives on if people want it to.
 
From the end of the article:

"But Lee’s statue can serve a higher purpose. It can bring history to life, force us to confront what drove leaders like him to make such wrong decisions, and ask why so many Americans continued to adore them long after the war was over. Instead of removing Lee, a society wanting to learn from the successes and failures of history should pay more attention to him."

The bad premise in the above is the notion that people will see these monuments as a way to confront "wrong decisions." In fact, many people will see this commemoration as validating those decisions as being right. In which case, it would make us more likely to repeat old mistakes.

And if people want these monuments to validate those decisions, so be it. But let's not fool ourselves that everybody will look at these statues and say, "gee, they made wrong decisions, where did they go wrong?" Many people - and no, I don't know how many - will be thinking something quite different.

- Alan
 
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