Monuments James Robertson speaks

[CMWinkler]

https://www.c-span.org/video/?448679-5/history-confederate-monuments#

 

[jgoodguy]

https://www.c-span.org/video/?448679-5/history-confederate-monuments#

Interesting, but looking at the transcript, way too much rambling rhetoric for my interest.

 

[Bee]

The transcript does not do justice to the actual presentation. It is a very complex, impassioned, and at times, offensive to select activist groups. Pushing beyond all of that, there is a deeply powerful message from a sector that is rarely heard from: a true cultural heritage preservationist. At times, Dr. Bud is dated and out of step with modern interpretation, but he is 86 years old, thus, not much time left to re-tool his paradigm. Whilst sentimental and nostalgic, he is never racist nor does does he advocate any of the modern incarnations of the confederacy. He makes excellent points on the historical nuances of the monuments themselves, and he offers much in the support of compromise for the future.

 

[jgoodguy]

The transcript does not do justice to the actual presentation. It is a very complex, impassioned, and at times, offensive to select activist groups. Pushing beyond all of that, there is a deeply powerful message from a sector that is rarely heard from: a true cultural heritage preservationist. At times, Dr. Bud is dated and out of step with modern interpretation, but he is 86 years old, thus, not much time left to re-tool his paradigm. Whilst sentimental and nostalgic, he is never racist nor does does he advocate any of the modern incarnations of the confederacy. He makes excellent points on the historical nuances of the monuments themselves, and he offers much in the support of compromise for the future.

Thanks, but I am old myself and prone to fall asleep at sentimentalism and nostalgia. Perhaps someone will do some summaries.

 

[Bee]

Thanks, but I am old myself and prone to fall asleep at sentimentalism and nostalgia. Perhaps someone will do some summaries.

I would caution against this, because parts of the presentation must be taken in context within the large, over-arching message. It is too easy to excerpt passages and sections, and have them appear as wholly offensive, however, when taken in context with the whole presentation it makes much more sense. This has already happened in other social media venues.

 

[PrivateBrooke]

I especially appreciate how he calls everyone out. So often I only hear one side or the other called out. It's startling the parallels between now and the 1850's. The issues may be different, but the unwillingness to listen and come to a mutual decision on those issues are very much the same.

 

[Jamieva]

I love bud will have to watch this tomorrow

 

[RobertP]

Breaking news! Opposition to removing Confederate monuments does not make one a hateful racist!

 

[Andersonh1]

https://www.c-span.org/video/?448679-5/history-confederate-monuments#

I watched the entire talk, and it is excellent. I don't agree 100% with everything he said, but his emphasis on compromise, and finding solutions both sides can live with is very much appreciated.

 

[Andersonh1]

I especially appreciate how he calls everyone out. So often I only hear one side or the other called out. It's startling the parallels between now and the 1850's. The issues may be different, but the unwillingness to listen and come to a mutual decision on those issues are very much the same.

Agreed, the unwillingness of some on both sides to listen to the views of the other side is eerily like the attitude of the 1850s.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

I just finished listening to this. On some of his points, I kept backing up so I could relisten to them and try to embed them in my memory. To me, every idea was like gold. I never could talk about the monuments (not that there is a lot of talk about them up here in NH) because I could not articulate what I felt. He articulated - perfectly - what I felt and about Lee too. I know not every Unionist admires Lee but I do. Was he flawed? Yes and I am too and so aren't we all. But I agreed with 99% of what he had to say about Lee - I couldn't articulate that clearly before either.

I didn't find one thing he said rambling or sentimental. I think he spoke clearly, articulately and to the point. If there was any complaint, the microphones for questions at the end didn't seem to be working for all the questions - at least at the beginning.

I didn't quite agree with him about Jeff Davis, but that's for another day.

Edited to add: He made an excellent, excellent point, that if we find certain things from CW history "offensive" or "not safe" (have never understood that one), when do we start tearing down the WWI and WWII stuff? He tied it in very, very nicely. But you need to go listen to it.

 

[PrivateBrooke]

I do think, and this was an idea he touched on briefly, these monuments need plaques that explain EXACTLY who they were, what they did, and what they felt, within the context of their time.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

I do think, and this was an idea he touched on briefly, these monuments need plaques that explain EXACTLY who they were, what they did, and what they felt, within the context of their time.

Yes - he did say that. Plaques are needed for today. Primarily because so much of the roaming public AND a lot of educators btw are uneducated in American History and what Heritage actually means. The statues themselves and the people in them no longer have any meaning, besides the meaning that loud-mouth groups (who themselves don't understand the history) appropriate and whip the crowds up with for hate and/or their own agendas. The generation that understood the meaning of the different leaders is gone. Also, as he kept referencing Virginia and he is obviously very, very proud of his great state of Virginia, the state itself has changed. He wants, for one particular statue (and I don't remember which one) a montage of figures to represent what Virginia is NOW - female, black, white, male, hispanic, etc. Not to show the token groups but to show how the state has grown and blossomed and what it has become through all those people and groups.

 

[PrivateBrooke]

Exactly. We can't expect people to know, if we aren't willing to educate them. Like an old supervisor once said to me, "I can't expect you guys to learn from your mistakes, if you don't know what those mistakes actually are." Some may not want to listen, but I believe most are very willing to listen and to try to learn something.

 

[dlofting]

As @Bee said you need to listen carefully to the entire presentation to get the overall message, otherwise you'll end up focusing on the parts you either agree with or disagree with......at least that was what I found. His advocacy of discussion, respectful debate and compromise as the underpinning of a democratic society is something I strongly support.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

As @Bee said you need to listen carefully to the entire presentation to get the overall message, otherwise you'll end up focusing on the parts you either agree with or disagree with......at least that was what I found. His advocacy of discussion, respectful debate and compromise as the underpinning of a democratic society is something I strongly support.

Excellent, excellent post. The entire presentation is what makes it a real whole message. You do not want to cherry pick this.

 

[CMWinkler]

I posted this because I watched this yesterday. I found myself not in complete agreement, but mostly so. His words and reasoning, in my view shows a way forward from the current impasse of those who wish to tear down monuments. I am a big fan of Dr. Robertson and respect his views immensely.

 

[cash]

Who's that guy in the maroon Virginia Tech t-shirt?

 

[Bee]

View attachment 198789

Who's that guy in the maroon Virginia Tech t-shirt?

I saw another guy towards the back dressed in the VT uniform, also

 

[Jamieva]

That's #2 fan in the Bud Robertson fan club cause I'm #1