Confederate Monuments Pros And Cons

Civil War Monuments The Confederate monuments from the Civil War in many cities, colleges, and universities are being asked to be taken down. The monuments are causing problems between the U.S. citizens. Many people are protesting and saying that the monuments are a symbol of racism, and symbolism of traitors to the U.S., and are used to show white supremacy. These monuments should be taken down from the public but they should not be destroyed.

During the Civil War slavery was still on going and a lot people will disagree with the statement that it was the reason for the Civil War. This Monument highlights the work of the cavalry, infantry and naval forces who fought in the Civil War. It also surrounded by statues of General Robert E. Lee, General Albert Johnson, General Stonewell Jackson and also Confederate President Jefferson Davis. One of the significant men in this monument is General Robert E. Lee they put him on a high pedestal even though he was a slave owner. According to Slavery in Arlington “Robert E. Lee—the executor of the estate—determined that the slave labor was necessary to improve Arlington's financial status.”

Nevertheless, the purpose of the memorial was controversial itself because there were different views on what the memorial would mean. In the article, “The Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Commemorating a Difficult Past”, Wagner and Schwartz state three issues that arise when a memorial will be constructed. “(1) the social problems of fixing painful parts of the past (a military defeat, a generation of unredeemed veterans) in the public consciousness, (2) the political problem of commemorating an event for which there is no national consensus, and (3) the cultural problem of working through and against traditional expectations about the war memorial genre” (Wagner and Schwartz). As a group, Americans had to cooperate with one another to determine

A growing problem in the United States has been the removal of Confederate Civil War Memorials. When posed with the question “What should the United States do with/about Confederate Civil War memorials and statues?” I would side with those opposed to the removal. Today I will share with you my three main reasons why these Confederate Civil War memorials should not be removed. First, history repeats itself and if future generations cannot learn from the past we will be no better off in the future.

Growing up, I was told that students are taught history to prevent repeats of mistakes made in the past. Museums are buildings in which artifacts of interest are put on display for the public to learn about the history of the artifact and the role it played in the past. As years go by, museums are being replaced with the easiness and convenience of technology. With more children being immersed into electronics, the connection to the past is lost. The removal of the Confederate flag from the capitol of South Carolina removes a piece of history from the public eye and further disconnects newer generations from an important event in America’s past.

Dr. Patrick Miller gave an amazing and interesting speech on the issue of the Confederate flag and monuments. The presenter went through the history of what the Confederate flag once stood for and how it became a symbol that affects minorities today. I really like how he was able to relate everything that was occurring in modern times. Something that surprised me is the vast amount of monuments that are still stand to this very day. Dr. Miller told the audience the great lengths people have gone to remove anything that is related to the Confederacy, for example, the many schools in the south were renamed after Obama since they were originally named after Confederate fugues, such as: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis.

istory should stay as how it is and that all the symbols that are in place right now should stay where they are and no one should have the right to take them down or destroy them. People want to take down the statue of Robert E Lee, Also in world war on the ship that had a lot of power would be the uss patapsco because on the top of the iron ship it had a turret that could turn 360 degrees unlike the css Tennessee that had its weapons on the side. Robert e Lee and the ship both had power in the civil war. The use of power in “More than stones and symbols” and the fact of the uss Patapsco and the css tennessee is evident; however , the historical perspectives of each creator contrasting idea related to people believing and speaking out about whether we should keep the symbols of history and learn from them. These two sources show that we should learn from our history.

Why doesn’t certain statutes get the same recognition as the main and attention as bigger memorials. Some memorials get more attention than others Americans find the making of large national monuments would stand out more than the smaller memorials. Argument, however, is without political meanings, and when the public space in question is the National Mall the political meanings are amplified. In many cases, these aesthetic arguments echo, and are perhaps proxies for, political arguments. The belief, expressed by many critics, that the memorial should not be where it is, that it destroys the integrity of the open mall, impedes vistas and disrupts the flow of space, can be read as basic resistance to filling open space with meaning.

I feel that congress should not make a national monument for those who move to the west in the 1850s and 1860s, which are known as pioneers. I feel that they shouldn’t do this because it is a historical site or geographical area that is set aside by a national government and is maintained for public use. A national monument may cause fights, because it is created from any land that is owned or controlled by the government. National monuments also need proper care and management for the objects in order for them to be protected. National monuments also require a fee before entering, which back in the 1850s and 1860s people didn’t really have any money, especially to be spent on a monument.

Ambrose believes the Washington Monument and National Mall are appropriate symbolic locations for civil “controversy, protest, and persuasion” because it reminds us greatness comes at a price. Ambrose writes that over the past 100 years, the area has been a center for controversy such as the Civil rights movement, and protesting the Vietnam war. Ambrose also states that on the Mall “our national discord is on display” and that allows us to call for immediate action. We see today that Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech is revolutionary, but it also took place on the National Mall. The Mall symbolizes protest and it also acknowledges the great people who have stood for this country, such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.