Argumentative Essay: Should Monuments Be Removed?

The debate over how the Confederate and Columbus monuments should be treated starting from Confederate monuments in Southern cities like Charlottesville, VA has led to similar debates over Columbus monuments in northern cities like New York over what the statues have come to represent to people. In which to some it has come to represent racism, slavery, oppression, and destruction, but to others it is an honor towards their ancestors, culture, and race. Though in the end the Confederate monuments should just be left alone as there is no assurance that in the removal, destruction, or transfer of these monuments will stop or end the controversy involving the monuments in question towards both the supporting and opposing sides

These statues are not only a part of our history, but also a landmark for people to see and learn about our country’s past. Reconstruction and the monuments were both interpreted in the wrong way. A quote from the article, “We Need to Move, Not Destroy, Confederate Monuments” said “when you find yourself at a crime scene, you don’t destroy the evidence. You preserve it for the prosecution. In the case of images like this, the prosecutor is history, and the trial may be a long one, stretching far into the future, with many witnesses called.” Eric Foner even mentions in his article that “But the era has long been misunderstood.” Both the monuments and Reconstruction need to be looked at in a different way than what they are right now. Jennifer Schuessler also stated in her article that “In recent decades, historians, most notably, Eric Foner, has discredited such stereotypes, painting a more inspiring picture of a hopeful if different era. But that work has been slow to seep into the consciousness.” This shows that people are not learning the truth about Reconstruction just like they are judging those sculptures the wrong way. William R. Black also states in his article that some former presidents had slaves, and people want their monuments to be taken down. However, the monuments were made to praise the good that those presidents have done

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. The monuments require a fee in order to help pay for

A monument that is not desired will not be effective or honored such as the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota. People have to favor a monument being put in place in order for it to work. An example of this would be the Crazy Horse Memorial sculpture being developed in South Dakota. Lawrence Downes argues in Source C (Downes), “The Crazy Horse Memorial has some of the same problems: it is most definitely an unnatural landmark. Some of the Indians I met in South Dakota voiced their own misgivings, starting with the fact that it presumes to depict a proud man who was never captured in a photograph or drawn from life.” The landmark being put in place to honor Crazy Horse is not very well supported, therefore, it will not be very

In Atlanta Ga, Charlottesville Nc, and in every other formerly Confederate State in the U.S. there has been controversial debates on whether or not the current standing Confederate statues should be removed from public areas. Many people claim that a modern society should not honor the racist soldiers who fought for slavery. Others believe that preserving historical accuracy is essential to learning from the mistakes of the past. The opinions of thousands of citizens clash with one another over the debate between offense and information. I believe that it is most beneficial for the majority of people if the current Confederate monuments remain where they are.

In the news today, a continual debate can be found about the significance of Confederate monuments and if they should remain or be removed. Confederate monuments that have been erected throughout the U.S. should be kept because of the preservation of America’s history. For instance, in the article, The Unbearable Lightness of Confederate-Statue Removal, the author lists how slaveholder monuments aren’t the only statues being vandalized, but the Lincoln Memorial and Mount Rushmore are other symbols of U.S. history that some believe need to “blow up” (Murdock). Every historical symbol can have both people who appreciate it and who oppose it. That doesn’t mean that we should tear down all symbols, but symbols in appropriate context lead to better

Monuments that are constructed in order to give commendation to people, places, or events are located all over the globe. It is very possible for someone to find a few in their very own town. Although there may be negative controversy on certain monuments, many throughout the world have changed individual’s lives tremendously in a beneficial way. One monument in particular has stood tall through it all and has had so much positive effect on millions of people from the beginning of time. One hundred and thirty years later this monument continues to impact people’s lives from all over the world.

Southern Confederate statues and buildings, some feel it is important to remember history or it will repeat itself. Remembering our past even when it is painful will help us to not make the same mistake again. Some people want to tear down statues of General Robert E. Lee and get rid of the stars and bars (confederate flag). To get rid of those things would be like getting rid of someone 's ancestry and earacing

Recently, our country has been under scrutiny for racial discrimination. From police brutality to shootings at a church, America’s racial problems that were swept under the rug for so long have come back out into the light. After the racially­motivated shooting of nine people in South Carolina, many petitions were made regarding the removal of Confederate flags and monuments, including the removal of the historic carving on the side of Stone Mountain, but I believe this would be a terrible mistake.

The location, design, and the moment chosen to memorialize are all tremendous factors to take into consideration when building a great monument. If the world would take these considerations into account, we would have less problems with the impolite and disgraceful creation of disrespectful memorials and more amazing creations of mankind for the

I feel like this monument should never be ever thought about tearing down. It’s the most honorable monument in the USA. From what i heard from www.nytimes said that it’s one of the most emotional moments ever in the USA. I don’t see why people wouldn’t want such great monuments like the vietnam war memorial war up. It’s one of the best things that we achieved in america 's pastime and a great accomplishment. Every name

From the other side, this statue and other statues are memories to some. If people truly want to keep the statues, the government should move the statues to a specific museum, so people that want to see the statues can. If people don’t want the see them the people don’t have to. Many people also think that it proves many things about the war and the people and that it is worth it to maintain. Would you want your taxes and money to be misspent on this statue?

How can Modernism, which is hailed because of its minimalism, rationalism, and functionalism, produce anything that can remotely be considered a monument? This is a question scholars and architects pondered during the 1940s. Moreover, monuments were not actually required until the post-war era. With the war came totalitarian regimes well acquainted with monumental architecture and unprecedented global causalities, which resulted in a push for memorial projects. One architect that becomes interested in this faltering was Louis Kahn. In his aptly titled essay “Monumentality,” Kahn tackles this question of monumentality. Firstly, he believes “monumentality is enigmatic” and “it cannot be intentionally created.” However, he does believe that all

Monuments Men is a fairly recent film with the premise of a group of soldiers during World War II tasked with protecting the artwork within the continental Europe from those who want to take it. It primarily centers on the story of Frank Stokes, played by George Clooney, and how he is able to assemble a ragtag group of “soldiers” and actually enter the frontlines. Over the course of the story, the group loses a few members, but do manage to discover the stashes of art hidden by Hitler and save it from destruction, including the Ghent Altarpiece and the Lady Madonna. Despite having already watched this movie, is still struck me how much the movie’s message still resonated with me. The movie makes a clear case for the value of art, and I feel