In Northern government schools it's called "The Civil War". Some in the South call it "The War of Northern Aggression". Sometimes called "the war between the States".
The arguments of justification North & South will not be resolved here. This topic is not about picking a side.
Instead, it's about acknowledging history, premised on the principles:
The U.S. lost more Americans to its own "Civil War" than it did to World War II.
Some U.S. civil rights advocates argue enrolling an African American child in a "public" (euphemism for "government") school named after Robert E. Lee is as bad as enrolling a Jewish child in a school named after Adolf Hitler.
Is it historic revisionism to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from prominent display on public land, to alleviate the insult of reminding of the principles Lee defended?
And what of historic markers like this Stone Mountain carving?
A group of counter-protesters walk towards a group celebrating Confederate Memorial Day at Stone Mountain Park
in Stone Mountain, Georgia, U.S. April 30, 2022. REUTERS/Dustin Chambers/File Photo
ATLANTA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - The heroic images of three Confederate leaders carved into the granite face of Georgia's Stone Mountain have towered over the countryside outside Atlanta since the 1970s, paying silent homage to the Southern cause in the U.S. Civil War.
Its supporters say the monument - often compared with Mount Rushmore - honors those who fought and died for the Confederacy in the 1861-65 war between the states. But detractors have long viewed it as a defiant symbol of white supremacy. They say its messaging needs to be openly acknowledged and put into historical context in the interest of racial justice.
Reuters reports this carving dates back to the 1970's. Would it deserve more historic consideration if it dated back to the 1870's?
And what about now?
To remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from the town square, send in a crane, it can be done in a day. But this Georgia carving is literally in bedrock.
What is the right thing to do?
- Preserve it, and it presents the appearance of endorsing the ambitions of the rebel South.
- Remove or obscure it, & promote the impression of historic revisionism, denialism.
What is the right thing to do? And who should decide?
"Democracy" is often offered as a standard of fairness.
But put the fate of this monument to a plebiscite, Blacks are still a minority.
What should be done with this bedrock carving in Georgia's Stone Mountain?
www.battlefields.org
The arguments of justification North & South will not be resolved here. This topic is not about picking a side.
Instead, it's about acknowledging history, premised on the principles:
The U.S. lost more Americans to its own "Civil War" than it did to World War II.
Some U.S. civil rights advocates argue enrolling an African American child in a "public" (euphemism for "government") school named after Robert E. Lee is as bad as enrolling a Jewish child in a school named after Adolf Hitler.
Is it historic revisionism to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from prominent display on public land, to alleviate the insult of reminding of the principles Lee defended?
And what of historic markers like this Stone Mountain carving?
Battle lines drawn over Confederate tribute at Georgia's Stone Mountain
By Rich McKay / October 11, 20255:06 AM GMT-5A group of counter-protesters walk towards a group celebrating Confederate Memorial Day at Stone Mountain Park
in Stone Mountain, Georgia, U.S. April 30, 2022. REUTERS/Dustin Chambers/File Photo
ATLANTA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - The heroic images of three Confederate leaders carved into the granite face of Georgia's Stone Mountain have towered over the countryside outside Atlanta since the 1970s, paying silent homage to the Southern cause in the U.S. Civil War.
Its supporters say the monument - often compared with Mount Rushmore - honors those who fought and died for the Confederacy in the 1861-65 war between the states. But detractors have long viewed it as a defiant symbol of white supremacy. They say its messaging needs to be openly acknowledged and put into historical context in the interest of racial justice.
Reuters reports this carving dates back to the 1970's. Would it deserve more historic consideration if it dated back to the 1870's?
And what about now?
To remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from the town square, send in a crane, it can be done in a day. But this Georgia carving is literally in bedrock.
What is the right thing to do?
- Preserve it, and it presents the appearance of endorsing the ambitions of the rebel South.
- Remove or obscure it, & promote the impression of historic revisionism, denialism.
What is the right thing to do? And who should decide?
"Democracy" is often offered as a standard of fairness.
But put the fate of this monument to a plebiscite, Blacks are still a minority.
What should be done with this bedrock carving in Georgia's Stone Mountain?
Antietam
Battle of Antietam page - battle maps, history articles, photos, and preservation news on this important 1862 Civil War battle in Maryland.