U.S. Military Academy at West Point: Victim of Historical Revisionism?

[Rampage]

West Point expected to be ordered to take down portrait of Robert E. Lee​

POLITICO

Robert E. Lee was an excellent West Point cadet, one of only 6 in his graduating class to not receive a demerit.

Lee is famous for fighting for the rebels in the U.S. Civil War, winning victories at Bull Run (1862), Fredericksburg (1862), and Chancellorsville (1863) before surrendering to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox (1865). Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, also a West Point grad.

It's understandable that the Rebel Battle Flag may be offensive to some.

But where does political correctness end, and historical revisionism begin? Robert E. Lee was an impressive man who earned an enviable record at West Point. Take down his portrait anyway?

 

[mark mywords]

I dont think that they should take it down........they should just put it beside the portraits of Saddam Hussein, Adolf Hitler, Kaiser Wilhelm.

 

[sear]

"Saddam Hussein, Adolf Hitler, Kaiser Wilhelm." mm #2

Also grads of West Point?

Lee & Grant were both West Point grads. But their personalities were quite different, opposite in some ways. Lee might have been more widely regarded the more personable. Grant known for smoking cigars and swilling whiskey.

Hiding a personal shame is one thing. But it's a short route to national self-delusion to paint a Disney cartoon face with happy ending on the more realistically textured panorama of national history.

"I dont think that they should take it down...." mm #2

On that we can vehemently agree.

 

[mark mywords]

Lee was indicted on charges of treason, but in a move of which Trump would have been proud Jackson talked the talk about a trial but a trial never actually happened (the indictment was "mislaid" for 75 years)


does any one think that Fort Benning has a portrait of Michael Behenna on display?
(Michael Behenna was convicted of war crimes and later pardoned by Trump)

 

[Rampage]

​

mark, in Lt. Behenna context, why was Lee's portrait on display for so long?

American Civil War - Wikipedia​

In total the war left between 620,000 and 750,000 soldiers dead, along with an undetermined number of civilian casualties.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War

However impressive Lee was, he got a whole lot of people killed. Civilian casualty count unknown.

 

[mark mywords]

mark, in Lt. Behenna context, why was Lee's portrait on display for so long?

for the same reason that various cities had his statue standing for so long?
(A great many people in the "South" dont accept the fact that they lost)

 

[sear]

"for the same reason that various cities had his statue standing for so long?" mm #6
The status quo.

"The despotism of custom is everywhere the standing hindrance to human advancement." John Stuart Mill 1806 - 1873

"(A great many people in the "South" dont accept the fact that they lost)" mm #6

I believe it was a "country / western" musician that said: If while in the South you hear talk about "the war", they're not talkin' about Vietnam.

The victors write the history. I'm not whining about the enormous privilege I was born to as an American. But I can't ignore the genocide, the loss of culture and wisdom that was sacrificed in compiling fortress America. I'm convinced it's a bad idea to sculpture our history for glory. There are too many pitfalls to mention here. But fostering a national zeitgeist of perpetual manifest destiny and inerrant entitlement is gargantuan self-sabotage. Self-delusion about global moral supremacy is a recipe for human misery. At very least it's anti-democratic. Every people is entitled to a place at the table.

"I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power the greater it will be." Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), U.S. president. Letter, 12 June 1815