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© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Robert E Lee statue removed in Charlottesville
By SARAH RANKIN CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
44 Comments
oldman_13
Good, about time.
Commodore Perry
Removing a piece of history from American history.
SuperLib
The history will always be there, the statue will be gone.
The Avenger
Robert E. Lee himself didn't want Confederate statues to be put up after the war. As he reasonably assumed they would only serve to divide people further.
Jobbo
That kind of statue is hurtful to many, can they just put it in a museum instead.
Jsapc
Errrr why is that exactly? Did Diocletian fight a secession war to keep his slaves at any point?
Actually, they weren't.
https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/were-the-egyptian-pyramids-built-by-slaves/
ulysses
Good!!!
Those who support confederacy and it’s symbols can go find another country. And they can take their leader with them!!!!
Mocheake
Goodbye and good riddance. Why have a statue of a traitor to Union in the first place? Don't like it then just secede again and don't come back.
There's a lot of American history that isn't represented by statues and that statue represents Southern secessionist history. It does NOT represent the UNITED STATES. It represents the Confederate states.
Commodore Perry
P. SmithToday 08:13 am JST
The statue already existed, so is part of US history the same as it being in a book--maybe burn those too. People should learn from it instead of being triggered by it.
And Lee isn't a traitor. First, secession was legal during that period. Second, President Andrew Johnson pardoned most of the Confederate soldiers. The Supreme Court held that this full pardon granted a legal status of innocence to the offenders. Finally, Robert E. Lee's full rights of citizenship were posthumously restored by a congressional resolution to take effect in 1865. So, these people might be racists, but they are not legally traitors.
Anyway if the cancel culture is really upset by these kind of statues, they have a lot of work set out for them--lots more statues, monuments and so forth to tear down.
Let's go after the guy who said this; sounds like s racist doesn't it:
I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races,
while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.
Next in line for destruction, the Lincoln Memorial, And get a head start on the canceling and tear up all your five dollar bills.
Mat
If you had an abusive father as a child, you wouldn't keep a photo of him on the fireplace. This isn't about re-writing or deleting history, that's impossible. It's about statue of it in a public space.
This really is not difficult to understand.
zurcronium
The rightwing capital invading types do love their racism and the symbols thereof. But never hear them asking to have Hirohito immortalized like they want Lee to be. Both invaded the United States and tried to defeat it.
But their racism covers Asians I guess as well as blacks. Maybe a statue of King George III would be acceptable.
Jsapc
There are no statues of Hitler, Goebbels and Himmler anywhere in Germany, and they have never left any history book.
Statues are for glorification, not for history lessons. If you don't understand the difference between the two, you're either very dishonest or quite simple a dum-dum.
Commodore Perry
MatToday 08:52 am JST
Robert Lee's child was taking down that statue? Who said Robert E. Lee was abusive?
And the fireplace is not in a public space--it would be private, right?
So it actually is difficult to understand what you are saying.
Regardless, if the libs are going to take down statues of people they deem racist be consistent. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin--they all owned slaves. Franklin D. Roosevelt--he put Americans into internment camps.
So let's start off by going for the big one--the Washington Monument.
Come on libs--let's hear why this is different.
Busby
Repubs and the MAGA-Mob want to keep a statue of someone who waged war on our country and wanted to overthrow the government...
Given their actions on Jan 6th, that seems wholly consistent...
I hear they want to erect a statue of the Q Shaman at the Capitol...
ulysses
Always amusing to see people trying to cancel an election whine about cancel culture!!!!
Not really difficult for those who have reading and comprehension skills, but then the right wing nutters wouldn’t be right wing nutters if they were smart.
Logical_Fallacy_Killer
Losers, traitors, and enemies of the US don't get statues.
Commodore Perry
JsapcToday 09:02 am JST
Is that supposed to be an analogy? And that is your opinion on the purpose of statues.
So you are comparing George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Ben Franklin with Hitler, Goebbels, and Himmler?
I'm game, if you have a logical progression from that premise. Let it fly!
bass4funk
Every statue and I mean EVERY single one should go, even the ones liberals approve of, let’s make it fair and get rid of all of them
Logical_Fallacy_Killer
Commie Perry is begging the question and strawmaning. Literally no one is trying to take down The Lincoln Memorial.
Lincoln wasn't a traitor to the US.
R. Lee is only known for 2 thing. Ordering the murder of US troops because he wanted to own other human beings as property. The other thing he is known for is being a loser. Waving the white flag with his tail between his legs.NOMINATION
You are adamant about this but didn't bat an eyelid when people were tearing down Lincoln statues.
smithinjapan
Good. High time we started getting rid of statues honoring racist bigots, fascists, and what not.
bass4funk: "Every statue and I mean EVERY single one should go, even the ones liberals approve of, let’s make it fair and get rid of all of them"
So, you're saying the statue of a little girl, promoting peace and having been a leukemia victim after the atomic bombings is the same as Robert E. Lee. Okay. Gotcha.
Jsapc
It's not "supposed to", it actually is.
What other purposes do statues serve, exactly?
Nope. I'm comparing Robert E. Lee to Hitler and Goebbels.
Jsapc
Some people really need to be aware why the confederate statues were erected in the first place.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Confederate_monuments_and_memorials
Confederate monument-building has often been part of widespread campaigns to promote and justify Jim Crow laws in the South. According to the American Historical Association (AHA), the erection of Confederate monuments during the early 20th century was "part and parcel of the initiation of legally mandated segregation and widespread disenfranchisement across the South." According to the AHA, memorials to the Confederacy erected during this period "were intended, in part, to obscure the terrorism required to overthrow Reconstruction, and to intimidate African Americans politically and isolate them from the mainstream of public life." A later wave of monument building coincided with the civil rights movement, and according to the AHA "these symbols of white supremacy are still being invoked for similar purposes." According to Smithsonian Magazine, "far from simply being markers of historic events and people, as proponents argue, these memorials were created and funded by Jim Crow governments to pay homage to a slave-owning society and to serve as blunt assertions of dominance over African-Americans."
This what you are openly defending here. Pure, unadultered racism.
ulysses
KKK had rallied around the lee statue after it was unveiled in 1924.
It’s no surprise the klan apologists are upset when it got taken down!!!
Commodore Perry
bass4funkToday 09:29 am JST
They're not listening, not surprisingly.
So let's hear it--Robert Lee owned slaves, as did George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin---so take down the statues and memorials to them or not? And Abe Lincoln was a racist!
Very very simple question.
bass4funk
Racist? The Democrats created the klan, the current President eulogized a former Grand Wizard who said atrocious things about blacks, the same man that Hillary called a mentor.
Well, both are still around having done nothing for the black community. You want to get rid of Lee’s statue, fine! Just don’t make phony outrageous claims that Democrats are the champions of freedom democracy and racial harmony and equality.
takeda.shingen.1991@gmail.com
What a lame and boring question. No. We shouldn't tear down their statues. Sure they owned slaves, but that isn't primarily how they are remembered. We don't have statues of Washington or Jefferson to glorify slavery. But the same cannot be said about statues of Lee or other Confederates- Their only purpose is to glorify their efforts, their attempt to rebel against the government, because they wanted to own people.
ulysses
Yes and instead of living in the past try moving into the present.
The klansmen sure are hurt at losing lee’s statue, lashing out at everyone and everything is a natural reaction!!!
Commodore Perry
bass4funkToday 09:52 am JST
Yep.
Come on Libs--Bass and I would definitely take up any of your challenges.
So let's hear it--Robert Lee owned slaves, as did George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin---so take down the statues and memorials to them or not? Anyone can out together a logical argument in favor or against?
And here's a good one--Robert E. Lee's Civil War adversary general who led the Union--you know, the guys who wanted the slaves to be freed--his name is Ulysses Grant.
And he was a slaveowner, Take down his statue too?
takeda.shingen.1991@gmail.com
Yeah because clearly Republicans are champions of justice and civil rights, which is why Republicans are trying hard to keep the statues of.....the people who fought for their right to own slaves. Brilliant argument, as per usual.
Jsapc
Why ask us for logical arguments you know you're going to completely ignore?
Robert E. Lee's statue wasn't taken down because he "owned slaves". It was taken down because he fought a war in order to keep owning slaves (and lost that war).
George Washington didn't fight a war in order to keep owning slaves.
Thomas Jefferson didn't fight a war in order to keep owning slaves.
Ben Franklin didn't fight a war in order to keep owning slaves.
It's really quite simple.
ulysses
Klansmen never miss a chance to attack the minorities!!!
Jan 6th was the biggest attack on democracy since the civil war and yet the bigots refuse to acknowledge it.
bass4funk
Yes, when you factor in what Lincoln did and died for and how the Dems were against the voting rights act of 1964, the NRA, yeah they did.
No, the reason is, why not keep the good and the bad and learn from the past so that we don’t fall back into the ugliness that divided the nation, not to glorify, but to use as a learning tool for future generations.
takeda.shingen.1991@gmail.com
Yet another very good and smart comment. Yes, let's keep the good and bad of slavery. I'm sure there was something somewhere that was good for someone in slavery.
You don't need a statue for teaching history. They are put up to glorify people. There are no statues of Hitler in Germany, but everyone knows who Hitler is.
bass4funk
This is why you shouldn’t vote Democrat.
Yes, bigger than WWI Pearl Harbor, WWII, Vietnam and 9/11 we know, we know, CNN tells us this 24/7 that’s why people stopped watching them, it’s the constant vegan diet of media indoctrination.
We acknowledge it, we just wish Democrats would acknowledge a lot of their tarnished past.
Commodore Perry
Also removed Saturday was a statue depicting Sacagawea, and explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, which has been criticized for a depiction of the Native American guide and interpreter some view as subservient and weak.
These people were not slaves, and did not fight wars to keep slavery. But the libs are bothered by something they feel shows subserviency and weakness. Ok . . . .
JsapcToday 10:08 am JST
No, I give you credit for giving it a crack. It even kind of makes sense. On the other hand, George Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Ulysses Grant--all slave owners, like Robert E. Lee--their statues can stay just because they did not fight a war in order to keep owning slaves?
Jefferson even wrote "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,"--but this did not apply to slaves. So in declaring independence from Britain, the colonies were keeping slavery.
That's where you lose me. I'm with Bassfunk---be consistent and take down all those statues of slaveowners and racists.
takeda.shingen.1991@gmail.com
lol No. They should stay because their historical value is not confined to fighting to uphold the institution of slavery.
Commodore Perry
JsapcToday 10:08 am JST
So was it right, or wrong for these people to tear down this Thomas Jefferson statue?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8423759/Thomas-Jefferson-statue-Portland-high-school-downed-protesters.html?fbclid=IwAR2dYOs6IDvf5GUDq9dwf38WORqh_GR2dAkSdek5W7-eWvcM_oZ31otzDxM
Stewie
Anything that attracts the idolisation of the KKK and neonazis should rightly be gone, for good.