The problem with trying to wipe out historical racism, bigotry and the so called white supremacy is in being consistent in what you target. Currently the targets du jour are the leaders and Generals of the Confederate States of America. Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis represent the worst of historic humanity according to the main stream media, varying politicians, snowflakes and even the ever present Black Lives Matter. Any statue, monument or reference to these men should be torn down, ripped apart and even struck from the history books.
Opinions are the right of every American citizen and the respect of that right should always be acknowledged. My respect for the current opinion about white supremacist hysteria would be much greater, however, if those toppling statues were more consistent in their thinking.
The Founding Fathers are an example. Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee and George Washington all owned slaves. Therefore, given the current thinking, the two most obvious structures in D.C., the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial, should be destroyed immediately giving relief to the thousands daily who are reminded of man’s inhumanity to man.
Monuments are not just stone and mortar. They are also names that have been taken by colleges and universities, high schools and grade schools, municipalities and even streets and boulevards. Examining the first two Founding Fathers listed above, Franklin and Madison, 10 colleges and universities, 80+ municipalities, 30+ counties, hundreds of high schools and elementary schools and even a world-famous avenue have been named after them. For consistency it is now time to rid ourselves of the daily reminder of slave owning white supremacists and abolish their names, and all slave holding Founding Fathers, forever, no matter how inconvenient the task. In addition, there has never been a better time to rid ourselves of that horrendous picture of Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill and replace it with Harriet Tubman, as has been suggested.
How uncomfortable must everyone feel walking down Madison (slave owning/white supremacist) Avenue in New York City. Change the name and do it now and Gov. Cuomo’s heart will gladden.
Sen. Lindsey Graham continually refers to the “Party of Lincoln.” But should Lincoln get a pass when fettering out historic white supremacists? Unfortunately, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, so revered and so canonized today was not all it was cracked up to be.
Lincoln did not believe that blacks should have the same rights as whites. “I will say then that 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.” Lincoln saw the solution to slavery as being outside the borders of the United States. “Free all the slaves and send them to Liberia,” it would be “better for us both therefore to be separated.”
The proclamation was primarily a military policy that sought to enlarge the army with fresh runaway slaves. It succeeded and by war's end, 200,000 Black men served in the Union Army. Most people today however, when asked Lincoln’s greatest achievement, respond by saying, “He freed the slaves.” Unfortunately if you were in bondage in the border states of Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri your status of slave remained exactly the same. “The Emancipation Proclamation didn’t immediately free a single slave as the only places it applied, where the federal government had no control-the Southern states currently fighting against the Union.”
To be consistent, it is time to tear away the façade of Abraham Lincoln and label him the white supremacist he apparently was. According to Nancy Pelosi “the statues in the Capitol should embody our highest ideals as Americans, expressing who we are and who we aspire to be as a nation.” Put them on a boat and send them to Liberia? Really Abe! Demolish the Lincoln Memorial and Nancy will be able to sleep at night.
Given that the D.C. monuments of Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln will be torn down it only seems fitting that so too should Mt. Rushmore. The case could be made that Teddy Roosevelt should not be spared since he too exhibited white supremacist tendencies. He authorized the deaths of almost ¼ million Filipinos, people of color, in the Philippine-American War from 1899 to 1902. Let’s bring the entire mountain down.
We have so much to do in order to re-write our country’s history. Demolishing statues, renaming colleges and universities, municipalities, highways and even an avenue are all important if we all want to feel good again. If we truly want to wipe our history clean and be consistent can we possibly stop with the Confederate States of America?
We can’t and we won’t! Look out George, Thomas and Abraham: We are coming for you next.