Public space is a shared landscape that all citizens have the potential to encounter. These areas, especially in major cities like Philadelphia, are saturated with statues depicting historical figures and a variety of artwork. Memorials are also included in this public area and become a representation of a certain memory for the public to share. When conflicts occur, such as a major war, more than just the government and the military are involved. A nations economy is torn apart, and certain industries and their materials become focused on the war effort.
The 8th grade class took a 4 day trip to Washington. We did many things to explore Washington D.C. including visiting monuments. Some people think differently of how a monument should be made. Good monuments to some people could be to make people remember about the person or thing being remembered or to just reflect the person’s life or importance. In “The Follower Problem” by David Brooks, David thinks a good monument should show power and authority.
Argue for or against a resolution in Congress to create as national monument for those who moved to the West in the 1850s and 1860s, also known as pioneers. The discovery of gold in the Sacramento area in early 1848 started the Gold Rush, which is one of the most significant events that shaped American history during that time. Thousands of prospective gold miners, mostly men, traveled by sea or over land to San Francisco and the surrounding area in search of wealth. Whatever the motivation, the pioneer men and women endured tremendous hardships and sacrificed a great deal to settle in the West Coast. For this reason, I feel that Congress should create a national monument for the pioneers who moved to the West in the 1850s and 1860s.
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 United States should end Plan Columbia Pro side: DeLashmutt-Bencomo wanted to end plan Columbia because of their main claim that the United States foreign policy main goal is to improve human right. They are no signs that plan Columbia is protecting people from human right violations. Since plan Columbia has been in place over eight hundred thousand people have reported to be victims of violence like rape and assault. Plan Columbia has also funded the Columbian military billions of dollars for weapons. These weapons have caused hundreds of extrajudicial civilian killings.
During the gold rush many Americans cross the country to get to California. Many of whom died along the way. Because of this there should be a memorial to remember them by. For without them America wouldn’t be as it is today.
Right now a debate is occurring about whether not we should ratify the Constitution. This is an important moment in our country's history because this is the moment where we could unify and become a government or we could disapprove of the Constitution and have troubles between the country. The Articles of Confederation were not very credible because it gave the states too much power; which were too weak. The debts were not getting payed and the country was in great trouble. The Constitution would let the power will lie with the wealthy men, and not give the power to the states to raise money to pay off debt; the country will still remain in debt if we ratify the Constitution.
Holidays around the world are celebrated to remember and commemorate certain times in history, and to keep those dates important. For quite some time, Columbus Day has been a questionable holiday. Some people say it should be a holiday because we are acknowledging the fact that he discovered the Americas. In contrast, others disagree because of the ways he treated the original inhabitants of the places he discovered. This paper will argue that Columbus Day should not be a holiday because he exploited, murdered, and enslaved many natives throughout his journeys.
Civil War Monuments The Confederate monuments from the Civil War in many cities, colleges, and universities are being asked to be taken down. The monuments are causing problems between the U.S. citizens. Many people are protesting and saying that the monuments are a symbol of racism, and symbolism of traitors to the U.S., and are used to show white supremacy. These monuments should be taken down from the public but they should not be destroyed.
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?
I believe that Confederate monuments should be used as educational opportunities. Younger people can see Confederate monuments and learn from the mistakes of earlier generations. On Memorial Day in 1884, Oliver Holmes Jr. (former Union Veteran) stated. “I believe that our memorial halls, statues, and tablets, the tattered flags of our regiments gathered in the State Houses, are worth more to our younger men by way of inspiration than the monuments of another hundred years of peaceful life could exist”(Federalist 8/18/17). Learning from the shortcomings of others can benefit others in the pursuit of peaceful living.
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
There are many opinions about Columbus Day and whether we should celebrate it as a holiday. I believe the extent in which we should celebrate Columbus Day is just acknowledging him rather than dedicating a federal holiday to him. I would propose to celebrate “Indigenous People’s Day” or “Native Americans’ Day”. My opinion comes from his actual discovery of th New World and his actions after he settled in North America. One reason why I think we should not celebrate Columbus day to the extent of a federal holiday is because of the thinking that Columbus was the one who discovered North America.
Stop Burning the American Flag! Ronald Reagan once said, “When we honor our flag we honor what we stand for as a Nation - freedom, equality, justice, and hope.” The Texas v. Johnson case is a vast problem that seems to be overpowering in today’s society. Since the case began there have been flag burnings all over the country, and no one seems to be concerned since people are not getting disciplined. People should not be burning the flag that so many people fight and lost their lives for.
However, these monuments are history and although they may not be suitable for a public place nowadays, they are sure a great piece of history for a museum. These monuments are part of all that is left from a certain period in our history. Even though the Confederate period, for example, is not the period of the United States that many are proud of it still happened and it is still history. These monuments should be saved for the sake of knowing about the past, not for personal gain. Some monuments can stay in public for everyone to see.
