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Examples Of Confederate Monuments Patrick Burkhardt

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Revising History The removal of Confederate monuments is a controversial topic in today’s society. Some people view the monuments as a remembrance of American history and honoring the heroic acts performed by the individuals on the battlefield. Other, however, view them as memorials and symbols of hate that were meant to worship or glorify slavery, and want to see them all come down. I do not believe that is an appropriate way to handle the issue because then you erase the history of why the war was really fought which was not just to own slaves. I feel that instead of removing the monuments they should be left alone, but be given some contextual accompaniment to explain it. To fully understand why the monuments are seen as an issue, you …show more content…

Louis, describes The Lost Cause as an “ideology sought to reverse the idea that the Civil War had been a ‘War of Rebellion’ and characterized the South as a region victimized by ‘Northern aggression.’” What Burkhardt is saying is that the South was a victim of the North and that was why they felt the need to secede and fight in retaliation, not rebellion. This way of viewing the monuments was twisted and not seen as justifiable, but as the South “rewriting history” so that they would not be viewed as bad …show more content…

It is a powerful view that distinguishes the difference between monuments and memorials everywhere everywhere. If you were to take these monuments down, then you are forgetting that something happened there that was at one point important enough to remember. The monuments serve as reminder of the events that took place in the south, and the people that were fighting for what they believed in. The people that are depicted in them fought honorably and are worth commemorating, even though they lost the war. The alternative to tearing down the monuments is to add to them. By simply adding a plaque that explains the meaning of the monument and the reason it is there. This is an option that has been proposed in places like Charleston and Ole Miss. Since the South only told part of the story, the plaques would fill in the blanks to complete it, giving the monuments purpose once again. Even though the monuments across the country that are related to the Civil War are viewed in a variety of ways they should not be completely removed. That way of thinking is how history is lost and could someday repeat itself, and it is not fair to the generations to come. There are alternatives that could appease both sides of the debate, all it takes

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