Robert E. Lee Statue Gets Makeover

In a recent article posted by CNN, they bring light to the fact that the General Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond, Virginia recently got a makeover in support of BLM and support of black LGBTQ+ rights.

As a side note: I wonder if someone that is LGBTQ+ is caught saying “All LGBTQ+ rights” would be accused of being homophobic or whatever phobia applies?

Statue of Robert E. Lee gets a makeover with Pride Flag and ‘BLM’ sign

(CNN)Activists in Richmond, Virginia, projected the image of a pride flag and ‘BLM’ on a Confederate statue there Friday night in support of black LGBTQ+ rights.

The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee has been the site of many protests since the death of George Floyd and is the same one currently in legal limbo after the governor’s order to remove it was met with a lawsuit.

After multiple protests, the statue has been covered in multicolor spray paint with phrases like “Black Lives Matter” and “Stop White Supremacy.”

Earlier this month, Gov. Ralph Northam announced he would remove the statue honoring the Confederate general, calling it “wrong” during a news conference.

His effort has currently been stalled by a county circuit judge.

The Lee statue is the largest of several monuments on Monument Avenue in Richmond that honor Virginian Confederate veterans of the Civil War

The Stone Mountain granite carving, a mere stone’s throw from CNN, is the largest obstacle to tackle for this movement.   But is it?

What’s the next logical step?   Renaming Washington D.C.?   Renaming Washington state?I have to say I have always found it oddly fascinating to observe first hand the South’s affection toward its Confederate generals but I don’t give it any thought beyond that.  I have been saying for a while that if monuments continue to be torn down in the name of this country’s past sins with slavery, the next thing I predict will be heterosexual monuments – which could to some represent oppression.

We’ve already got a USS Harvey Milk, so the trend has already been established.  I’m not necessarily down on this trend, but I don’t think things should be driven by “whoever speaks the loudest is the most right.”  There is a silent percentage of people that are fair-minded and will give people a wide path if they honestly feel disrespected, but there comes a point where they then feel disrespected.

Coming back to the South, the Confederacy and the monuments – former Congressman Lieutenant Colonel Allen West had some excellent perspective about the focus being on the wrong thing.

Lt. Col. Allen West on desecration of Confederate monuments: ‘History is not there for you to like or dislike’

West explained that as a young officer in the U.S. Army he had served at places like Fort Bragg — named after Confederate General Braxton Bragg — and commanded a battalion at Fort Hood in Texas which was named after Confederate General John Bell Hood.

“I did not think about them as Confederate generals. I thought about the honor of being able to serve on those military installations,” he remarked.

“And, one of the things that has me absolutely incensed right now is the fact that you had these individuals [who] went up and defaced the monument, the memorial to the 54th Massachusetts regiment there in Boston,” added West.

Renaming bases will not come cheap.  There are signs, logos, reading and marketing materials, manuals, etc. that come with the change.

In my opinion, an in-depth understanding of history is very similar if not complimentary to an in-depth understanding of the biology, chemistry, and physics of the world around you.  Heck, people obtain PhDs in these fields and admit they don’t know everything.  I doubt that many of them are out there among the crowds.

“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.”

— Bertrand Russell —

The following goes for any heated debate about issues over the years and not necessarily this one…

I don’t mean to suggest that people out there expressing their First Amendment rights and conducting legitimate, peaceful protests are fools but it does frighten me that people with very little conceptual understanding of an issue tend to be less calm than someone that has spent the time acquiring a vast foundation of facts that contribute to their position on a certain subject.

“Tend to be less calm” may be expressing this lightly – they tend to be passionate and somewhat intimidating.  Don’t believe me?   Try saying “All Lives Matter” or “All LGBTQ+ rights” right now.  Your job may be at stake.  Not because you have a point, but because you dare to suggest something that deviates from the current narrative.  This is bullying in my opinion and goes against the nation we stand for.

If this is allowed to continue – I often ask people if they truly want the kind of “respect” that comes with people fearing you and are intimidated by you?  Many don’t care and their knee jerk reaction is “yes, no question about it.”  In my opinion, the more lucrative form of “respect” comes from earning it over time and having people see you make decisions under difficult circumstances.  They see your bravery, they see your fairness.

That latter kind of respect takes a lot of time and can only be seen in unique circumstances.  Others would rather take a shortcut.

By the way – Happy Flag Day!

Tags: statues

Category: Politics, Protests/Rallies