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HERITAGE and TRUTH

Confederate Monuments

By Glenda DavisPublished 4 years ago 10 min read
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Heritage and Truth

The quote, may you live in interesting times, is commonly called a curse, just as the quote, better to be a dog in times of tranquility than a human in times of chaos, which explains the curse more fully.

We are living through one of the most interesting times of our nation. From coronavirus to the racism of the United States of America to the climate crisis to the struggle for economic equality, along with a highly dysfunctional government and political system, we are smack dab in the middle of one of the most interesting times history has ever seen.

As our country struggles to find its way back to peace and tranquility, there are disputes around the correct way to move our country forward. One of those struggles is around the debate about the confederate flag and the many monuments erected around our nation.

Those who want them to remain, site their historical heritage to their family and community. They don’t consider the origin of the confederacy, its purpose or the fact that the confederates ceded from the United States of America and killed tens of thousands of United States citizens.

In his cornerstone speech Alexander H. Stephens said

“But not to be tedious in enumerating the numerous changes for the better, allow me to allude to one other though last, not least. The new constitution has put at rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution African slavery as it exists amongst us the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution. Jefferson in his forecast, had anticipated this, as the "rock upon which the old Union would split." He was right. What was conjecture with him, is now a realized fact. But whether he fully comprehended the great truth upon which that rock stood and stands, may be doubted. The prevailing ideas entertained by him and most of the leading statesmen at the time of the formation of the old constitution, were that the enslavement of the African was in violation of the laws of nature; that it was wrong in principle, socially, morally, and politically. It was an evil they knew not well how to deal with, but the general opinion of the men of that day was that, somehow or other in the order of Providence, the institution would be evanescent and pass away. This idea, though not incorporated in the constitution, was the prevailing idea at that time. The constitution, it is true, secured every essential guarantee to the institution while it should last, and hence no argument can be justly urged against the constitutional guarantees thus secured, because of the common sentiment of the day. Those ideas, however, were fundamentally wrong. They rested upon the assumption of the equality of races. This was an error. It was a sandy foundation, and the government built upon it fell when the "storm came and the wind blew.”

Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth. This truth has been slow in the process of its development, like all other truths in the various departments of science. It has been so even amongst us. Many who hear me, perhaps, can recollect well, that this truth was not generally admitted, even within their day. The errors of the past generation still clung to many as late as twenty years ago. Those at the North, who still cling to these errors, with a zeal above knowledge, we justly denominate fanatics. All fanaticism springs from an aberration of the mind from a defect in reasoning. It is a species of insanity. One of the most striking characteristics of insanity, in many instances, is forming correct conclusions from fancied or erroneous premises; so with the anti-slavery fanatics. Their conclusions are right if their premises were. They assume that the negro is equal, and hence conclude that he is entitled to equal privileges and rights with the white man. If their premises were correct, their conclusions would be logical and just but their premise being wrong, their whole argument fails.”

Stephens, throughout his cornerstone speech, makes it clear, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the peculiar institution of African slavery was the immediate cause of the rupture of the union and the cause of the revolution we call the Civil War.

Stevens said the founders believed the enslavement of Africans was in violation of the laws of nature; yet many of the founders, themselves, held slaves in a system they themselves believed was a VIOLATION of the laws of nature.

Stephens also says the founders were dealing with an EVIL they didn’t know how to handle, so left it to die on it’s on over time.

Without any doubt, the cornerstone of the confederacy and the Civil War was in protection of the peculiar institution of chattel slavery, the enslavement of African Americans and the belief that White people were inherently superior to Black people of the land.

One hundred-fifty odd years later, what does any of this have to do with removing the confederate flag and its associated monuments, as well as some of the founders? In embracing these historical figures, whether they admit it or not, they are honoring what the confederates fought for, the continued enslavement and subjugation of Black human beings in a system flooded with crimes against humanity because they believed Black people to be inferior to White people.

The Cambridge dictionary defines monument as a structure, building or statue built to HONOR a special person or event.

The word people tend to ignore when dealing with the confederate flag and the associated monuments, as well as the founding fathers is HONOR.

What is the definition of honor? A quality that combines respect, being proud, and honesty.

Therein lies the problem with the monuments and the confederate flag. Providing respect and honor to people who committed genocide and innumerable crimes against humanity, not only aligns you with the celebration of genocide and crimes against humanity, it belittles the people it happened to. That alignment infers a sense of pride in the behavior and actions of people who committed monstrous acts of cruelty, but also implies they are people whose character should be not only admired, but emulated.

Not withstanding the fact that the majority of the confederate monuments went up during the Civil Rights Movement in protests and complaint of an unjust country, the monuments pay homage to people deserving of none.

Our nation tends to gloss over and ignore the abuses of slavery and for reasons of convenience, forgets it was a system of abuse and misuse that swam deeply in crimes against humanity.

Those who want to honor these people forget they were people who wanted to continue an evil system that upheld and defended:

The rape of men, women and children

Teaching English at the end of a whip

Beatings for speaking their native tongue

The use of various torture devices to maintain control

Destruction of families through the selling of its members

Selling of their own biological children they created through rape

Beatings for various reasonings including the attempt to acquire edible food

Providing scraps for food

Barely clothing them unless they were considered toddlers (under 6), then they were left naked

Forcing the enslaved to witness the rape, beatings and tortures of their family and friends

Medical experimentation to advance medicine

Severe beatings for being lazy when ill

Severe beatings for running away

All while working for free.

These actions and truths which are not the complete list of abuses and atrocities are dismissed by saying it was a different time and they had different standards, and those that echo those words are right. It was a different time in which the founders who allowed slavery to exist, knew and understood their actions were evil, yet they not only allowed it, some reveled in it. Yet those who say it was a differnt time, admire the people of that time.

Those who scream they must honor their confederate ancestors and the founding fathers fail to acknowledge they were sociopathic psychopaths, hellbent on genocide and crimes against humanity for personal pleasure and profit. They want to honor people who would put modern day serial killers to shame and look like rank amateurs.

Yes, many will yell, that is not who their relative they want to honor was, but are they sure? Alexander Stephens was extremely clear on his beliefs. Those who supported the confederacy were intelligent enough to understand what they were fighting and dying for and it had nothing to do with states rights. And if it wasn't about states rights, why lie and say it was?

Maybe some people need to rethink the way they view their ancestors. Instead of giving them admiration, maybe it is time to accept they were highly flawed people with sociopathic tendencies. Instead of cherishing their monstrous acts and betrayal of the United States through monuments that glorify their actions, it is time to accept their ancestors as people who wanted to commit crimes against humanity for money that they happen to have love in their hearts toward.

Stephens said, “All fanaticism springs from an aberration of the mind from a defect in reasoning. It is a species of insanity. One of the most striking characteristics of insanity, in many instances, is forming correct conclusions from fancied or erroneous premises;”

The average person who supports the confederate monuments is not a monster, yet for reason, unknown, they cling to the memory of people willing to die to continue committing monstrous acts as those to be admired; and if you admire them, are they someone you want to emulate as well? Are they people you want your children to one day become?

No matter how it’s presented, the founding fathers and confederates developed one of the most monstrous systems to provide them with both personal pleasure and profit. Viewing them any other way creates the division and chaos we are seeing on our streets. It opened the door for centuries of injustice and inequality that remains in place, even today. It opened the door for dual laws, dual education, dual justice and ensured that the United States of America will never have liberty and justice for all.

Our refusal to clearly embrace the truths of our nation but instead teach our children lies, myths and fairytales whilst telling them people who were highly flawed and in some instances, flat out evil, has not served our nation well. And in truth, if they were as great as they are being made out to be, why hide the monstrous acts they enjoyed committing? Implying that people who did monstrous acts against human beings were great, also implies the people they committed genocide and various crimes against humanity against were expendable.

Stephens was right, the founding fathers built our nation on a sandy foundation, and just as there was a damning shift to the Civil War when the storm of truth awoke and the wind blew, another shift is coming. We need to ensure truth rides the wave of the current storm; cause as the wind blows, our nation won’t survive many more explosions hidden under lies, myths and fairytales of monstrous men and women being great.

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About the Creator

Glenda Davis

The purpose of this blog will be to discuss race relations, learn history and hopefully help us all to be more patient, understanding, emphatic.

I am a 59 year old Black woman, a veteran Sargent of the United States Air Force and a retiree.

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