Regarding Confederate Monuments

Once again, the fate of Confederate monuments is on the the front burner of public debate in America.

From the DFW affiliate of CBS News:

“The debate about Confederate statues in Dallas intensified on Monday as a group made up of predominantly African Americans called for the monuments to remain standing.

Several cities across America have now begun to remove or talk about removing Confederate markers shortly after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville turned deadly.

Former city council member Sandra Crenshaw thinks removing the statues won’t help.

. . . Crenshaw, along with some Buffalo Solider historians and Sons of Confederate Veterans are coming together to help protect the Confederate markers from toppling over in Dallas.

They feel the monuments, like the Freedman’s Cemetery, tell an important story and help heal racial wounds.

“Some people think that by taking a statue down, that’s going to erase racism,” said Crenshaw. “Misguided.”

City council member Philip Kingston disagrees. . . “These monuments distort history, they don’t teach history,” said Kingtson.”

Now for my two-bits worth.

Yes, Confederate monuments represent history, but it is up to present generations of adults to make sure that the history represented is properly taught.

I will say here what I have said elsewhere. I am in favor of Confederate statues remaining on public property on one condition: Such statues should have added to them plaques which say, “This statue represents one(s) who fought to keep black Americans enslaved.”

Likewise, if the Confederate flag is displayed on public property or in text books, then it should be accompanied by the following statement: “During the Nineteenth Century, this flag represented people who fought to keep black Americans enslaved. During the mid-Twentieth Century, this flag represented people who tried to prevent black Americans from having the same rights as white Americans.”

At least then an accurate record of American history would be on display.