Why Does Charlottesville Statue So Controversial?

Imagine walking through a town plaza and suddenly spotting a bust depicting Adolf Hitler, or a statue of a Nazi Swastika. A passerby may stare in horror upon its recognition, and wonder why a symbol of such hatred and violence is displayed prominently in a town. These statues would incite an uproar and immediate demands to remove such offensive monuments. Thankfully, such a situation would never arise in modern America; however, a similar plight is unfolding across the country concerning the removal of Confederate statues. Confederate statues should not be displayed in public areas because they are reminders of a time when racial violence went unpunished, they are honoring people who wanted to keep other

Many years prior to the Civil War, Confederate statues, monuments, and other historical figures were placed thoroughly through the nation to represent the the remembrance of the Confederacy. In the “Monumental Battle” article, Laura Anastasia tells of the growing controversy that this nation has about the removal of Confederate monuments. The statues were placed to instill fear in the hearts of African Americans and portray a dominantly white future. THESIS !

One of the most pressing issues affecting america today are the charlottesville riots happening over the taking down of the civil war general statues of Robert E. Lee and many others. Both the ult right and ult left are found protesting in this city trying to protest their views not only the statues taking down. The ult right had a torch lit walk where they expressed their political views of how they hate any other race but white and expressed the white supremacists movement. The ult left was there prosting and expressing their views on gay marriage and transgender rights as well as african american civil rights. On each day on the protesting fights broke out on both sides resulting in many injuries. As well as a member of the ult right ramming

This article traces the roots of the controversial Confederate statues in United States cities back to a racist government that was built by white people and for white people. Author Eric Foner discusses historical examples of black disenfranchisement such as the first naturalization law in 1790 and the Dred Scott decision of 1857. Foner argues that these decisions, memorialized in cities throughout the United States, are not examples of American history, but of a racist America. This article then switches gears and discusses how Confederate monument are not built to remember history, but to remind people of southern power. Foner uses the example of Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet who endorsed black male suffrage and led police forces against white supremacists.

The conflict stems from a decision by the municipal government of Charlottesville in February to tear down the statue of Robert Lee.

The original protest centered around the proposed removal a statue of Confederate leader Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville’s Emancipation Park. White supremacists and nationalists were dismayed by the plan to remove Lee’s statue -- some because they think the General deserves to be recognized for his place in history, but others -- and those who were most vocal -- believe that whites are the superior race and the Confederacy recognizes that.

Citizens who represent the liberal side are against the use and display of Confederate symbols and monuments because they believe that they represent racist and bigoted ideals. What Conservatives view as the United States’ history and heritage, Liberals view as the future support of white supremacy. Of the 700 confederate statues built in the U.S., the vast majority were built during times of civil rights movements years after the end of the civil war which ended in 1865. The biggest spike happened between 1900 and 1920 which as Southern Poverty Law Center’s research has shown, lines up exactly with the period of the Jim Crow laws (Little). The statues seem to be less representative and honorary to the soldiers they depict, but are rather specifically meant to hinder civil morals and promote racism. Even some relatives of Confederate soldiers see their relatives as being morally incorrect. Relatives of Stonewall Jackson, a Confederate general during the American Civil War, have requested his statue in Virginia to be taken down along with the rest of the Confederate statues in Monument

Recently history has hit the headlines. The overwhelming issue of whether or not Confederate monuments should be removed has many up in arms- in some cases, such as Charlottesville, Virgina, literally. Those for the removal of the statues argue that they honor a cruel regime and support white supremacy, while those opposing the removal argue that removing the statues would damage the preservation of America's history and lead to the removal of statues depicting other historical figures like President George Washington. The article "Confederate monuments should be removed in their entirety and it shouldn’t even be an argument" by Lucas Johnson on The Badger Herald website, argues the pro-removal side of the issue. Johnson's article is a prime example of the pro removal argument as he seeks to convince the reader to agree with his stance on the issue by using historical facts and addressing the connection white supremacists feel towards monuments from that era in an attempt to sway his audience to his side of the dispute.

Many people believe the Civil War was primarily about state rights which it is about slavery, There are still many arguments over the topic, those who oppose the statues say,” the monuments amounted to revisionist history, an effort to reassert white supremacy and give an aura of nobility and heroism to the long-lost secessionist cause”(Duggan). Many believe that the monuments are determital because they honor leaders of the confederacy, those who fought for slavery in the South. The monuments honor historical figures, who believed they were superior because their race. The statues are constantly being debated over, which explain why recounstion never really ended. At a protest, ”The statues of Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson — both military heroes of the Confederacy —

After the Charlottesville riot, when the monuments started to get removed, people started to get mad. According to the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, he tweeted this, “Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments. You can't change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson - who's next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish!

Using sources like the one listed above helped increase her appeal to ethos. One detail that caught my attention was the fact that she didn’t have any personal examples to share with on the subject to appeal to ethos, only other people’s. This caught me off guard because the way she opened her piece sounded as if she were personally involved in the

While Stars and Bars have long been associated by many with slavery, the latest campaign to remove Confederate emblems has extended beyond the flag to statues, memorials, parks and even school mascots. The debate over what symbolizes heritage and what stands for hate has never covered so much ground, as efforts to remove icons that have been part of the visual and cultural landscape of the South for decades are afoot at national, state, and local levels. In one Arkansas town, the school board voted unanimously Tuesday to ban the song "Dixie" for the next school year and phase out "Rebel," the school's mascot. "They are part of our history and not all of our history is dandelions and butterflies." - Mick Mulvaney, representative for South Carolina. In Maryland, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz is trying to make a plan that would change the name of Baltimore's Robert E. Lee Park. A spokesman for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings, Blake told The Associated Press she supports the name change and is willing to work with the county to find an appropriate alternative name. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Tennessee have called for a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader, to be removed from an alcove outside the Senate chambers. The bust, with the words "Confederate

No matter what a person’s race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation is, everyone should enjoy equality. In the speech Speech Upon the Removal of Confederate Monuments by Mitch Landrieu, the Mayor of New Orleans, the removal of the Confederate monuments in New Orleans is discussed. The speech emphasises the fact that the Confederacy was wrong pertaining to their treatment of African Americans, and instead of teaching history, the Confederate monuments convey an image of inequality and violence. Mitch Landrieu argues for the deconstruction of historic Confederate monuments through his allusions to past historic events to contrast the modern shift of equality, so he can call the people to action to deconstruct the monuments. Through the

There are 700 monuments that commemorate the Confederacy and Confederate generals. The majority of these monuments are in the South, where the Confederacy was born. These monuments were not erected immediately after the Civil War. Instead, the monuments were erected a generation later during the Jim Crow Laws and once more in the Civil Rights Movement. The controversy began when a Confederate, Dylan Roof, shot black citizens in a church in South Carolina. After the incident, the South Carolinian government removed the Confederate flag and other Confederate symbols from the state capitols. Other states followed suit. However, people have met these actions with criticism. This scenario occurred once more with the recent unrest in Charlottesville.

A recent hot-button subject in the media has been what to do with Confederate monuments in the South. After the removal of a statue honoring Robert E. Lee, a general in the Confederate Army considered by many to be a hero for the part he played in the American Civil War, a clear divide has formed over whether it was the right thing to do. Some agree with this choice, calling the statues remnants from a time of racial oppression in the United States. Others are outraged, considering it desecration of their proud history. Still others don't understand either side of the issue, and see it as a pointless feud. It is imperative to understand that to many people, these are more than just statues. Whether their impression is positive or negative, this issue goes beyond physical monuments.