Instead of destroying culture, we should be celebrating and exploring our history and culture. Stop tearing down history which triggers you. If the statue goes away, do you think racism will magically disappear? Statues don't re-enforce racism, they help tell of complex and difficult times. Did you know not everyone in the confederacy owned slaves? The idea that everything about the confederacy represents slavery is an intentional misrepresentation of an era that saw a war engulfing brother fighting against brother. Many had different goals, and their intentions were not to preserve the name of slavery. To summarize the idea of protecting your states or homeland as a single trans-spatial concept (i.e. slavery) is a hasty and impulsive generalization. Does the views of a politician define the entire state from which they came? Does one person define the total event even though there exists a wide diversity of views? Of course, not. To argue that these statues all represent systemic genocide, imprisonment, and dehumanization is temporary virtue signaling.
Here's an idea, why not aim to create more statues that represent current intentions rather than destroying symbols of history, no matter how unpleasant something might be? What if we supplemented additional statues that are aligned with views one intends to spread awareness? Destroying historical markers and relics are things which people like ISIS and Al Qaeda celebrate in doing. As people who are not so quickly disposed to such barbarism, should we tear down those things which upset us or should we instead question these things so we can add and grow to the pool of ideas? If we tear down things that offend us, it'll never end. You can always find someone who doesn't like a thing. Always. It's just like Rule 34.
Let us not shy away from our history, but embrace it by creating new pieces of art and wonder. We do not need to destroy testaments of history, rather, let us grow alongside different ideas and demonstrate that we are capable of viewing all dynamics.
Wayne Evans - 7 years ago
Why would a Jew in Germany be offended if a statue of a Nazi soldier were erected there? Because German soldiers fought under a Nazi flag which represented an ideology that enslaved people, separated parents from their children, gave state permission for the torturing and killing of people without benefit of trial, and imprisoning people because of their race.
This is why many of us are offended by a statue of a man in a Confederate uniform in my community which represented an ideology that that enslaved people, separated parents from their children, gave state permission for the torturing and killing of people without benefit of trial, and imprisoning people because of their race. Even though my great grandfather served in the Confederate army, I don't believe we should put up monuments to applaud the "Lost Cause." Gen. Robert E. Lee himself was opposed to statues of Stonewall Jackson and other Confederates. He wrote, “As regards the erection of such a monument as is contemplated,” Lee wrote of an 1866 proposal, “my conviction is, that however grateful it would be to the feelings of the South, the attempt in the present condition of the Country, would have the effect of retarding, instead of accelerating its accomplishment; [and] of continuing, if not adding to, the difficulties under which the Southern people labour.”
Lyle - 7 years ago
If you don't like the statues, no matter what your reasons are, then do like the UDC did. Raise money to have a statue of MLK installed. Otherwise, all you're doing is causing more division between us all.
Asli, remember that Congress, in 1958, passed a bill making ALL Confederate soldiers, navy, and marines US Veterans! That means, when you remove one of them, you're desecrating a US Veterans memory!
Robert - 7 years ago
Frank ,themajority of Confederate war memorials, statues, and monuments were built between 1880-1940 from the end of the Civil War until the beginning of WWII with Private funds NOT Public taxpayer funds. Organizations such as the United Daughters of the Confederacy made up of widows, mother's, sisters, sweethearts of fallen Confederate soldiers. These were built with Private donations and money raised by the UDC themselves by having quilting and bake sales. It was a huge feat to raise $25,000 in the 1920s to build these monuments. Research your arguments and before you spew false information that only promotes an agenda rather than the truth. These are war Memorials to the dead no different than the Vietnam Wall Memorial. Stop being an ignorant bigot.
K P Alexander - 7 years ago
Move it to the Mouton Home which is only a couple of blocks away. C'mon we're failing to 'love our neighbor' if we're ok with a statue occupying public property that venerates a man who fought to relegate our neighbors ethnic group to perpetual bondage in slavery. Let's come together as a community and relocate this statue that is a 'dividing wall of hostility' in our city.
Dan - 7 years ago
This poll cannot be serious or trusted when one person can vote multiple times.
Frank - 7 years ago
There's a difference between remembering history and celebrating it. Confederate statues were purposely erected throughout the South around the turn of the century to celebrate the "lost cause" movement that aimed to sanitize the Confederacy and justify Jim Crow. These statues were prominently placed in public squares, paid for by public taxes, and served as symbols of loyalty to the Confederacy and the ideology of white supremacy that it stood for. They are not history. They are propaganda and political symbolism. More to the point, they are racist symbols. The time has come to reject the Confederacy, Jim Crow, and our hateful past. Put these statues in a museum, where they can be properly contextualized and debated. Do not memorialize them in our public squares.
Dallas Fleming - 7 years ago
History with all of its good, bad and ugly should explored without political agendas, for that matter without any agenda, otherwise we are bound to repeat over and over again the mistakes and shortcomings of prior generations. The only way to break this madness is put sunshine on history, not cover it up or pretend that it didn't happen. A wise old woman said to me a long time ago, "If you look for the good in people, you will find it, unfortunately if you look for the bad, you will find it, too.
Van - 7 years ago
Only if they are all taken down. Mouton, Lee, Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr, etc. and change the names of all the streets that aren't named after an animal, fruit, vegetable or tree. But make sure we don't use the ones with names like White Oak, Black Berry, China Berry, etc..............In case my point isn't getting across, this is out of hand. We have drainage systems in Lafayette that the money could be used to improve. Traffic circles to be put up at dangerous intersections. (Exp...Landry and Fieldspan in Duson. The deaths there are racking up) Bus routes that don't endanger 2/3 of the children in Lafayette.
Instead of destroying culture, we should be celebrating and exploring our history and culture. Stop tearing down history which triggers you. If the statue goes away, do you think racism will magically disappear? Statues don't re-enforce racism, they help tell of complex and difficult times. Did you know not everyone in the confederacy owned slaves? The idea that everything about the confederacy represents slavery is an intentional misrepresentation of an era that saw a war engulfing brother fighting against brother. Many had different goals, and their intentions were not to preserve the name of slavery. To summarize the idea of protecting your states or homeland as a single trans-spatial concept (i.e. slavery) is a hasty and impulsive generalization. Does the views of a politician define the entire state from which they came? Does one person define the total event even though there exists a wide diversity of views? Of course, not. To argue that these statues all represent systemic genocide, imprisonment, and dehumanization is temporary virtue signaling.
Here's an idea, why not aim to create more statues that represent current intentions rather than destroying symbols of history, no matter how unpleasant something might be? What if we supplemented additional statues that are aligned with views one intends to spread awareness? Destroying historical markers and relics are things which people like ISIS and Al Qaeda celebrate in doing. As people who are not so quickly disposed to such barbarism, should we tear down those things which upset us or should we instead question these things so we can add and grow to the pool of ideas? If we tear down things that offend us, it'll never end. You can always find someone who doesn't like a thing. Always. It's just like Rule 34.
Let us not shy away from our history, but embrace it by creating new pieces of art and wonder. We do not need to destroy testaments of history, rather, let us grow alongside different ideas and demonstrate that we are capable of viewing all dynamics.
Why would a Jew in Germany be offended if a statue of a Nazi soldier were erected there? Because German soldiers fought under a Nazi flag which represented an ideology that enslaved people, separated parents from their children, gave state permission for the torturing and killing of people without benefit of trial, and imprisoning people because of their race.
This is why many of us are offended by a statue of a man in a Confederate uniform in my community which represented an ideology that that enslaved people, separated parents from their children, gave state permission for the torturing and killing of people without benefit of trial, and imprisoning people because of their race. Even though my great grandfather served in the Confederate army, I don't believe we should put up monuments to applaud the "Lost Cause." Gen. Robert E. Lee himself was opposed to statues of Stonewall Jackson and other Confederates. He wrote, “As regards the erection of such a monument as is contemplated,” Lee wrote of an 1866 proposal, “my conviction is, that however grateful it would be to the feelings of the South, the attempt in the present condition of the Country, would have the effect of retarding, instead of accelerating its accomplishment; [and] of continuing, if not adding to, the difficulties under which the Southern people labour.”
If you don't like the statues, no matter what your reasons are, then do like the UDC did. Raise money to have a statue of MLK installed. Otherwise, all you're doing is causing more division between us all.
Asli, remember that Congress, in 1958, passed a bill making ALL Confederate soldiers, navy, and marines US Veterans! That means, when you remove one of them, you're desecrating a US Veterans memory!
Frank ,themajority of Confederate war memorials, statues, and monuments were built between 1880-1940 from the end of the Civil War until the beginning of WWII with Private funds NOT Public taxpayer funds. Organizations such as the United Daughters of the Confederacy made up of widows, mother's, sisters, sweethearts of fallen Confederate soldiers. These were built with Private donations and money raised by the UDC themselves by having quilting and bake sales. It was a huge feat to raise $25,000 in the 1920s to build these monuments. Research your arguments and before you spew false information that only promotes an agenda rather than the truth. These are war Memorials to the dead no different than the Vietnam Wall Memorial. Stop being an ignorant bigot.
Move it to the Mouton Home which is only a couple of blocks away. C'mon we're failing to 'love our neighbor' if we're ok with a statue occupying public property that venerates a man who fought to relegate our neighbors ethnic group to perpetual bondage in slavery. Let's come together as a community and relocate this statue that is a 'dividing wall of hostility' in our city.
This poll cannot be serious or trusted when one person can vote multiple times.
There's a difference between remembering history and celebrating it. Confederate statues were purposely erected throughout the South around the turn of the century to celebrate the "lost cause" movement that aimed to sanitize the Confederacy and justify Jim Crow. These statues were prominently placed in public squares, paid for by public taxes, and served as symbols of loyalty to the Confederacy and the ideology of white supremacy that it stood for. They are not history. They are propaganda and political symbolism. More to the point, they are racist symbols. The time has come to reject the Confederacy, Jim Crow, and our hateful past. Put these statues in a museum, where they can be properly contextualized and debated. Do not memorialize them in our public squares.
History with all of its good, bad and ugly should explored without political agendas, for that matter without any agenda, otherwise we are bound to repeat over and over again the mistakes and shortcomings of prior generations. The only way to break this madness is put sunshine on history, not cover it up or pretend that it didn't happen. A wise old woman said to me a long time ago, "If you look for the good in people, you will find it, unfortunately if you look for the bad, you will find it, too.
Only if they are all taken down. Mouton, Lee, Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr, etc. and change the names of all the streets that aren't named after an animal, fruit, vegetable or tree. But make sure we don't use the ones with names like White Oak, Black Berry, China Berry, etc..............In case my point isn't getting across, this is out of hand. We have drainage systems in Lafayette that the money could be used to improve. Traffic circles to be put up at dangerous intersections. (Exp...Landry and Fieldspan in Duson. The deaths there are racking up) Bus routes that don't endanger 2/3 of the children in Lafayette.