‘Silent Sam’ Confederate Statue

[NAC4EV]

The statue is the latest among several Confederate monuments to be removed, and its toppling comes as communities grapple with the legacy of a contentious chapter in American history.
It was erected in 1913 and known as Silent Sam, fell after nightfall on the campus, brought down by demonstrators who condemned it as an enduring tribute to white supremacy.

 

[JSt0rm]

good

 

[vi edit]

While I understand the emotion here, mob rule isn't the way to go about it and not how this should be handled. Decommission the statues and move them to a museum where their history can be appropriately contrasted to their oppression.

 

[Commodus]

For those who need some context: the statue was placed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and during the dedication ceremony the industrialist Julian Carr touted the Confederate soldier as valuable to the "welfare of the Anglo Saxon race," particularly in the four years after the war... in other words, he saw the statue as a tribute to the Ku Klux Klan.

I would have preferred a formal removal process, but I'm happy the statue is down and hope it stays that way forever. It was a monument to racism and nothing else.

 

[dainthomas]

While I understand the emotion here, mob rule isn't the way to go about it and not how this should be handled. Decommission the statues and move them to a museum where their history can be appropriately contrasted to their oppression.

Tearing it down avoids associated hearings and the inevitable Nazis that show up to them.

Now the racists are free to take the Civil War participation trophy and put it up on their own property.

 

[zinfamous]

While I understand the emotion here, mob rule isn't the way to go about it and not how this should be handled. Decommission the statues and move them to a museum where their history can be appropriately contrasted to their oppression.

Agreed, but it takes responsible legislatures and local officials recognizing this need and acting accordingly, ahead of time, instead of defending "very fine people" on "both sides" and being so honestly concerned about everyone's needs. I am not holding out hope for my home state of NC and the rot at the core of shameless politics there ever coming to an agreeable solution to this.

 

[child of wonder]

Mob rule and destruction is never the answer. Vandalous mobs of entitled children should not be out destroying property no matter what it stands for.

Take it down via a formal process and act like civilized adults.

 

[vi edit]

Mob rule and destruction is never the answer. Vandalous mobs of entitled children should not be out destroying property no matter what it stands for.

Take it down via a formal process and act like civilized adults.

There's some things I can understand. I still remember news clips when I was a kid of the day people started climbing up on the Berlin wall and tearing it apart. There are some times when symbols of oppression and fascism should be violently destroyed. A statue that most people barely know the history of unless they google it? No so much.

 

[zinfamous]

Mob rule and destruction is never the answer. Vandalous mobs of entitled children should not be out destroying property no matter what it stands for.

Take it down via a formal process and act like civilized adults.

When the occupied Baltic states finally kicked out the soviets in 1991, I guess my GF and her family and friends and neighbors shouldn't have climbed up on those Lenin statues and tore them down, right?

..damn it vi_edit!

 

[BoomerD]

Arrest them all and charge them with destruction of public property.


Shoot any who resist.

 

[Jhhnn]

For those who need some context: the statue was placed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and during the dedication ceremony the industrialist Julian Carr touted the Confederate soldier as valuable to the "welfare of the Anglo Saxon race," particularly in the four years after the war... in other words, he saw the statue as a tribute to the Ku Klux Klan.

I would have preferred a formal removal process, but I'm happy the statue is down and hope it stays that way forever. It was a monument to racism and nothing else.

They're all symbols of & monuments to White Supremacy. Anybody who doesn't know that is willfully blind. Tear 'em all down, use the bronze to cast replacement plaques commemorating their destruction.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

For those who need some context: the statue was placed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and during the dedication ceremony the industrialist Julian Carr touted the Confederate soldier as valuable to the "welfare of the Anglo Saxon race," particularly in the four years after the war... in other words, he saw the statue as a tribute to the Ku Klux Klan.

I would have preferred a formal removal process, but I'm happy the statue is down and hope it stays that way forever. It was a monument to racism and nothing else.

On the other hand, can I play Haydn's "Emperor" string quartet and not be assaulted? This was not the way to do this, at all. H.G Wells and countless others were Eugenicists, H.P Lovecraft a racist etc.

There's a reasonable approach but some things are over the top. If this was going to be removed then it should have been, in a legal and proper way.

 

[Vic]

Tearing it down avoids associated hearings and the inevitable Nazis that show up to them.

Now the racists are free to take the Civil War participation trophy and put it up on their own property.

Nazis and racists have the right to have their voices heard. It's best that way too. Then they expose their vileness to the world, and the rest of us get to vote them down.

 

[Homerboy]

Arrest them all and charge them with destruction of public property.


Shoot any who resist.

I agree there should be some legal action against these people. Shooting those who resist seems... a bit severe though.

 

[BoomerD]

I agree there should be some legal action against these people. Shooting those who resist seems... a bit severe though.

Saves the cost of a trial and incarceration!

And I did say, "shoot any who resist," not "round them all up and shoot them."

That should be reserved for Nazis, KKK, Anti-fa, etc.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Saves the cost of a trial and incarceration!

And I did say, "shoot any who resist," not "round them all up and shoot them."

That should be reserved for Nazis, KKK, Anti-fa, etc.

No. Just no, and hoping you are just mildly trolling. The law should be followed and necessary and proper and proportional force used. No "well shoot the guys I don't like, Mr. Policeman, but make it look good"- ever.

 

[Commodus]

On the other hand, can I play Haydn's "Emperor" string quartet and not be assaulted? This was not the way to do this, at all. H.G Wells and countless others were Eugenicists, H.P Lovecraft a racist etc.

There's a reasonable approach but some things are over the top. If this was going to be removed then it should have been, in a legal and proper way.

Oh, I think it should have been done legally... I'm just not going to shed tears over it.

 

[dainthomas]

Nazis and racists have the right to have their voices heard. It's best that way too. Then they expose their vileness to the world, and the rest of us get to vote them down.

Except they now have a proven history of driving through the people protesting their vileness and killing them. A stupid racist statue isn't worth all that. Charge the people with disorderly conduct or whatever, if it makes the law and order types feel better.

Like I said, they can now put up their racist participation trophy on their own property and worship it all they want. No one will care.

 

[pauldun170]

They should replace it with a comparable statue

 

[Jhhnn]

There's some things I can understand. I still remember news clips when I was a kid of the day people started climbing up on the Berlin wall and tearing it apart. There are some times when symbols of oppression and fascism should be violently destroyed. A statue that most people barely know the history of unless they google it? No so much.

The black people who live there know what these statues are all about, depend on that. So did the white people who erected them. They were raised as symbols of in-yo-face White Supremacy. They were designed to carry that message to future generations. They still do.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Oh, I think it should have been done legally... I'm just not going to shed tears over it.

Me neither but I'm not comfortable with the idea of erasing history this way. Vic has a point I think. When they had White Supremacist Day II, the opposition completely overwhelmed the ignorance by showing people up for what they were. I like that.

But there's another thing and that's where does it end? Where is the same support for wrongs done to non-blacks? Half of my people were subjected to genocide, cultures eradicated, sent to concentration camps without an effective means to escape. Where is their justice? Do native Americans not count because there aren't enough left to swing a vote? This nation was founded on theft and murder, not just blacks enslaved.

There was a discussion over a shirt. Who gives a crap about that? That's the slightest thing in terms of relevancy.

I can rightfully demand that our "indian fighters" be removed and I have as legit a basis as any black or anti-confederate person.

Take down all statues to Washington and others who engaged in murder and Manifest Destiny, virtually thousands of representatives. Get their images off our currency as no greater wrong was done by these people than many others.

Erase them from public sight, the collective memory.

Not a chance, further I don't want that. I want truth known and everytime Washington or others is displayed a nagging feeling of disapproval register at some level.

Again, not a chance.

 

[Jaskalas]

When the occupied Baltic states finally kicked out the soviets in 1991, I guess my GF and her family and friends and neighbors shouldn't have climbed up on those Lenin statues and tore them down, right?

..damn it vi_edit!

Did some revolution or overthrow of government happen that I am not aware of?

There is no cause for the change in America's status quo with regards to the Civil War's 150 year history.

 

[Blackjack200]

While I understand the emotion here, mob rule isn't the way to go about it and not how this should be handled. Decommission the statues and move them to a museum where their history can be appropriately contrasted to their oppression.

I guess if confederate apologists don't want this to happen, they're going to have to be much quicker about decommissioning and removing the statues themselves. Hard to feel sorry for them, they've had more than 100 years.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

The black people who live there know what these statues are all about, depend on that. So did the white people who erected them. They were raised as symbols of in-yo-face White Supremacy. They were designed to carry that message to future generations. They still do.

Then take advantage and put the truth out there. Have more monuments of Confederates up BUT don't do just that. Have the admiring crowd shown erecting the monument with their feet on the back of a slave and their hands hauling a black man up the branch of a tree with a rope while wildly cheering the statue's placement.

Show what the statue really represents, not the Confederacy or any person, but the intent of those who installed them. It's the intent that matters and show the ugly truth.

 

[zinfamous]

Did some revolution or overthrow of government happen that I am not aware of?

There is no cause for the change in America's status quo with regards to the Civil War's 150 year history.

These weren't and aren't Civil War statues. They were erected by White Supremacists in direct response to and loud public condemnation of the cycles of civil rights and civil liberties movements throughout post civil war America. That is the actual context of their history.