As of July 23, North Carolina law prohibits cities, counties and state institutions from relocating any state-owned monument, statue or “object of remembrance” even if it is on city or county property. Work on the bill began many months ago amidst growing public demand for removal of monuments to the Confederacy and racist heroes. Calls for removal of monuments have grown since the Charleston, SC murders. Rather than having open and intelligent discussion of the concerns, legislators made change nearly impossible by passing a law that denies local governments the authority to respond to the will of their citizens.
Republican proponents of the law say it will protect history against those who would re-write it to suit popular opinion. In truth, the law disenfranchises local governments and preserves publicly owned places of honor for people who enslaved others. Whether it is Confederate symbols, marriage equality, or climate change (the full list of issues is too long to print) this legislature seems intent on refusing to allow people to change our minds about social issues. Republicans think they know what is best for us and will use their power to block implementation of new ideas.
Changing what and who we honor in public places is not the same as changing history. The facts are well preserved in our libraries and museums. Changing what we honor demonstrates our values – what is most important to us – and indicates what we want to do in our future. It may be easier to understand this distinction by looking at examples from other places and times.
A statue of King George III of England was commissioned by the New York (colony) legislature and erected on public land in New York City. It honored him for, “…the innumerable and singular Benefits received from our most gracious sovereign, since the Commencement of his auspicious Reign…” In 1776 the statue was taken down by public demand and melted into bullets for use in the American Revolution. The people of New York did not re-write history. They made new history going forward.
June 25, 2010 – from the BBC “Authorities in Georgia have taken down a statue of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin that stood in the central square of Gori, his hometown…The statue will be moved to a museum in Gori dedicated to Stalin, said the head of the city council, Zviad Khmaladze. It will be replaced by a monument for the victims of Georgia’s 2008 war with Russia.” Stalin was a leader and hero in the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany and its emergence as a world power with enormous military and political influence. He cemented his hold on political and economic power by jailing, enslaving and killing opponents. After Georgians broke free from the Soviet dictatorship, they replaced the statue of Stalin, which had become a symbol of their domination and repression, with a memorial to the heroes of their fight for freedom.
The patriots of the American Revolution and of Georgia were working to create a better society for themselves and their descendants. Many monuments honoring dictators and terror’s heroes have been removed from public gathering places – preserving the history of tyranny in museums of shame rather than places of honor.
Changing public monuments to reflect current thinking is part of the flow of history into the future. When Romans became Christians they converted pagan temples to churches and replaced statues of Greco-Roman Gods with biblical characters. Germany and Austria have removed most Nazi symbols from public buildings while preserving the history of that horrific era in their museums. That wasn’t denial of history. It was acknowledgement of history’s injustices and movement into a better future.
Replacing statues of defenders of slavery with monuments to champions of freedom will acknowledge that we are united as one nation and that we value the freedom of every person equally. It will not change history, but it will point us toward a better future.
Our legislators are an embarrassment to North Carolina. They can’t muster the courage to stop issuing license plates with Confederate battle flags; and they have taken away the freedom of local citizens and governments to follow public opinion about monuments. They don’t lead. They won’t follow. The least they could do is get out of the way. Instead, they have passed a law that makes it harder for people of good will to move forward.
Bob,
You always have an interesting perspective. However I think it best that we know our past history and not hide it. I think that requires more than having books or artifacts in museums. We all know that during the Civil War even the majority of northerners were just as racists as southerners. My great grandfather fought for the Union and was captured during the war. However there are 10’s of millions of people in the US , whose ancestors fought for the south. I don’t think that 150 years later any level of government should have the right to take down statues of their heroes or leaders after the fact. I don’t think you are being fair to make the comparison to Stalin or King George. Maybe you do?
What I think is remarkable is how black and whites in Charleston have come together since the church killings. I can tell you for my money that the average southerner is probably less bigoted today than the average northerner. Charleston, the heart of secession 154 years ago, today has much to teach Ferguson and Baltimore.
We have certainly come a long way on race relations in the past 150 years, but you are fortunate to live in the part of the country that is doing the best on the subject. While the cities of the north are cesspools and filled with hatred, the south is now the conscious of America and the area doing the best both morally and economically. Good morals and economic prosperity go hand in hand. I would be careful not to try to make the south emulate the north. The north of America is stagnating and slowly dieing.
I don’t think a statue of Lee, Jackson or Davis is really a problem. The problem is the rapidly decaying society of the north. Taking down statues is the least of our problems. I suggest working on the real problems and not making mountains out of mole hills.
I agree, Gary that the south is doing better,largely because many here are honest about problems and discuss them. Allowing Confederate battle flags on state-issued license plates is a government statement of continued honor for past wrongs. I think local governments and citizens are entitled to change what they choose to honor. THAT is how King George and Stalin are relevant.
I should add that I truly appreciate well considered opinions like yours.
An excellent and concise summation of the “monuments” problem we are facing today. Shame on the NC legislators for taking their State in such a backward direction. For a Party that doesn’t want the larger entity (the Feds) to tell the State what to do, they have certainly taken an awkward step in the wrong direction with this piece of legislation.
Thanks, Terry. Our PEOPLE are moving forward but our government is putting on the brakes…