There is strong dissent among Americans regarding whether or not Confederate monuments around the country should be taken down. Some believe that the monuments celebrate the soldiers’ heroism- their bravery to fight for what they believed in, even if their reasons weren’t ideal. Some claim that taking down Confederate statues is erasing history, which is a very dangerous concept. History must be preserved to be understood. However, while there are many settings where learning about the Confederacy’s ideals is important, public land is not one of them.
After a “Unite the Right” white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia clashed with counter-protesters turned violent on August 12, state governors and other officials were placed under pressure to respond. The chaos left one woman dead and many others injured, after a car drove into the crowd.
The white nationalist group gathered to protest the city’s planned removal of a statue memorializing famous Confederate general, Robert E. Lee in the town’s Emancipation Park.
There are at least 28 Confederate memorials on public land in Florida, including one in front of the Florida Capitol.
There is also a Confederate monument in front of the Hillsborough County Courthouse. The County Commission agreed to have the monument relocated to a private cemetery, but only if enough money can be raised privately. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rays, and Lightning have all donated to this private fund in the hopes that this statue will be removed from private property. They all agreed that inclusion was vital. This is the type of unity that these statues stand to tear apart.
The tragedy in Charlottesville was not only chilling, but also eye-opening. The “Unite the Right” rally shows that bigotry and hatred in this country continues to fester, and that some hate groups use the Confederate monuments to push their ideals.
By keeping these monuments where they are subconsciously promoting the idea that we value the stance these soldiers took.
However, we no longer do. We don’t value slavery, it is not something that America should be proud of, and it is not something to be celebrated on public land, maintained by taxpayer dollars.
There is a place for studying the Confederacy and its leaders: in a classroom or a museum. These are places that educate us on American history. Not a city hall or county courthouse, which are both locations that should focus on American ideals and values, not past mistakes. It’s not easy for some Americans to celebrate a country that insists upon showcasing its racist history as if it is something to be thankful for.
If the rally in Charlottesville has showed Americans anything, it’s that these statues today work to tear us apart, instead of bringing us together. One of this country’s founding ideals was the idea of unity, something that every American must work to preserve.
Jordyn Dees // Opinion Co-Editor
Disagree? Check out another staff member’s opinion on the issue here.
