Argumentative Essay On Confederate Monuments

365 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: The removal of confederate monuments essay

Imagine standing in front of the defaced statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee only to hear two sides of people curse, hurt each other. This situation is too familiar for people who visit Charlottesville, VA, the formerly peaceful town. The controversy between Confederate memorials never ends. Many people argue that Confederate monuments should be taken down because they become the flashpoints of unrest and violence. As far as I am concerned, confederate memorials should remain as these memorials are the legacy of history; history is value-neutral and innocent. First off, simply taking down these memorials and moving them so they are out of sight is not sophisticated. These memorials are retained to glorify the people who fought not to serve as a tool to propaganda the public. The dead should not die in vain even if they lost the war. No matter what they are fighting for, their fearless spirit should be memorized forever. The faces and names of these fallen Southern men speak not of slavery and oppression, but also of courage and the power of change. More importantly, these memorials themselves …show more content…

America’s history-both good and bad-has much to teach us. Taking down, destroying these monuments is erasing, rewriting the physical symbols of the nation. This type of cultural whitewashing is inglorious. We can treat these monuments as a cautionary tool to remind ourselves what we are and what we are not. The cost forebears paid for the freedom of the nation should be remembered; therefore, people should retain these statues to remind of themselves what these monuments represent. In conclusion, people should not take down confederate memorials as they are part of the history. They remind us of the cost of freedom and equality; they force us to remember the ignominious truth of the past; they serve as a mighty tool to educate the racists. We need them to avoid recommitting the same

Show More
Related

  • Essay On Confederate Soldiers

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    During winter months, basic huts were constructed from wood when it was available. During the civil war, most of the soldiers fought only 75 percent of the time. When they were not fighting, their day usually started at 5:00 in the morning during the summer and spring, and 6:00 in the morning during the fall and winter. Soldiers would be awakened by fifes and drums, then the first sergeant would take a roll call, and all the men sat down to eat breakfast. During the day, soldiers would be engaged in sometimes as many as five 2-hour long drill sessions on weaponry or maneuvers.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of The Confederate Racism

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    It only took one sentence to show how this “heritage” that many wish to preserve and hold dear was never harmless. The history that the Nazi flag holds is well known to be racist and is responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent people. When someone looks at the Nazi flag, they remember the concentration camps, the gas chambers, and the starving and diseased people. When someone looks at the Klu Klux Klan’s hood and cloak, they remember the lynchings, the murders, and the place that it still holds in today’s society. With the Confederate flag being coupled with a member of the KKK, it is hard to deny that the history that the flag holds is undoubtedly

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Statue By John Daniel Davidson

    263 Words  | 1 Pages

    In this article, John Daniel Davidson explains that tearing down the statues is wrong. John Davidson asserts the audience that, “the reason for keeping them has nothing to do with honoring the cause of the Confederacy or the memory of slavery. Even though many of them were erected for that purpose in the decades spanning the 1870s to the 1930s, that should not be our purpose for keeping them now” (Davidson). He reminds us that the real reason on why they should be kept is not for praising slavery or confederacy, but for preserving history. Davidson then gives an example of how the statues should be viewed and acknowledged, he says suggestively, “Something as central to American history as the war between North and South should impose on us

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On The Confederate Flag

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although there are many pros and cons to the confederate flag, it is only just to ban the flag. One may argue that banning the flag would deny free expression, but hanging the flag also says that racism is acceptable and the pain, suffering and cruelty endured by the African Americans has no importance. The color of a person 's skins should not be an issue, just like how religion and gender should not be an issue. The flag is a silent way of saying that one agrees with racism and the seceding of our country. Consequently, the flag should be banned.

    Read More

  • Gary Shapiro's The Meaning Of Our Confederate

    577 Words  | 2 Pages

    Recently there has been news about people heavily wanting Confederate statutes to be taken down due to their relation with slavery. While many have their own views on the matter, one in particular stands out. The view of preserving them in a way that’ll keep both sides happy and to preserve the history behind them. This “contextualized” view, as discussed in Gary Shapiro’s “The Meaning of Our Confederate ‘Monuments’” I believe should not only be applied to the Confederate statutes but other monuments and memorials as well. Memorials being made in order to remember an event or person, while a monument is made in order to honor an event or person(Shapiro). While it is in fact very reasonable to want to take these statutes down due to evil background, they are still a part of history. Instead, we should follow the “contextualized” view and add context to all monuments and memorials as their meanings change throughout time.

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of The Civil War By Pierre Mcgraw

    218 Words  | 1 Pages

    Many people have disputes over many of the Confederate soldiers such as General Robert E. Lee. To many people the monuments of confederate soldiers remind them of slavery, which was the mainly the whole reason for the civil war. However other people don't want to take down these monuments. They think that the statues remind them of a part of history and that if they statues are taken down, then a part of our history is being ripped away. Pierre McGraw is a descendant of Confederate soldiers and he says “you’re basically ripping out chapters of a history book.”Since there are two different points of view on this issue it is causing a lot of controversy. Many different states have made laws banning the removal of plaques, statues, and monuments.

    Read More

  • Speech In The Speech Of Mich Landrieu's Speech

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mich Landrieu’s speech that he delivered to the public on May 19th, 2017, was a beautiful speech written and expressed by him about the removal of the four monuments within the city of New Orleans. This message was given by the Mayor due to racist comments of these statues and Landrieu expressed in his speech the true history of the city. For some of the people of New Orleans, they thought these statues were the identity of the city and a celebration of confederacy, however, African Americans took offense to the statues. The mayor effectively uses logos, pathos, and ethos to persuade his audience that taking down these confederate monuments is what needs to be done. Confederacy and the widespread demonstrations found many in other southern states as well discussing different monuments and their meanings. .Bill Golash, a gentleman interviewed from Richmond, Virginia said “I love the city of Richmond and I want to see us grow” (Raddatz). This statement reaches out to many of the issues being faced with decisions of change and Golosh echoing we can’t change

    Read More

  • Confederate Flag Research Paper

    1448 Words  | 3 Pages

    What makes the topic about confederate flags so controversial? There are two sides to this topic. On one side we have people saying that it should be placed where the public can look at it. On the opposing side we have people that want to get rid of it. Does removing the flag violate our first amendment of free speech? The first editorial called, Symbolism of Confederate Flag Is Undeniable it is for the flag staying up in public places. The second editorial called, Take Down the Confederate Flag, Symbol of Hatred, this is editorial is for taking the confederate flags down permanently.

    Read More

  • Confederate Flag Persuasive Essay

    752 Words  | 2 Pages

    Red, white and blue, most people think of the American flag, but today I would like to talk about another flag in American history, the confederate flag. This summer after the killing of nine individuals in a historic black church, the Confederate flag was removed from government buildings, markets, and games. EBay, along with Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Sears, will no longer allow items that depict the controversial flag to be sold. Alongside of eBay, the Apple’s App Store has removed all games depicting the Confederate flag. (Swick) Was this an overreaction or was this long overdue? I think that this was, for the most part, an overreaction. I believe that the flag itself is a symbol of southern pride, or remembrance of the war, not to be meant as a hate symbol.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Confederate Statues

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    Recently in Arizona a statue of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States, was covered in tar and feathers. This vandalism is a product of the movement to remove Confederate memorials and statues across the United States. America has been split over the removal of these statues. Many Americans have found the Confederate memorials offensive, racist, and endorsing white supremacy, while others see them as mere reminders of our nation’s history. However, the question still stands: Should the Confederate memorials be removed because some Americans find them offensive? This situation has sparked several rallies and even the defacement of statues and public property. In my opinion, the

    Read More

  • Confederate Statues Research Paper

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    For a long time, there has been controversy over whether or not we should keep or remove our Confederate Statues, but after the recent event in Charlottesville our government is starting to action. I can understand why people would want to take it down because to some people it symbolizes racism and hate. To others these statues are a piece of history that symbolizes the opposite of hatred and racism. Also, it represents a family member fighting in a war. I do not think these statues should be taken down, I had family members fight for the Confederate and I think it is a big part of history that we could learn from.

    Read More

  • Written Argumentative Essay On Confederacy

    547 Words  | 2 Pages

    The definition of confederacy, is “a combination of persons for unlawful purposes”. The confederacy formed, conflicted, killed, and battled with the Union, why should we honor men who’ve killed so many men from their own country? Not in any way should we stop remembering these leaders or the confederacy, but we should stop publicly honoring them. It is understandable that they wanted to preserve their way of life, but it resulted in a nasty, violent war. These are statues of leaders that memorialize their positions of white supremacy in the past. Confederate monuments and statues honor these men for what they did, not only people to those with a different race, but to their own country. The Confederate statues should be taken down.

    Read More

  • Confederate Monument Controversy

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Denton Confederate Monument, erected in 1918 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, is hotly debated on the basis of what the monument represents. Advocates for the removal of the monument maintain that it is a glorification of slavery and racism that cannot be tolerated. Proponents for its retention argue that it is a tribute to the soldiers who died in the Civil War. The monument is in the style of a triumphal arch, with the Confederate soldier set atop it. These formal elements suggest both that the Confederacy won the war, and by extension that the racism of the Confederacy is still alive, and that the Confederate soldier is dominant over the viewer, similar to the way in which

    Read More

  • monuments

    444 Words  | 1 Pages

    Many people feel a strong sense of patriotism and nationalism when they view a monument. Pride in one’s country is a great feeling. Monuments help bring out those feelings of nationalism. Homeland monuments such as the Statue of Liberty and Madison Square Garden makes one feel special. Millions of people from all over the world come to where you call home to view something that is special to you. We take such things for granted too often.

    Read More

  • Erasing American History Essay

    618 Words  | 2 Pages

    What offends us now is so routinely redefined that probably no statue now will survive more than a generation before it becomes offensive to someone who will demand its removal. The current battle actually goes back to a mass shooting in 2015, when self-described white supremacist Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people in a predominantly black church in Charleston, South Carolina. Roof drew a lot of attention for posing with the Confederate flag in images that came out after the shooting — and that helped spur a fight within South Carolina about whether it should take down a Confederate flag that had flown at the state capitol for years. Of course, many people disagree that this is about erasing white history. They argue that these monuments were built originally to honor the Confederacy and the racism and white supremacy that it stood

    Read More

More about Argumentative Essay On Confederate Monuments

Open Document