Even though to some, removing statues and monuments could mean erasing a part of history, I agree that statues and monuments that have had a controversial or negative impact on American Society should be removed by government officials. If certain individuals had this type of impression on our ancestors, as well as today’s society, they should not be in an idolized position. However, we should consider the following questions: Why are these people being commemorated? Why are many so offended by these pieces that they want them to be taken down? And how should the US government deal with the ghosts of its past?
In the past few years, the issue of whether or not the government should remove statues of certain individuals has become more and more
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The one that has been the most controversial is Robert E. Lee’s statue in Charlottesville, Virginia. On August 2017, violence broke out between a group of people protesting the removal of the statue, and counter-protesters; many were injured. With this in mind, it could be said that public safety is another reason why government officials should remove public monuments that are controversial. These have become focal points for violence in various communities and neighborhoods. Therefore, why have a monument that incentives violence rather than peace and union? As we have the statue of Robert E. Lee as an example, there is no better source than Lee himself. In a note declining an invitation to a proposed Gettysburg memorial in 1869, Lee states that attending a meeting for the purpose of a memorial would be against his “engagements”. He says he thinks it’s “wiser, moreover, not to keep open the sores of war but to follow the examples of those nations who endeavored to obliterate the marks of civil strife, to commit to oblivion the feelings engendered”. In other words, Lee believed that the country should move past the war, thus there was no reason to put up statues related to it. Having said in a public and open space is not more than “a reminder that this sordid history is still with
I felt this morbid and realistic presence of the soldiers and for a mere second felt the gloom and menace of the war they were in. I walked around the site to gather more information on what the memorial was dedicated to. I walked past the mural wall and as I did, I paid particular attention to the various images of people and equipment on the wall. All of the facial expressions of the people on the wall gave the memorial a very real presence to it. I continued walking down the granite walk
...c structures and other objects of historic or scientific interest in federal ownership as national monuments. National parks were established together with National Forest Service throughout U.S. for conservation and recreation purposes. These actions faced opposition from Western settlers and Congress members who had plans of using the land that was set aside but also the Indians who were forced to stop hunting and fishing. However, settlers were happy with 1902 Reclamation Act that put aside funds to irrigate unlivable chunks of land and previously dry.
Union Commander Meade, out of fatigue and caution, did not immediately go after Lee, getting President Lincoln very angry who wrote a mad letter to Meade, which was never delivered, saying he missed an opportunity to end the war at this instance (The History Place Battle of Gettysburg 4). Although the casualties were basically equal, the Battle of Gettysburg was the second and last great invasion of the of the North, for the South had neither arms nor numbers to continue an assault, but the War dragged on for two more years. On November 19, President Lincoln went to the battlefield to dedicate it as a military cemetery. He spoke for a short period of time delivering what is called the Gettysburg Address, surprising many present in the audience with its shortness and leaving others quite unimpressed, but over time the speech has come to symbolize democracy as we know it today (Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia Vol. 11 385.
Many New Yorkers believe that the waiting period of a year was not enough time for the American citizens to grieve and rebuild their lives. This allows us to conclude that there is a respectable amount of time needed for healing of the mourners and respect of the dead before creating a memorable monument. Fischl’s Tumbling Woman is possibly one of the most scrutinized pieces of artwork surround 9/11 because of its release date on the first anniversary of 9/11. Many other artists and American citizens created sanctum like memorials with pictures and candles. These representations of 9/11 did not receive scrutiny like the Tumbling Woman monument, which leads me to believe that the timing of the release of the monument may not have lead to the scrutiny of the
To conclude, “The Gettysburg Address” and the “Funeral Oration” have comparable components such as tone, forms of rhetorical devices, and both similar and diverse themes. They take place in different places as well as different time periods. Also they have different purposes of getting to the point of continuing the war. Although, they have different ways of convincing, they both have an urge to continue the war, because it must be won. It absolutely must be won, in order for the countries in either time period to live freely, without fear of enslavement. Both also state the purpose of honoring those who accepted the risk of dying, so that we could be free and live in liberty. As Thomas Jefferson once said the natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and for the government to gain ground.
“I think it wiser not to keep open the sores of war but to follow the examples of those nations who endeavored to obliterate the marks of civil strife, to commit to oblivion the feelings engendered” written by Robert E. Lee in 1866. Monuments celebrate origins. They demonstrate a community’s symbolic honoring of events and people for qualities it finds indispensable to its identity. But the ones in Virginia do not. They represent a various amount of These confederate monuments ought to be placed in a more private area for individuals who want to view them can. Likewise, these monuments influence individuals to feel awkward in their consistently lives. A few people differ and feel that these remembered monuments not be brought down, and should stay up.
A cessation to the violence which had surrounded the Nation for years did little to calm the hearts of those who had survived it. Both the North and South remained determined to preserve the memory of the fallen, to establish a legacy that would ensure their sacrifices would never be forgotten. To this end, a wave of monuments and memorials were created in the decades following the War, primarily funded by veterans. The largest and one of the most sacred memorials to the American People is the National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. According to the Smithsonian historical website, the original homestead of renowned Confederate General Robert E. Lee and all of its surrounding property in Arlington, was confiscated by the Federal government. General Montgomery Meigs of the Union Army would be the one to first suggest turning Arlington into a cemetery. “I recommend that...the land surrounding the Arlington Mansion, now understood to be the property of the United States, be appropriated as a National Military Cemetery, to be properly enclosed, laid out and carefully preserved for that purpose” (Poole 2009) It was created as ...
Washington, DC is a spectacular place. This being my first time in DC, I was in awe of everything and all the historical places I encountered. The presence of the monuments and history is what made the capitol so magnificent. Having only read about the Lincoln memorial, I never had the chance to experience the sensation of being inside such an honorable place of importance. The imposing white marble walls of the memorial and the many people surrounding it could be seen from afar. Arriving at the location, an unknown feeling came over me. I was experiencing history in a whole different level. When I think about a memorial, the term remembrance comes to mind. Seeing the statue of Abraham Lincoln brought pieces of memories from history class and evoked thoughts of what it might have felt like to be in his shoes. I was astonished by the statue’s enormousness and how grand Abraham Lincoln looked in his chair. The size of the statue compared to pictures from books and elsewhere was surreal. Abraham Lincoln was a very “powerful and prominent individual” in the history of our nation, the statue’s design and size reflected upon that. Looking around me, I wanted to know what the others thoughts were on seeing his statue and how they felt in that building. I finally had the courage to ask one or two people what they thought; they all had the same appreciation as me. Hearing about an important person or learning about them in a history book gives you vast knowledge but it doesn’t evoke the feeling of utter appreciation as the memorial does. When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, many people wanted to build a memorial in honor of him. They wanted to be able to show how important he was to shaping our nation and to “honor his existence”. Ce...
Why do sentinels guard the tomb 24/7? Why is the tomb so sacred to America? There is no specific way to answer all these questions that so many American’s ponder, but there are many possibilities to consider. The tomb of the Unknowns has a special place in many American’s hearts. Since the remains in the tomb are unidentified many mothers, fathers, wives, and other family members feel a strong connection with the tomb. The families that lost soldiers that never returned after these wars connected with the tomb because they felt that the tomb may contain their sons, husbands, or brothers. What if you were somehow related to one of the four soldiers in the tomb? John Eisenhower wrote a newspaper article about the significance of the tomb. In his article he states, “Its significance is staggering going to the very core of how democracy defends itself in a perilous world.” This quote reveals that the tomb represents America’s fight for democracy in this dangerous world. After every war America remains a democracy even when the world around may not agree. Eisenhower thought this monument was different from any other because it honors soldiers. Most monuments honor men that are high up in the military, but this one honors those who are simply the soldiers. The soldiers in the tomb signify all the other soldiers that have lost their lives at war. The tomb of the unknown soldier is found in many other countries
Not only are military heroes buried at Arlington, but memorials have also been built to honor others who have given their lives for America. The memorials that are located throughout Arlington tell a story about people throughout American history (Reef 43). Each year families walk the endless rows of white head stones at Arlington in order to pay their respects to the ones that have given their lives for America.
When creating a monument, the group or agency needs to consider if the subject is compelling enough to society. The monument has to have
During the Gettysburg Attack, thousands of people died, both sides of the Civil War getting slaughtered. If we were to not honor them, they would have died for nothing. In order to honor them, we must respect each other, and the laws being passed after the fact of the Civil War. This was was on a little piece of ground, yet so many lives were lost. “...that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave that last full measure of devotion” (539).
The Civil War was one of the bloodiest and deadliest conflicts in U.S History. In Gettysburg there were three consecutive days in July, were the most soldiers were hurt. There were a total of 51,000 soldiers who were missing, wounded, or dead (Goodheart 1). There was no place to bury all the dead. There were about 7,000 bodies of the soldiers left in the battlefield. Some were buried in shallow graves and had very little identification (Goodheart 1). With the heat and rain the town started to smell like decaying animals mixed with the odor of human bodies (Borrit 5). The governor decided to make a National Cemetery were all of the dead soldiers would have a place to be honored. This is where one of the famous addresses
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.
At the beginning of this whole ordeal, I was right beside those who protested the removal of the monument. I thought about the First Amendment right: Freedom of Religion. Chief Justice Moore and his anonymous helpers took it upon themselves to put the monument there. But after I found out how the monument was placed there without consent of the court. This gave me one good reason why the monument should be moved.