Quote:
Originally Posted by DiracSpike
I think we're all in agreement that people rocking nazi paraphernalia and allegedly driving cars into counter protestors is pretty contemptible. But I think an interesting debate to be had is whether the statue of Robert E Lee should be replaced.
Although a Confederate general, Lee was a well respected military officer for basically all of his life. He graduated top of his class from the Army academy, served in the Mexican American war, and took a strong leadership position in a Virginia university after the Civil war. He joined to confederacy only after his home state of Virginia decided to secede. He is a central figure to the history of Virginia, so is it unreasonable to wipe out all physical trace of him at that state's flagship university?
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He was the General of the Confederacy, which was raised to ensure the original sin of America continued. He is the symbol not of gentlemanly conduct or great military prowess, but of the
confederacy. There's no grand tradition his likeness rightly evokes.
To the many Black Americans, his likeness brings up the history of how he viewed captured Black soldiers as runaway slaves. Or how he fought to keep their forefathers as slaves.
There's no compelling reason to keep these statues around that I as a Canadian can see