Robert E Lee Memorial, New Orleans
After the 2015 shooting of several members of a black church in South Carolina, there have been calls to completely purge the United States of anything Confederate. From the flag atop the South Carolina statehouse to statues across southern cities, there has been mostly success. Unfortunately for supporters, cities these days are dominated by minorities and liberal whites, who want nothing to do with the Confederacy. In a sense, why should there be any memorials to failed secessionists? Do other countries have any of this? The answers are probably mixed. Ireland and Scotland still have their defeated heroes remembered, but England tends to mock Catholic pretenders like Bonnie Prince Charles. On the other hand, the Sov…I mean Russians still maintain some Soviet memorabilia despite its complete rejection. In fairness, Stalin does maintain a popularity in the country that Jefferson Davis does not.
Seattle Lenin Statue
On that note, this has been less about the failure of these statued men than about the repugnant views they are said to represent, namely slavery and racism. If this is the case, why are statues to a man who caused and inspired the killing of millions and the enslavement of millions more allowed to stand? There is an infamous statue of Vladimir Lenin in Seattle, a lesser known one in New York City, and one in the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City. This horrific man has massive amounts of blood and suffering on his hands, but there are only a few peeps to get them removed. The media barely makes mention of any groups trying to get them down (are there any?). Academia is quiet of course, and government officials dont seem to be bothered by a bloody tyrant being immortalized. That does not come as a surprise, since he is a quiet hero to them. But if it were a statue of Hitler, or a Confederate leader, thats terrible and has to come down!
We can bring about change by creating a movement of our own. Unfortunately, libertarians and conservatives are more likely to be gainfully and fully employed than liberals and socialists, so its hard for us to make time to protest and organize. However, a Lenin statue in Las Vegas was modified after some outcry. And with some internet slacktivism, we could get some media attention and make it an issue. Publicity stunts would also help. From time to time, red paint is splashed on the hands of the Seattle Lenin. What if someone were to place a statue of a Confederate general next to him, or Adolf Hitler? That would sure get some attention. Protests next to it would also help. If I lived in Seattle, I probably would organize something. Incidentally, the statue is up for sale, but the price is quite high. The family who owns it wants to get it off their hands: maybe it could be bought and sold for scrap?