Arlington National Cemetary is hallowed ground.
Its history is tied to both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War–the Arlington Estate was originally created as a tribute to George Washington by his adopted grandson, and by an odd quirk of fate, Robert E. Lee wound up temporarily possessing the property at the outbreak of the Civil War. The federal government seized it for military purposes, and it became the site of our most prestigious national cemetery.
The Civil War was, by far, the most deadly war in our history, with over half a million American deaths. At the turn of the 20th century, Congress agreed to intern Confederate soldiers at Arlington and allowed the erection of a monument that became known as the “Reconciliation” monument–a celebration of the country coming back together.
After the George Floyd riots, the federal government decided to take down monuments with a connection to the Confederacy and to eliminate anything that could be interpreted as celebrating, justifying, or acknowledging the Confederacy as anything other than evil. As part of this effort the “Reconciliation Monument” was put on the chopping bloc.
The Biden administration is removing the Reconciliation Monument in Arlington.
The monument was built 109 years ago to honor post-Civil War reconciliation and national unity.
History is being rewritten before our eyes. pic.twitter.com/GC7u7f8Ao4
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 17, 2023
Well, the time has come, and over the objection of many the monument is finally coming down. Glenn Youngkin and about 40 Republican congressmen have dared to stand up and defend the monument, but most lawmakers have spinelessly remained silent.
Few Americans are, I hope, strong admirers of the Confederacy anymore. Still, all Americans should appreciate that the country eventually came back together after a bloody and divisive civil war that nearly tore this country apart. A monument to that reconciliation at our most hallowed ground seems more than appropriate.
Speaking practically, history has shown that even though the Southern states rose against the federal government, over the past century, our most patriotic and self-sacrificial defenders of our country have come from citizens of the South.
Tearing down the reconciliation monument is spitting in the face of the memory of these citizens’ ancestors and a rejection of recognizing the complications in America’s history.
It is, in other words, both offensive and stupid. I say this as an admirer of Lincoln’s cause and a strong opponent of the Southern ideology. I am unthreatened by people who admire their ancestors for their courage, if not the wisdom of their cause, and I believe that we should preserve our history without trying to rewrite it.
Let’s face it: this is pathetic virtue signaling. Monuments are being built to fentanyl and meth addict George Floyd and the tearing apart of America. Do we really need to tear down monuments that celebrate Americans coming together?
9/ But of course, this is never *really* about the Confederacy or “Confederate Statues”. The same spirit animated the recent removal of the statue of Thomas Jefferson from the New York City Council, where it had stood for 187 years. pic.twitter.com/SuNnkAk48o
— Jeremy Carl (@jeremycarl4) December 15, 2023
Yes, apparently, we do.
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