Removal of Confederate Monuments Causes Stir Across the South

A group of white nationalists rallied in an effort to protest the removal of the Robert E. Lee confederate monument in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12. The neo-Nazi rally renewed attention to the controversial statues and the values that they glorify. Due to the disputes that the monuments have introduced, it is clear that they should be placed within museums or institutions in which their history may be preserved without engendering anger and controversy.

From the year 1861, the Confederate States of America fought to preserve slavery, a worldwide practice that systematically and institutionally oppressed black people and people of color for 245 years. While it is evident that the practice of slavery has had long lasting effects on today's society, it is also evident that a significant amount of people fail to take this into account.

"To me, the confederate statues represent oppression," sophomore Marissa Leal said. "White supremacists just see it as an important part of history."

The United States prides itself on being a free country where the citizens are granted equal rights and face no injustice. The public display of confederate monuments preserves a historical period of oppression and inequality, which opposes traditional American beliefs. Preserving such a thing is merely paradoxical and should not be condoned, as it may result in further outrage. We are rewarding and glorifying the very thing we despise.

"Whenever anything challenges the perception that Americans have of themselves, specifically pertaining to social issues like racism, they like to dismiss it," junior Jerome Douglas said.

While the confederate monuments represent a crucial part of American history, the statues create a controversy so strong that it drives anger and violence. By displaying them publicly, the United States demonstrates the very hypocrisy that it has been characterized by. There is no way to completely cease the controversy; however, transferring the statues to museums presents itself as the better alternative.

"There will be mixed feelings," Leal said. "No one is ever satisfied."

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