(AbsoluteNews.com) – For two weeks, Americans have marched through the streets to protest the alleged murder of George Floyd by a now-fired police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The activists are demanding police reforms and most of them are doing so peacefully. However, what was a movement against police violence and systemic problems with the criminal justice system, has now turned into something else.
While there are still plenty of people who want to change the system, others are targeting the country’s history as well.
A Fight in Richmond
More than 100 years ago, a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was placed in Richmond, Virginia. The beautiful piece of art towers over the city’s Monument Avenue. Earlier this month, Governor Ralph Northam (D) said he was going to have it removed because erasing history is what people do now.
Do you support Gov. Ralph Northam's plan to remove the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Richmond? (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/h5ParU1t59
— News 5 WCYB (@news5wcyb) June 5, 2020
Resident William C. Gregory appealed to the courts and was granted a 10-day injunction against the removal. Gregory argued that Northam would violate an 1890 deed that transferred the land and the statue on it to Virginia and requires the state to “…faithfully guard and affectionately protect it.”
Removing it seems to be the opposite of affectionately protecting the statue.
State Flags Aren’t Safe
For years, some residents in Mississippi have tried to force the state to adopt a new flag. The current one includes the Confederate battle emblem. A group of bipartisan lawmakers in the state is trying to get enough votes to make it happen.
In 2001, Mississippians voted to keep the flag as-is by a margin of almost 2-to-1. However, public sentiment may have changed since then. In 2014, artist Laurin Stennis designed a flag to replace it:
Proud to be Nettleton, Mississippi’s first. If the state settles on another design then I’ll swap them out. Until then, this is the most recognizable symbol of efforts to change the state flag. pic.twitter.com/xkkNPXkTiu
— Brandon Presley (@BrandonPresley) June 10, 2020
Should the state change the flag? Will that make the situation better or is it just a “feel good” proposal that doesn’t solve anything? That’s the question lawmakers are going to have to answer.
Christopher Columbus Decapitated
It’s not just Confederate relics being attacked. In Boston, Massachusetts a statue of explorer Christopher Columbus was beheaded.
BREAKING OVERNIGHT: @bostonpolice are investigating after Christopher Columbus statue in #ChristopherColumbus Park is beheaded.
Details starting at 5 a.m. on @boston25
📸: @MParkBoston25 pic.twitter.com/vDkDhSsqyW
— Julianne Lima (@JulianneLimaTV) June 10, 2020
Time to Grow Up
Not every single part of American history is something we should celebrate, that’s not disputed. However, do we really need to destroy and remove historical monuments to right the wrongs? Can’t we all just see our statues and monuments as a part of history that we should all recognize?
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