In their ongoing efforts to “transform” America, progressive activists have work to obliterate our history and traditional American culture. They are succeeding in many ways: One is the elimination of Civil War monuments in Southern states. 

The removal of Confederate statues is now standard operating procedure. The statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia is a case in point. Once the center of protests and counterprotests that turned deadly, the statue is no more.  It has been quietly melted down into ingots at a foundry, the location of which was not disclosed. The owner of the foundry mentioned how proud he was to do it: He said, “…when you are approached with such an honor, especially to destroy hate, you have to do it…” His sentiments were echoed by the activists who were invited to witness it.

Progressives have a tendency to be “Presentists”; that is, they judge people of the past by today’s standards. Viewed in this manner, the leaders of the Confederate States of America (and many Founding Fathers) can only be seen as pure evil. Presentists should realize that we have little choice but to be products of our time. Further, they should know that there are lessons to be learned from the past. Obliterating symbols of earlier eras, even repugnant ones, may not be the wisest course of action.

Before you rush to call me a white supremacist, let me tell you about my background. I’m not a son of the Old South. I’m a Latino whose ancestors arrived in New York about 100 years ago. We didn’t have a dog in the fight that occurred a lifetime before we got here, but I’m pretty sure we would have supported the North. I am, however, a history buff and fan of monumental art. I’m troubled by the destruction of art, especially controversial art; it saddens me that so many have no problem with it.

Advocates for the removal of Confederate statues argue that these monuments celebrate those who fought to preserve slavery. They view these monuments as offensive and believe they perpetuate a harmful history. Yet, most of the soldiers who fell defending the Confederacy did not own slaves. In an era where your state was as important as your country, they viewed Northern armies as invaders, and acted accordingly.

Of course, viewed through the lens of hindsight, it seems obvious that it was morally wrong for Southerners to support the continuation of slavery as an institution. The average Confederate soldier, however, only saw their homes and families at risk. Even General Lee, when offered command of the Union army by Abraham Lincoln, refused it on the grounds that he could not attack his native state of Virginia.

Lee described slavery in 1856 as “a moral & political evil.” Yet, he was a landowner in a slave state and a product of his time. The history is somewhat foggy as to how he treated his own slaves, but the fact is he was no abolitionist; there’s no written evidence that he ever freed them.

If you want to assign blame to Robert E. Lee, you could claim that the Civil War lasted longer because of his competence as a general. Without Lee, the South would not have put up as good a fight as they did against the more powerful North. He could, therefore, be blamed for prolonging the war and the casualty counts on both sides. Then again, his error in ordering a mass frontal attack on entrenched Union troops at Gettysburg signaled the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.

I’m not here, however, to either honor or assign blame to General Lee. I’m here to warn against the erasure of American history. Instead, add plaques or additional monuments to give context to the complex legacy of the conflict. Those who are so quick to cancel long-dead Confederates don’t realize their value as lessons. One is obvious: Slavery is evil. The other lesson is about the fragility of the American experiment. If we are not vigilant, the United States may again split into divisions that are more than purely political. As Abraham Lincoln said, “A house divided against itself, cannot stand.”

Image: Roth440K