Apparently Carlisle has
succumbed to the general madness.
The U.S. Army War College, which molds future field generals, has begun discussing whether it should remove its portraits of Confederate generals — including those of Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson....
It is the kind of historical cleansing that could spark an Army-wide debate: Lee’s portrait adorns the walls of other military installations and government buildings. Two portraits of Lee are on display at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.: In the Cadet Mess Hall is a painting of Lee when he was superintendent as an Army captain. A portrait of Lee in full Confederate regalia hangs on the second floor of Jefferson Hall, the campus library.
There's a good reason you shouldn't, which the article happens upon by accident:
In 1975, Congress enacted a joint resolution reinstating Lee’s U.S. citizenship in what could be considered a final act to heal Civil War wounds. The resolution praised Lee’s character and his work to reunify the nation.
It's a bad idea to undo "last acts of healing." But you do what you want to do.
12 comments:
remove its portraits of Confederate generals
In the words of that...sausage maker...Jimmy Dean, now that's just dumb.
Eric Hines
Every day it becomes clearer. Lincoln was a Democrat. (plaque recently placed on the wall of a Midwestern college.)
“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.”
Orwell.
The plaque is in all caps. It's hard to say whether the college is saying Lincoln was Democrat or a democrat.
Eric Hines
It will be interesting to see what they actually *do* (as opposed to what they are "considering").
No public institution can afford to appear insensitive these days. Actually doing something about it - as opposed to merely appearing to listen or entertain a suggestion - is another thing.
If they do anything about it, I'll be equally outraged, but it doesn't bother (or surprise) me one whit that they are considering the suggestion.
"No public institution can afford to appear insensitive." That's what I'm calling 'the general madness.' But what's really "insensitive" here? Southerners have feelings too, you know. (Passionate ones, by reputation.)
But maybe they don't count.
In the minds of these folk, they're not "disadvantaged". Plus, Southerners are considered to be morally suspect for having lived in a place where slavery was not only practiced, but defended.
It's kind of a stupid way to look at things, but the quest for perfect equality demands that some people be treated as far more equal than others :p
Yes, that's right. Sometimes that aspect of thinking of people as equal is called "the paradox of diversity," but it's not really a paradox. It's just a contradiction.
It's also both insulting and denigrating to those being being granted diversity. Wilson, when asked about his resegregation of the Federal government, said that blacks should be grateful for the protection, since they can't compete in a white man's world.
This modern sewage masquerading as "the paradox of diversity" is just Wilson's racism with lipstick on it.
Eric Hines
Their portraits shouldn't have been up there in the first place.
Reminds me of a conversation I had in the Army with a Lieutenant from (I want to say Georgia, but it could have been Alabama).
Anyway, the subject of the Civil War came up, and one point he said "If we'd won the war..." to which I replied tugging at the U.S.ARMY tag on our BDUs, "Sir, we did."
He didn't like me much after that.
Their portraits should be there for the same reason the US Army should show honor to Crazy Horse. You should love your enemy; and especially you should love him when he is a man of honor and prowess, as Lee and Forrest were.
Maybe once we might have said they ought to be honored for those who were once the enemy, but might now be allies: we think of Japan that way still today, and Germany when it can manage a unit that will actually fight. But perhaps that ship has sailed.
Again, it's all about the fight, isn't it?
By your example, there ought to be pictures of Howe, Gage and Clinton up too. Ludendorff. Rommel. I was going to say Yamamoto, but he was the Navy's problem, although come to think of it, he was shot down by the Army Air Corps. Basically assassaninated. Giap. (Can't remember a Chinese General from the Korean War)
Yeah, there are a lot of ships that have sailed.
Some of those Germans do deserve to be remembered. Some of the Brits too, for good reasons and bad.
But the South isn't like Germany (and is like Britain) in one way: it still provides 40% of the volunteer force. The Germans can't send a force to Afghanistan that can leave the wire; but the Black Watch can, and so we still honor them.
Giap is one the Army forgets at its peril. Grant was an honorable enemy too, for those for whom he was an enemy.
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