Interesting commentary on removing Confederate Statues

I stumbled across this post on a Civil War History blog, I have commented on it and I will state that my own personal view is that in cases of things like this is that the best option is change the plaques to accurately describe the person honored, why the statue was erected, and how views have changed since then.

Probably the most interesting part of the post is the revelation that rather than re-use the plinths for other figures associated with the Union side.

Quote:

It seems likely there will be no statues to even local notables of the war. Some possible replacements could include Oscar J. Dunn, Andre Cailloux, or Algernon Sidney Badger. Dunn was the first black lieutenant governor in America. He helped create one of the most equitable state constitutions of its time. Cailloux was an officer who died leading a charge at Port Hudson, the first battle where black regiments fought in the war. Badger was a white army officer noted for his courage and devotion to civil rights. He was wounded while fighting the White League. Replacements have been discussed only in passing. Meanwhile, unless forced to, the Omni Royal Hotel does not want to advertise that their building was the country’s largest slave market before the war. We take down the statues but we also refuse to discuss slavery. We make history more palatable. After all, the reason people come to New Orleans is music, food, and architecture. New Orleans is not Gettysburg, nor is it the National Holocaust Museum

http://ift.tt/2pD3EBs

He does bring up an interesting and disturbing issue about the preservation of history, even the uncomfortable parts.

via International Skeptics Forum http://ift.tt/2qXUrb3