The United States of America is in turmoil over historical
statues. I don’t know about you but to me that statement sounds ridiculous yet
that is what is happening all over the country. People are up in arms about the
statues of Confederate soldiers being on display throughout the different
cities in this country.
Over the past few weeks I have listened to the logical
explanations of those for and against these images and I have come to a
conclusion. Although I do feel the left is using this issue to split this
country and cause a great divide where there shouldn’t be any, I also feel some
of the arguments I have heard are fair and just.
If a statue or monument has been put in place since or
around the time of the Civil War then most American’s accept this as a symbol
and remembrance of the Civil War, what we fought for and against on both sides
of the fence. What is disturbing to many are the statues that were put up after
the 1960’s Jim Crow era. It’s not because they don’t believe in the Civil War
and all those who served regardless of the side they were on but it is because
they feel this is a slap in the face to those who marched for the Civil Rights
and the advancements that were made in our country because of all those who
fought so hard to see equality in this country.
That being said, I can understand how they would feel this
way. I do not agree with taking away our history because we need to learn it
and learn from it but no one is asking to remove it completely. What they are
asking is for some of these images to be put in an area where they would be
used for just that reason. A statue erected in the middle of a park where
children play doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to learn about it, the
person who it represents or the cause in which it was for. Place it in a museum
or area where people go specifically for the historical value of the site and
to learn what it was really all about, is exactly where these such statues
should be moved to instead of destroyed and vandalized by those who seem to be
too immature to understand what a peaceful rally means compared to an out and
out street brawl or riot.
In this country there are 10 Civil War Battlefields where we
can go and learn about what happened at this time in our history. The glory of
it and the horrors of it. There are also 50 National Monuments erected in which
we can learn from and be reminded of our mistakes with the hopes of never
recreating them and our achievements. All these places around the country, I am
sure, can find an extra spot or two, to add an unwanted statue or monument to
their tour of education. Not to mention all the museums around the country who
would love to have these statues in their displays to include in their tours.
That being said let’s take a look at a few of the
battlefields today. First one being where it all started back on April 12,
1861, Fort Sumter, a sea fort in Charleston, South Carolina. There were
two battles fought in Fort Sumter the first being on April 12, 1861 when the
Confederate artillery fired on the Union garrison. The first shots fired were
right there and the battle continued all day. It was a win for the Confederate
side because the fort was cut off from its supply line so they had to surrender
the next day. The second battle was fought in 1863 on September 8 but was a
failed attempt by the Union to retake the fort. Even though the fort was
reduced to rubble it still remained in the hands of the Confederacy. So it
would remain until it was evacuated when General Sherman marched through South
Carolina in February of 1865. Today it stands as a National Monument of where
the American Civil War began. A place to go and learn what took place before
and after the civil war erupted and how the Union forces tried to take the fort
back. You can go there and tour this National Monument and learn the role it
played in the American Civil War.
The Fort Sumter National Monument has three sites in
Charleston starting with the original Fort Sumter. There is also the Fort
Sumter Visitor Education Center, and Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island. In
order to get to Fort Sumter itself you can go by private boat or a ferry ride
which leaves from the education center or Patriots Point. The Visitors
Education Center of Fort Sumter is, as you would have guessed, a museum which
features exhibits about the problems between the North and South that led up to
the battle itself.
Next let us look at Manassas
National Battlefield Park in Manassas, Virgina. Once again the North thought they would have
a quick victory over the South but it didn’t happen that way in July of 1861. I
learned during this battle, this first battle at Manassas that spectators
traveled from Washington to watch what they believed would be a Northern
victory however they were mistaken and ended up fleeing the field right along with
the Federal troops. The Confederacy had the upper hand then and during the
second battle in August of 1862 which set the stage for Gen. Robert E. Lee’s
first invasion of the north. If you wanted to take a tour of this battle field
start at The Henry Hill Visitor Center which is a museum. There you will find a
statue of Confederate Gen. Thomas J. Jackson better known in history as
Stonewall Jackson. The Henry Hill Museum is a great starting point for several
walking tours around the smaller First Battle of Manassas field. There are
driving tours around the larger grounds which were home to the second battle of
Manassas.
Shiloh National
Military Park, Shiloh, Tennessee is next on our list of Civil War
Battlefields. This is the largest battlefield of the Civil War Mississippi
Valley Campaign. The loss on both sides was insurmountable. The battle started
on April 6th, 1862 and ended the following day with 23,746 casualties
between men who were killed, injured or missing in action. The Union may have
won this battle but the casualties of war were costly. Shiloh was a battle that
triggered a huge struggle for Corinth which was a busy railroad junction and
very important to the South.
Today the Shiloh National Military Park preserves the
American Civil War battlefields of Shiloh and Corinth. Situated about nine
miles south of Savannah, Tennessee the main section of the park is the
unincorporated town of Shiloh. The city of Corinth, Mississippi is 23 miles
southwest of Shiloh. The Shiloh National Military Park was established on December
27, 1894. On September 22, 2000 sites associated with the Corinth battlefield were added to the park and on March 6, 1991 the
Siege and Battle of Corinth Sites were designated a National Historic
Landmark.
At the visitor center there are permanent exhibitions,
films, displays and self-guided 12 mile auto tour where you will hear the
recount of the battle unfold as you drive along and envision all these men had
to endure.
Richmond National
Battlefield Park, Richmond, Virginia. Richmond, Virginia was the capital of
the Confederacy so that made it the main target for the north. If Richmond fell
the north would have more control and better footing in a very horrible war not
just between states but in some cases between families, brother against
brother. There are so many Civil War historic sites in Richmond so many of them
have been grouped together and are represented at the Richmond National
Battlefield Park. During the Civil War Richmond took more than one hit and they
got it by land and sea. During the battle of Drewry’s Bluff Confederate guns
were able to hold the U.S. naval fleet off.
Unfortunately most of the city was
burned during the battle in April of 1865. Still a number of historic
structures remain. The visitor’s center is located in Tredegar Iron works. What was once the Chimborazo Hospital which treated the wounded from Virginia’s
battlefields is now a museum and gives you a look at the wars medical history. When
you visit the battlefield you will have a chance to learn the history of what
happened there from the Rangers, follow in the footsteps of the soldiers who
battled there as you hike the battlefields, and explore the artifacts as you
take a tour of the museum exhibits.
It was on September 17, 1862 where we come to the bloodiest
one day battle in U.S. history. The Battle
of Antietam where some 23,000 lives from both sides were either killed,
wounded, or missing in action. This battle had a profound effect on the course
of the war and the lives of millions of people even though neither side could
claim it as a definite victory. The north was able to turn back Lee’s invasion
in Maryland and as Union armies moved south about one in every seven slaves
escaped to join the Northern troops battling for their freedom as well as those
still held as slaves.
If you wished to visit this historical site you can do so
and either hike the battlefield which runs 8 ½ miles long but most visitors
like to take the self-guided driving tour which makes about 11 stops along the
way. The visitor center has a theater, exhibits, observation room, and of
course a museum store where you can purchase a memory of your visit there. The
audiovisual program is a 26 minute film which is narrated by James Earl Jones.
Rangers will be more than happy to share a part of history with you and your
family.
Other battlefields to look into are Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Vicksburg
National Military Park, Vicksburg, Mississippi, Andersonville National Historic Site, Andersonville, Georgia,
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia,
Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, and Appomattox Court House National Historical
Park, Appomattox, Virginia. These memorials, historic landmarks, didn’t pop
up after the civil rights movement in the 60’s these areas were used for actual
battles during the Civil War. The monuments there should be there and should
have no reason for anyone to think they were erected as a smack in the face to
the Civil Rights movement.
Somewhere along the line Americans need to stop taking the
fight to the street and start taking it where it belongs, Capitol Hill. When
you have Congressmen and women condemning all monuments in the country just
because they are offended by who is in the White House and are adding fuel to
an already smoldering fire it is time to let them know you want them to stop
the propaganda and move on to what is important to all in this country. The
issues which they promised the American people in their districts in order to
get elected. I say this right at one of my own who unfortunately represents the
state of New Jersey, Corey Booker, who feels he needs to put a bill forth to be
rid of the monuments in the Capital because they are offensive.
Booker it is because of big mouths like you this country is
still in unrest and not pulling together to be the United States we all know we
can be. The United people we saw on September 11, 2001 who came together from
all over the country to help strangers, no matter what the costs. I do believe if
a statue was erected a hundred years after the civil war it is not there for
education, sitting in the middle of a park somewhere so move them to a museum,
battlefield, or some other historical point. However those monuments in the
Capital that are so offensive belong there. Washington D.C. is the Capital of
the United States of America. Monuments of those who fought for this country,
died for this country, served this country should be on full display for all to
see and learn from. You, Mr. Booker, are a disgrace to New Jersey and if these
monuments offend you so much then perhaps you shouldn’t be representing the
state of New Jersey and it’s time for us to get someone who really cares about
what the people of your state need.
Remember the City of Newark where you came from? Remember
all those wonderful people struggling, and many living in poverty? Remember
your promises to them? Perhaps that’s what you should be working on Booker and
not worrying about monuments and statues that should be in the Nation’s Capital.
All politicians on both sides of the fence need to stop
feeding into this frenzy and start pulling this nation together. Stop looking
for trouble when you have the ability to call a halt to this craziness. Listen
to both sides and understand there has to be a happy medium. No one wants our
history lost but in some cases the request to have the statue or monument
removed is because of its symbolism to the people of the community. Compromise
is the only way to fix what is broken. Not bullying, listening to the both
sides and making an educated decision that will best suit both sides but the
problem here is the left loves the drama and the right is now feeding into it.
We do not need to remove all statues from all cities around
the nation but those who were not put up during the Jim Crow era need to be
looked at and perhaps we all need to cool down and realize they would be better
suited moved to a place where they would help educate our children and
ourselves because it is obvious so many of us forgot what we learned in U. S.
History. We forgot how destructive fighting among ourselves could be. So
instead of bullying and demanding one side to listen to the other sit down and
talk, hear what the other side has to say, listen with an opened mind and come
to an agreement to fix this. Logically, its’ not complicated unless we allow it
to be and right now we are.
So I call to all who are out there battling to bring this
country together to realize moving these statues and monuments to a place where
they would do some good and educate the people, remind us of our faults and failures,
our achievements, and see that meeting in the streets to do battle with the
ANTIFA or BLM is not a way to bring this country together. The removal of a
statue or monument is not tearing our country apart, the people who want us to
drown are and we cannot allow that. Pull together and make a plan to stay
united. To stand behind our President and see to it the real issues at hand are
what is addressed on a daily bases, not the little distractions the left puts
up so the right losses focus.
May God Bless America and hear our prayers to heal this
great nation.
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