George Floyd’s murder was tragic enough, but the ensuing violence and destruction have overshadowed the man’s death and distorted the message of the peaceful protests. Democratic leaders have turned a blind eye as cities they govern, such as Seattle, are overrun, and law enforcement is ordered to stand by with hands tied. The vandalism is no longer about slavery and racial injustice. History is being demolished, and those severing our ties to the past are in some cases destroying homage to the very people who helped free the slaves in the first place.
Along with the American Revolution, which separated America from England, the Civil War was a defining point in U.S. history. The country was torn and its citizens divided over the spread of slavery. Although the main premise was to free black slaves, that wasn’t the entirety of it. Not all Southerners owned slaves and not all slave owners approved of the institution. And, just as important, not every Confederate soldier was fighting to defend slavery; to many, it was a matter of honor. Today’s protesters want to erase that history and destroy anything to do with that time period, all in the name of justice. Yet, many of the statues and memorials they are ruining were dedicated to people who fought to end slavery and promote equality.
On Juneteenth (June 19), a day celebrating the end of slavery, protesters tore down the statue of Ulysses S. Grant in San Francisco. Although the soon-to-be president had one slave, whom he freed, Grant led the Union Army to victory and signed the Naturalization Act, which provided blacks with citizenship. And if those two accomplishments were not enough to convince Black Lives Matter (BLM) of his dedication to racial equality, he also created the Department of Justice so that the Ku Klux Klan could be prosecuted.
Author Dinesh D’Souza tweeted out what is obvious to the informed:
“Why topple a statue of Ulysses S. Grant? Here are his great offenses from the point of view of the Democratic Left 1. He destroyed slavery which had been supported by Democrats in the North and South 2. He shut down the Ku Klux Klan, the paramilitary wing of the Democratic Party”
This protest is no longer about Black Lives Matter. If it was, why would supporters deface the Lincoln Memorial, a representation of the Republican president who ran on an anti-slavery platform? And what does defacing a World War I memorial have to do with anything? The so-called protesters seem like toddlers throwing a tantrum, testing their parents to see how much they can get away with. Apparently quite a bit!
White men were not the only people to fight and die during the war, a fact overlooked by these vandals. In Boston, demonstrators ruined the Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial on May 31, 123 years to the day after it had been dedicated. This sculpture was a tribute to the black soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
In Duluth, MN, the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial was marred by anti-police graffiti, a perfect example of how black lives don’t matter to these folks. The memorial honors three black men who were lynched after being wrongly accused of raping a woman.
In Denver, a statue honoring the victims of the Armenian genocide was defaced with the words “Cops are the evil” written on the ground in front of it. Armenians of Colorado responded to the destruction in a statement:
“Since the Khachkar commemorates the victims of all crimes against humanity, including slavery and state-sponsored racism, it is ironic that individuals who claim to seek justice have vandalized the very monument that honors the victims of injustice.”
Again in San Francisco, protesters tore down the statue of Francis Scott Key, the man who wrote our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Destroying monuments, memorials, and statues will not change history. Nothing will ever change what has already happened. History tells the story of our societal evolution. It’s full of blood, tears, and injustices. If you are offended by it, then the lessons are being learned. As the most pivotal time in our past is systematically erased by the left, we must ask ourselves how future generations will learn from our mistakes. We must also question why Democratic leaders are allowing such lawlessness and destructive crimes to continue.
For those knowledgeable and informed, it’s a well-known fact that during the Civil War, Republicans were in charge. This was the party that sought to abolish the institution of slavery, which Democrats wanted to keep alive and thriving – it was profitable for business. Could it be that it is Dems who are all about profits over people? Could turning a blind eye to the destruction of history be motivated by the left’s desire to wipe out any memory of Republicans’ dedication to all people, no matter the color of their skin?
Liberty Nation’s Onar Am explained why Republicans allowed Democrats to build Confederate statues. “Forgiveness and rebuilding after total victory can be a powerful method for a winner of war to create lasting peace.” Unfortunately, “the Republican Party was so eager to let bygones be bygones that it purged its own roots and history.” And “Republicans forgot they were part of the party that abolished slavery.”
Is the left just trying to change the narrative? As Onar said:
“Such self-imposed amnesia allowed academics of the left to rewrite history, absolving the Democratic Party of all sin. The entire history of America’s racial divide, Jim Crow, and slavery was projected onto the very people who rid the country of these horrors.”
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Read more from Kelli Ballard.
