Censorship of the past bothers me. I see no good reason, other than socialistic pressure, to remove our history.
How about the people of New Orleans would rather have a better, nobler association? Sounds good to me. And removing Swastikas and Nazi emblems in Germany didn't lead to anyone forgetting the Third Reich, but it took any semblance of honor from the association.
I was bothered when Disney was forced to discontinue Song of the South sales. There was no reason. Being offended is no good reason. Soon, Peter Pan will be removed for promoting "red man." We'd reduce the Civil War to never happening and blame the South for all of it. I'm not THAT white.
I'm actually fine with racist caricatures being removed by the organizations that inherit them. Good reason? They're racist caricatures.
Nothing to you in particular, but I don't relate to censorship.
So you're okay with pornography on the stands for anyone passing by to see and purchase? Because if you're not you're fine with censorship.
It always seeks to remove another's identity and values.
I'm fine with racist values being marginalized in any society.
I don't want to remove another's rights simply because I'm personally offended.
No one's rights were removed with the statues. And if someone sent you a gift that personally offended you would you proudly display it at the entrance of your house? Neither will the good people of New Orleans.
If it doesn't break the law, it should not be removed.
You'll excuse me I hope, but why on earth should that be the standard? If you bought a business that had the painting of a naked lady on the outside of it because it once was a brothel (that part of town having undergone a gentrification) should you be required to leave it on your new home for a church?
Neither should the good people of New Orleans.
These statues should be allowed on any private property
Has anyone suggested they wouldn't be?
Sure. And as a part of a larger historical set out, like Gettysburgh.
I'm not any more ashamed of General Lee than I am of Grant.
Really? I'd argue you should be. Lee was a man of renowned character who recognized the evil he fought to preserve. Grant, a more notably flawed character fought to end it and to preserve the Union. I'll take flawed in the service of the good over gentlemanly in the service of an evil any day of the week.
If one statue stands on public property, so should the other.
To my mind that's like suggesting you can't have a statue of MLK, Jr. without a statue of a Grand Klan Wizard.
The war was about many other principles than just slavery
No, it wasn't. Other issues were tied to slavery, but the war was all about that inhuman and indecent practice. I've set out the declarations on the point by most of the states that rebelled. I've noted the headlines and stump speeches. It's not even close to arguable, Lon.
and both sides stood up for what they believed were their rights.
I don't really care if the Nazis believed in what they did to the Jews. I don't think it elevates their conduct a whit.
Neither do the good people of New Orleans.
Censorship is more wicked than the purported ill that it seeks to silence.
If you believed that you'd be fine with porn on street corners and over the public airwaves of major networks. You'd be fine with blasphemy around here. I don't believe you are, Lon. Censorship is like a gun. It depends on how you use it.
Trying can easily lead to another civil crisis. This censor mentality will cause civil conflict and deeper rift itself.
The dinosaurs who support romanticizing that lamentable chapter will pass into a clearer, more objective treatment of history and no one will forget the real lesson of that war and how many died to teach it to us.
It's a lesson understood by more and more, and one now championed by those same good people.