Is it OK to honor Confederates in public anymore?
Don't be surprised if a lot of people answer "No"
The Princess Anne Confederate memorial has been rescued from storage in Virginia, and is now on display again—-on private property. (Link to story here). It used to be at the county courthouse—-on public property—-until the wokeists took it down.
Don’t be surprised if a lot of Americans, especially folks who have no tie to Civil War heritage, believe that We The People have already had a grand national discussion on the place of Confederate heritage in public spaces—-and the result of that discussion was some grand consensus that it’s no longer acceptable to honor Confederates in public. They can be honored in the shadows, out of the public eye, on private property. But not in public, or by any government authority.
The Naming Commission’s Preface flat out says that the United States Congress has determined that Confederates no longer warrant commemoration from the War Department. That sounds damning when you hear it. The War Department and the American military are some of our country’s cornerstone institutions. If average Americans hear that THEY have determined that Confederates are unworthy of commemoration, that’s going to carry a lot of weight. Don’t be surprised if average Americans make an understandable logic leap, and conclude that We the People have decided that Confederates do not warrant commemoration from ANY public entity. That it’s a settled matter.
And, where will that leave us?
How will communities who still have Confederate statues in public places withstand the inevitable, expensive legal challenges against them—-challenges that are bound to come again. (And again, and again)
How much longer will Sons of Confederate Veterans chapters be allowed to present awards to high school Junior ROTC cadets? What is a high school principal going to do—-go against the clearly-stated “will” of Congress?
Shenandoah County in Virginia recently renamed its high school for Stonewall Jackson. Virginia just elected a woke governor and Attorney General. Does anyone think the wokeists in Richmond are going to play nice and leave Shenandoah County alone?
If the Confederate heritage community does not assert its right to keep its place in the public sphere, we will lose it. We have to find ways, and instances, where we can assert that right. We have to pick fights. For example:
Demand that statues be put back in the places where they originally stood. Or, make the wokeists explain why they can’t go back. The George Floyd hysteria has faded, so the wokeists can’t hide behind that anymore. And, plenty of folks are heartily sick of wokeists and cancel culture types. Put them on the spot!
Force public leaders and institutions to take affirmative, public positions against Confederate heritage. For example, force Members of Congress to justify the actions and judgements on the Naming Commission. Very, very few will want to do that. Many of them will probably back down—but not if no one puts pressure on them, publicly.
Otherwise, average Americans will conclude that we (a) can’t mount an effective defense of our place in public life or (b) don’t care enough to do it. I can imagine an average American saying to him/herself: “If the Confederate heritage crowd doesn’t mind getting tossed out of public places, then why should I?”
Organizations and social groups that want to survive, are expected to defend themselves. If it appears that they are not defending themselves, then don’t be surprised if average folks conclude that those organizations/groups have chosen to accept being marginalized.
The clock is ticking folks.