History’s Slippery Slope: The Fine Line Between Right and Wrong

The United States is moving into an interesting era of its history — an era that pits countrymen against countrymen, brothers against brothers, husbands against wives, and, of course, as is always the case inside the borders of the great country of the United States of America — white against black.

Increasingly, there are calls for the removal and renaming of statues and streets that were erected or named in order to honor individuals who played a major role in the politics of race, slavery, and injustice in the history of the United States. It is indeed laudable that US society as a whole has come to accept a more equal view of race relations.

While there is still much work left to be done, the US as it currently stands, is much closer to the ideals of an equal nation for peoples, regardless of their skin color, or country of origin as compared to the 1960’s. No longer are large swaths of the population routinely denied basic services simply because their skin is a different color. Talent is recognized to come from anywhere, even though the opportunities for talent to develop are still not evenly distributed. We as a nation have come a long way since the tumultuous times of the Civil Rights Movement.

It is because we have come such a long way that I am afraid of what is coming next. I am afraid that the increasing number of calls for the removal of historical statues and streets is a slippery slope. I am afraid that politicians — who are bound by their constituents — will relent to this pressure and authorize the removal of said historical artifacts. I am afraid that under the pressure of the American public, American history will be erased.

I am afraid that men like Robert E. Lee who fought on the wrong side of history will be erased from our collective consciousness and relegated to existence only in school textbooks.

Don’t read me the wrong way. I in no way condone the actions of the former Confederate states. I in no way condone slavery. Nor do I claim that slavery was right.

I merely assert — rightfully so — that slavery is part of our history. Slavery exists in our collective consciousness. The people who fought for, and against slavery should be remembered. They should not be remembered because they were on the right, or wrong side of history. They should be remembered so we as a society will never condone something as atrocious as slavery ever again.

They should be remembered so that we as a nation will remember our past, and work towards a brighter future for all.

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