I agree that no part of our history should be erased. What I would do is develop some type of very obvious symbol that meant our society NO LONGER condones the confederacy. Put one such symbol on each statue, each street and town named after a confederate personage. Then every grade school curriculum could include a lesson on how cultures EVOLVE, how over time human consciousness and the human conscience grow in their capacity to empathize with others.

We could teach every child that just as we no longer condone killing, slavery, racism, or prejudice against those of different religion or sexual orientation, these were all considered normal attitudes and actions at some time in the past. Every child could be raised from their earliest years to be on the lookout for FURTHER ways to become more inclusive. “How can we make this earth more equitable for everyone, for all animals, plants, etc?”

That way whenever a child so taught might encounter this very obvious symbol on a statue or a street name (a large black ‘X’ for example) he would be primed to ask himself “What was it about this person’s actions that earned him that mark?” “How and why has society evolved to no longer honor this person?” And perhaps even “What attitudes and actions is my culture condoning NOW that future generations will find primitive and unconscionable?” and finally, “What can I change now to make it less likely that future generations will abhor the attitudes and actions I find normal today? (One predictable example might be this one: allowing some citizens to go without healthcare in a nation that can very well afford otherwise, while stockholders and healthcare CEO’s make countless millions off of denying individuals care for the sake of profits.)

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