The Monologist
Aug 23, 2017 · 1 min read

The Civil War was not merely about slavery. It wás about the Confederate States feeling left out governing of the Union; the enforcement of abolition was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Furthermore, historians are taught the following thing: no matter how deplorable something in the past is, no matter how cruel something people did in the past was, it is NOT your job to judge. Reading about something horrible in the past and criticizing the people in the past for doing something that fitted in the social framework of their time (within their Zeitgeist) is utterly pointless: “People back then were soooooooo backwards, we’re sooooo much better.” It doesn’t bring us anywhere closer to progress. Moreover, think about the fact that in a few centuries, people will look back on us, probably thinking the exact same thing. The point being that every generation thinks the previous generations were backwards and only they are doing the right thing.

So yes, slavery and racism are deplorable things and should not belong in today’s society. But instead of criticizing the past, why don’t we learn from it. Tearing down statues never taught men to respect his neighbor.

(Personally, a Robert E. Lee statue to me only reminds me of military genius. His defence of Virginia was remarkable considering the odds.)

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    The Monologist

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    Studying the history of the past and future