Effacing The Past

Thinking some more about Confederate iconoclasm

Predictably, the left has lobbied to tear down offensive monuments.

I’d like to make a few observations.

I’m not an absolutist about this. I don’t think it’s intrinsically wrong to tear down some monuments. But in general I’m opposed to it.

First, if and when we’re going to tear down monuments, that should enjoy broad-based public support. That shouldn’t be decided by an unrepresentative faction of malcontents.

Take a look at this recent YouGov poll. Only 20 percent “strongly approve” removing the Lee statue — for blacks, that number is only 33 percent!

Second, as a rule, we shouldn’t efface history. Rather, we should learn from history.

I oppose the erection of Confederate monuments. But once a Confederate monument is there, and has been there for decades, it inevitably becomes integrated into the history of a place. And it’s a good thing to see visible layers of the past.

Third, the undeniable reality is that social justice warriors are insatiable. They don’t stop when you capitulate to their incessant demands. To the contrary, that emboldens them to demand more.

Where does it end? If some people find churches and synagogues offensive, should they be torn down? If a private homeowner has a crèche on his front yard during the Christmas season, should that be removed because some atheists are offended? Should yarmulkas be banned if Muslims are offended? Should bikinis be outlawed if Muslims are offended?

As C’Zar Bernstein has put it in a post here on Arc:

The irrationality and incoherence with which statues will be removed is itself a reason to oppose these agitators now even if it would be good if there were no rebel monuments. Removing statues of Lee and Jackson would only encourage them to successfully remove statues that actually shouldn’t be removed.

Lenin himself advised that the left should “probe with a bayonet: if you meet steel, stop. If you meet mush, then push.” Frankly, I don’t trust that the conservative intellectuals who are now calling for the removal of rebel statues are going to mount a successful campaign against the agitators in the future. The left are going to probe, meet mush, and push again. Better to give ’em steel now.

Fourth, a dogged pursuit of monument toppling reflects an obsession with empty symbolism. Tearing down Confederate monuments doesn’t do anything to improve the lives of black Americans. That’s a cheap substitute and decoy that deflects attention away from real problems and real solutions.

What about school choice so that black students aren’t stuck in failing schools? What about scholarships so that blacks can attend private schools? What about Big Brother programs for fatherless boys?

It’s the easiest thing in the world to jump on the latest outrage train and ride it until the hacktivists steering it get tired and move on the next one. Doing the difficult work of staying informed about policy discussions, and evaluating solutions based on their effectiveness rather than on political talking points, takes determination and grit.

Fifth, so often it’s whites who presume to speak on behalf of minorities. That’s very paternalistic.

Why not get out of the way and let minorities speak for themselves? And not just “official” spokesmen, but a spectrum of minority viewpoints. Why not on-the-street interviews?

Of course, those driving the narrative might not like the results.

Berny Belvedere contributed to this story.