They’re Back! The Return of Confederate Statues, Memorials, Flags, and School Names
They Never Truly Went Away
It looked for a moment like the memorializing Confederate soldiers and statesmen who fought to preserve the institution of slavery was coming to an end. It wasn’t normal anywhere else in the world to honor traitors, losers, and their symbols. In Germany, the display of a swastika is banned except in an artistic or educational context. In America, Confederate symbols are often displayed like a badge of honor.
It’s worth noting that history tends to rewrite the narratives of even the most despicable individuals and causes when they emerge victorious in their conflicts. Traitors, for example, can be reframed as revolutionaries whose vision led to the birth of new nations. However, what sets America apart is the peculiar tradition of bestowing honors upon the losers. This is evident in the erection of statues and monuments for those who fought against our country and, in some cases, even for war criminals. At Fort Pillow, Nathan Bedford Forrest oversaw the slaughter of 300 mainly Black Union soldiers, most of whom had surrendered. In his post-Civil War career, Forrest…
