President Trump appears extremely worried that if a statue of Robert E. Lee is taken down, then a statue of George Washington might be next.
The president asks what’s the difference between the two men, since both owned slaves? Good question, Mr. President!
One difference: George Washington was the general who led an undersized Continental Army to a triumphant victory over the forces of King George III.
Another difference is that George Washington was the first president of the United States. He helped the country end the arbitrary rule of monarchy as we became a constitutional democracy.
A third difference is that Washington came to oppose slavery and provided for the emancipation of his slaves in his will.
Washington also subscribed fully to the principles of the new nation. When one attempt was made by officers to make Washington their king, he refused; he would have none of it.
At the end of the war, he resigned his military commission and returned to civilian life. He did not seek power beyond what was called for by service to his country. Washington was revered as the Father of his Country.
I can go on but you get the point. Moreover, it’s not just the difference between the two men that is involved; it’s also recognizing that there are neo-Nazis who idolize Hitler just as there are dyed-in-the-wool racists who idolize Lee.
The Confederacy represented a rebellion against the legitimate authority of the U.S. government. Lincoln won the 1860 election fair and square.
As the South’s main reason for secession was to keep Slavery, the Confederate flag came to stand for that aim; it represented a very brutal form of oppression.
By contrast, the American flag of Washington represents the progress made in granting universal suffrage over the years to Black men (1870), women (1920), and Native Americans (1924).
We remain a self-governing constitutional democracy.
The Nazis and fascists want to turn back the hands on the clock of history. The rest of the nation wants the country to move forward and to live up to its ideal that ‘all men are created equal.”
Speaking hypothetically: if removing a statue of General Lee could one day lead to questioning the wisdom of honoring Washington, so be it. It would not be the end of the world.
It seems unlikely that people will ever wish to tear down the Washington Monument but you never know; at least one person, the president, apparently thinks that’s a real possibility!
Perhaps that question will arise in the future at which time–through discussion and debate–the American people can make their decision.
It is not a question that needs to be raised or answered now when Americans have enough problems understanding that Lee represented slavery and statues honoring him are not in keeping with our democratic values.
Talking about Washington is a red herring invented by the president to sidetrack people from the real issues.
At the same time, President Trump repeated a lie about General Pershing that has absolutely no basis in historical fact. This is another red herring, no doubt—or an example of astonishing ignorance and stupidity on his part.
It would seem that President Trump would be better off learning to read and studying American history–at about the 7th or 8th grade level, if I had to make a guess.
He seems unable to grasp why Americans protested the neo-Nazis and fascists in Charlottesville.
He does not understand the threat posed by the white supremacists who historically resort to violence. History teaches us that much, if nothing else.
A car slamming into protesters was not an accidental byproduct of the thinking of such white supremacists. It is who they are, always seeking to provoke clashes and conflict.
In his “many sides” view, President Trump would say the American colonists were as much responsible for the violence of the American Revolution as the British soldiers.
He would say that slaves were responsible for the violence of the Civil War when they ran away to freedom, fought back against slave-owners, supported the Underground Railroad, and enlisted in the Union Army.
He would say women are responsible for the conflicts and attacks upon them when they fought to secure the right to vote. (Yes, another version of the “blame the victim” mentality we commonly see with male chauvinists).
He would say the followers of Dr. King’s non-violent civil rights marches were as much to blame for the violence in Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham as the Southern racists who planted bombs, fire-bombed Freedom Riders bus, turned on the fire hoses, released the vicious biting dogs, swung batons to bust heads, while attacking and murdering peaceful protesters.
The president’s view lacks any sort of moral compass. He does not recognize the historical necessity and significance of these many struggles for freedom and equality.
He lashes out at his critics rather than trying to understand their point of view. He attacks and slanders protesters rather than supporting them in opposition to such a brazen and open display of racism and fascism as witnessed in Charlottesville.
He does not understand the brutality brought to bear by southern racists and German fascists. If Nazi Germany taught us anything, it is that the people everywhere must not wait to build a strong popular movement of opposition whenever the first signs of fascism appear.
President Trump cannot seem to wrap his head around the notion that there is a difference between the violence of the Far Right trying to revive Segregation and Hitlerism and the brave actions of American men and women standing up to them and their terrorist tactics.
A man so utterly confused by history has no business opening his mouth to try and explain to anyone that there is no difference between the two sides.
American patriots who fought for independence, courageous abolitionists who fought to end slavery, brave women who fought for equal rights, anti-fascists who fought to defeat Hitler, and clear-headed protesters committed to stopping the growth of racist and Nazi ideology before it is too late—all have moral purpose and personal courage on their side.
That the president seems unable to grasp the deeper issues involved, is a sad commentary on his lack of compassion, courage, and insight. He is utterly unfit to be president of the United States.
