Why Is There A Confederate Soldier Statue In Michigan?

Okay people, this needs to be solved. I've kept my mouth and hands closed on this socially but I think it's time we have a heart to heart on a subject. The subject being the issue of tearing down Confederate statues and the rebel flag. Recently protesters have been demanding the removal of a Confederate monument in Allendale Community Park depicting a Confederate and Union soldier standing with a young slave crouched down between them. Real cute.

Both are symbolic of one thing. No, not the Civil War. White Supremacy and dominance. Now I know what you're thinking. "Mark, you're an idiot. You can't erase history. That's part of this countries past and you can't destroy it." I understand your confusion but not so much your support for enemy statues. Because that's what confederates were, enemies. They were not Americans. When they seceded from the North, they were stating that they no longer wanted to be a part of the U.S.A.

So here lies the problem. I think it's logic that every Confederate image, symbol or name should be destroyed and removed. Idolizing these men is evil and inconsiderate to every torture, lynching, rape, and unspeakable evil that any slave, or innocent black american has suffered in our countries' history. That's not just blowing hot air, I've got evidence to back up why.

Now, I've got something you should look at. This graph will show you when monuments or schools were erected in honor of Confederate soldiers by year since the Civil War. You will notice two predominant spikes during the early 1900's, when whites were tightening the grip on their dominance during the Jim Crow era, and also in the 1950's during the Civil Rights movements. That's not a coincidence. That's whites puffing up their chest and intimidating. That's them claiming their dominance over all other races.

When you say, "You can't destroy history," I say you absolutely can. Those statues clearly aren't about the Civil War. They were clearly using figures from that era to put black people in their place to say, "This is still OUR land and you'll never be welcome." According to the Tuskegee Institute, 4,743 people were lynched between 1882 and 1968 in the United States, including 3,446 African Americans. More than 73 percent of lynchings in the post–Civil War period occurred in the Southern states.

THAT is what those statues represent. Now, if you're REALLY upset about Americans destroying history in the land we live in, I expect you must take a very strong interest on the original history American's destroyed, the native people of this land. It was more of a genocide. From 10 million before arriving to 300,000 by 1900. If you're not really pissed off about that and cause a huge fuss online, then you need to look at yourself in the mirror and finally admit that it isn't about history. It's about preserving white dominance. Stop hiding behind your computer and just admit what you make very clear by your actions. If you want to learn about the Civil War, watch Ken Burns' documentary. But leave the Confederacy to memorial battlefields and museums.
#BlackLivesMatter