Friends and neighbors,
This article is both distressing and frustrating:
In Washington D.C., a committee reporting to the mayor has a list of historical monuments, schools, parks, buildings, and more that they say need a name change. Among the recommendations are remove, relocate or “contextualize” the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Benjamin Franklin Statue. Be aware: this is not an isolated incident taken on by a rogue city council. It is a movement of the left that has been growing and growing, and similar efforts have been happening all across America. In fact, in 2017 I personally witnessed the removal of the historic Robert E Lee statue, erected in New Orleans in 1884 and later placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its current location is unknown.
In many places, activists are simply taking matters into their own hands and tearing down statues. Remember, it was only 3 months ago that criminals illegally tore down the statue of Christopher Columbus on the capitol grounds. In addition, there are efforts underway by the Minnesota Historical Society to change the names of other places, and the Capitol Preservation Council has looked at removing or relocating artwork in the capitol that they disagree with.
This growing movement of activists on the left is straight Orwellian. No matter what you think of the individuals to whom we have created these monuments, we cannot and should not erase history from our collective memories. History is complicated and sometimes embarrassing, but sanitizing it is not the answer. There are ways to confront the aspects of our history that we are less than proud of without pretending it never happened.
The thing to remember is that this is not just about names and statues. It’s about our American History. There are individuals who aim to undermine the legitimacy of our country, and this is part of that effort. We must stop these “Orwell activists.”
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.” – George Orwell, 1984.