Confederate Monuments and Statues

Confederacy was composed of 11 states that fought against the Civil War in the United
States, intending to preserve slavery. It is vital to acknowledge that monuments were erected in
various states of America from the time the Civil War ended. Notably, most of the monuments
were erected during the reign of Jim Crow. Remarkably, only about 780 monuments are
currently still standing despite the campaign that advocates for their removal. As much as some
individuals think the monuments are propagating racism, other individuals believe that they
should not be removed. This paper aims at presenting arguments as to why the monuments and
statues should not be removed.
First, the statues and monuments should not be removed as they represent the history of
America despite the complications that may exist. It is vital to acknowledge that taking down
monuments may censor and whitewash the history of America. According to the former
president of America, Donald Trump, taking down the confederate statues is cruel and violates
all the things that Americans cherish (Fausset et al.). Trump further states that demolishing such
structures would only demolish the heritage of Americans and impose an oppressive reign.
Additionally, the individuals who advocate against removing the statues and monuments believe
that they have the right to build statues to honor and respect their beliefs. Notably, the First
Amendment protects the freedom of speech of every American citizen, and not that speech,
which is held by the majority. It is worth noting that the history of America is complicated and

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evolving, and thus individuals who disagree with the beliefs held by the monuments should try to
understand that the monuments represent the history of America.
Additionally, removing the statues and monuments is a delicate issue that may result in
irrational removal of the monuments by any individual with problems. It is vital to acknowledge
that as much as the monuments may remind us of inhuman activities, such as slavery, they also
remind us of the good leaders like George Washington, who led the Continental Army to victory
over the British government (Sanders and Aaron). Also, the monuments remind us of the efforts
made to bring slavery to an end. Destroying monuments is futile as it does not help rewrite
history, and thus citizens of America should focus on making America better.
Also, the statues are not the cause of racism, and thus they can be used in the fight against
racism when put in historical context. Notably, the statues should remain to help Americans
understand that individuals who honored racism were traitors, and that their ugly legacies still
haunt us in contemporary society. In fact, the statues and monuments should help us better
understand how we have been blind to racial injustice and the roles we have in bringing racism
to an end. As much as the monuments remind Americans of slavery and other inhuman acts, they
should also help us understand the whites’ role in promoting the revisionist lost cause history
(Benjamin et al.). Notably, Americans should view the monuments as symbols that represent the
shared history in which many Americans were deprived of their rights. Many scholars believe
that the monuments should not distract us from digging into our pasts but rather help us to look
into the future where human activists are actively fighting against racism.
The other reason I propose that monuments and statues should not be removed is that the
removal of monuments during the French Revolution only resulted in more war. It is vital to
acknowledge that the history of destroying statues and monuments is unpleasant, especially as it

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results in more violence. A critical examination of political iconoclasm indicates that it is dark
and violent, and we should at all costs avoid it from repeating itself (del Campo 2020). Notably,
during the French Revolution, mobs opted to tear down statues in Catholic Churches, and their
actions resulted in much violence, just like when revolutionaries brutally murdered bishops who
declined to sign loyalty oaths. Based on the outcome of the removal of monuments in France,
Americans should refrain from doing so to avoid instances of violence.
One other reason why monuments should not be removed is that the statutes’ removal
cannot address the problems affecting Americans, especially black Americans. Scholars argue
that the energy directed toward removing monuments and statues would not help alter the plight
of Black Americans (Clinton). Notably, if individuals remove statues because they celebrate
slave owners and think that tearing them down will do them good, they are mistaken because
they still remain to be descendants of slaves. Also, the time and energy wasted in destroying the
monuments can be spent on other productive activities that can build the economy.
In the bid to remember American history, there is a dire need to leave the statues to help
us reminiscence a shameful period in history. Most of the statues and monuments were erected to
honor the cause of the Confederacy, which is slavery, and this is enough reason to keep
preserving them. If Americans are really after preserving their history, which only helps them
work harder to achieve the American dream, they should not destroy the monuments (ProCorn.
Org, 2021). Notably, American history enlightens them to forge ahead and eradicate vices in
society that hinder their country’s individual and national growth. Remarkably, the statues
remind the suffering caused by the Civil War, which resulted in the loss of lives of many
citizens. Taking down such monuments only erases the moment in the nation’s history where it

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got close to falling apart. Keeping the statues up just acts like a reminder of American history’s
difficult and shameful period.
In conclusion, preserving the statues and monuments in the United States has numerous
benefits. There is a dire need for Black Americans to stop destroying the monuments as they are
not the cause of their problems. One of the reasons the monuments should be preserved is
because they remind us of the dark American history, which gives us purpose to strive to do
better things to make our country better. Additionally, the energy used in demolishing the statues
cannot help rewrite the history of Black Americans, and as such, such energy should be used in
building the economy of America. Also, the preservation of monuments is vital as it prevents
eruption of violence as it was experienced in the French Revolution, resulting in more disaster.
Citizens of America should realize that the problems they face today are much complicated than
those that took place during the Civil War, and thus we should divert all our energy to creating
solutions to current problems.

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Works Cited

Benjamin, Andrea, et al. “Set in stone? Predicting Confederate monument removal.” PS:
Political Science & Politics 53.2 (2020): 237-242.
Clinton, Catherine, ed. Confederate Statues and Memorialization. University of Georgia Press,
2019.
del Campo, Elianne. “Opening Our Eyes to History.” Masthead 2021 (2022): 2020-2021.
Fausset, Richard. “Tempers flare over removal of Confederate statues in New Orleans.” New
York Times 7 (2017).
ProCorn. Org. Historic Statue Removal – Top 3 Pros & Cons. (2021, August 12).
https://www.procon.org/headlines/historic-statue-removal-top-3-pros-cons/
Sanders, Aaron D. “If Confederate Statues Could Talk: Durham’s Monuments and Government
Speech.” Seton Hall Legislative Journal 45.1 (2021): 4.