It’s easy to be cynical or skeptical in response to claims that we’ve witnessed a noticeable decline in the influence of the Lost Cause over the past two decades. I have written on numerous occasions over the past few years making just this point and I will continue to do so.
I was stunned by "my" Congressman, who is African American being one of the yeses on the UDC memorial. That seems like nearly suicidal depths of stupidity or cluelessness.
I like the contrast of the two efforts, it definitely shows the complexity of describing where we are as country.
The only pushback I'd have is that I think you are too optimistic to think that the congressmen wouldn't attend a re-dedication. I suspect in attendance would at least be congressmen like Marjorie Taylor Greene, maybe Chip Roy, Elise Stefanik, and others who like nothing more than a confrontational action to get themselves back in the news. Your point that most wouldn't certainly stands, I just don't share the optimism that it would be completely void of attendees. Particularly if the timing coincided with House race primaries - it might serve to keep them on the right side of the people who put them there in the first place.
Thanks for the comment. You may be right, but I am sticking by my argument. The reason that House Republicans could vote for the addendum is that the text steers largely away from identifying it as a Confederate monument. That would be almost impossible to do during a rededication ceremony.
I was stunned by "my" Congressman, who is African American being one of the yeses on the UDC memorial. That seems like nearly suicidal depths of stupidity or cluelessness.
I like the contrast of the two efforts, it definitely shows the complexity of describing where we are as country.
The only pushback I'd have is that I think you are too optimistic to think that the congressmen wouldn't attend a re-dedication. I suspect in attendance would at least be congressmen like Marjorie Taylor Greene, maybe Chip Roy, Elise Stefanik, and others who like nothing more than a confrontational action to get themselves back in the news. Your point that most wouldn't certainly stands, I just don't share the optimism that it would be completely void of attendees. Particularly if the timing coincided with House race primaries - it might serve to keep them on the right side of the people who put them there in the first place.
Fortunately, we'll never know for sure.
Thanks for the comment. You may be right, but I am sticking by my argument. The reason that House Republicans could vote for the addendum is that the text steers largely away from identifying it as a Confederate monument. That would be almost impossible to do during a rededication ceremony.
Let's hope we don't have to find out.