re: What is the balance between preserving Confederate history and progressing forward?

quote:

---

For example, in NOLA, the PGT Beauregard statue should have remained because of the nexus between this historical figure and the local area

---

I agree.

Liberty Place should have been in a museum where the whole story could have been explained and the monument contextualized so people could learn from it. It's a fascinating and dark chapter of our history, but an extremely important one that teaches the consequences of both marginalizing people, and why forgiving your oppressors to break the cycle of bigotry is so important. The tragic story is the textbook example of oppression sowing hatred causing revenge which creates more oppression (in the opposite direction), sowing more revenge and sparking yet another cycle of oppression back in the first direction and so on and so on.

Beauregard should have remained because of how important he was to New Orleans both before and after the war. He was a true native son who was instrumental in the construction of City Park (hence why his statue overlooked the entrance).

Lee? I would have liked to see that statue remain simply because it was a gorgeous piece of artwork and a historical landmark. Plus, Lee was NOT just some war hero. He became an advocate for peace and reconciliation after the war. He fought for equality, founded schools for freed slaves, and his plantation became Arlington National Cemetery. With all that said, his ties to NOLA are tenuous at best, so while I don't like this statue leaving, I could live with it so long as a suitable figure is erected in his stead AND the Lee statue finds an appropriate home as it is a real work of art.

Jeff Davis? That statue could go, and I'm happy it went to where it belongs, Jefferson Davis's historic home in Biloxi.

quote:

---

The south left because of slavery. That's a fact.

---

Money was the reason.

Fast forward 150 years. Can you name me 1 war since that was fought to free people?

Cause and effect

Money was the cause of the war. Banning slavery was the effect of rich people fighting over money. It's always about money. The North did not fight the South because it was racist.