Alexandria will seek to move Confederate statue and rename Jefferson Davis Highway

It seems like I have heard this before.....but where?

The two African American council members, John Taylor Chapman (D) and Willie F. Bailey Sr. (D), repudiated that sentiment. Bailey later said that he was speaking not for himself but for his parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and other ancestors. “To try to say anyone even back then didn’t realize it’s wrong to own a person, that’s not right,” he said. Others spoke with passion about the need for Alexandria to own up to its past. “It’s never too late to right a wrong,” said Greg Thrasher, the director of a D.C. and Detroit-based think tank, Plane Ideas. “Yes, black lives matter right now in Alexandria. Black people have civil rights fatigue. How long does it take us to get to equality?” The decision to rename Jefferson Davis Highway, also known as Route 1, which runs from the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River and south to Richmond, was less contentious.

link to story.
So apparently removing history and ignoring the past will somehow help fix racism? If we keep on this path, kids in 30 years will have no idea what horrible things happened in the past. Slavery, the Holocaust, The fight for civil rights. All these things happened and all these things shaped us into the people we are today. Removing history will not change the past, it will only erode the future.

I'm just so glad that I was assured none of this would happen when the Dylan Roof situation happened and everyone wanted to remove the rebel flag. Being stupid is not an excuse for this level of idiocy. Let history remain, it's there for a reason.

My question is, How can you learn from the past, how can you not repeat those mistakes, if you don't know about them, if you don't know what those mistakes are??

a reply to: network dude

It's my commute every day! They may be able to rename the part of Route 1 that runs through Alexandria, but I'd like to see them try in Stafford County, where I'm from. Seems more like a sense of entitlement to me. The Civil War wasn't even about slavery, in fact I would say slavery is the equivalent of terrorism now days. During the Civil War they wanted to suppress States' Rights but that wouldn't play well in the media so they made it about slavery. Now they want to entrench us in SW Asia and the Middle East for resources and to expand the military industrial complex but that doesn't play well in the media so we are suppressing terror. For some people the "refugee crisis" plays better than terror so that is a part of it as well.

Plus there are so many signs that say Jefferson Davis Highway!

Jeff Davis Highway to become Tupac Shakur Highway.

a reply to: network dude

I believe that human nature only lives up to the standards during its own lifetime, teaching someone a lesson someone else was taught at first hand wont apply to children, not even aduts. Listening to a story without relating to it, wont do any good, just places ideals of heroic acts someone believes is the opposite of our primal instincts.

Looking back to the past? Every civilization and its foundation isnt built on heroic deeds, its built on the blood sweat and tears of slaves. History has a place, and its in the books. Everything else is just a monument for someone who idealizes a world of fantasies and make belief.

I believe portraying acts of war is part of a primitive culture in its infant stage who cant stand on its own to two legs. I dont think anyone needs to be remembered by what humans are capable off, and i for think removing the past can forge a better future of hope for humanity.

Vows makes people blind

a reply to: network dude

I always get that "warm and fuzzy feeling" when our political leaders are willing to make a stand on their principals .

There are just too many people out there who have no idea how much is really involved when these folks bend over backwards and kiss somebody's @$$.

This must be the alt right rewriting history again huh?

Seriously though, this mindset is ridiculous. We could go back and find bad things about everyone famous figure or movement in history. Does that mean we should have no monuments or celebrations of historical figures because there could be dirt dug up on them in the future? I am so tired of people being on their high horse. Perhaps they should focus on their own problems before demanding historical references be removed.

I swear I see her in my dreams sometimes Held up in the middle of the night Shakin like a pistol in a young mans hand There in the pale moonlight Standin up the top of that lonely hill Spared by the company mines Is my blue eyed baby with her best dress on In the shadow of a lonely pine It was back before the war When the company came These hills grew wild and free Me and baby we'd hide in the hollers low Away from the cruel sun's heat But then they knocked down the timber And burned off the brush To get to the riches below And when they pulled out They left a cold black ground And one pine standing lone So take me home... Lone pine hill I signed up back in '61 I'm an army of Virginia man I've been from Mannasas to Mackonackey All the way to Sailors Creek fighting For my home land After 4 years gone and all hope lost And Richmond under seige And we're diggin out Five Forks And waitin in the rain For Sheridan to bring us to our knees So take me home... Lone pine hill There's a strange moon hangin' overhead tonight And if the rain keeps comin then the creek's gonna rise With the good lord's grace I'll make it outta this place I'll be in her arms come the morning light I swear... So god grant me speed and grant me forgiveness And carry me on through the night Take me through the hills and over your rivers Away from this awful fight Cause I ain't never known a man that's ever owned another Ain't never owned nothin' of my own And after 4 long years I just can't tell you What the hell I've been fighting for... So take me home... Lone pine hill Take me home... Lone pine hill Read more at www.songlyrics.com...

To understand the horrors of war, the stupidity of killing over ideals, the sad fact that some used to think blacks were sub human and deserved to be owned are just a few things that we don't need to forget, we need to be reminded of were we were and where we are now. Trying to placate the fragile feelings of the few will not help the masses.

Statues and street names are memorials. Everyone knows this. They are signs of respect and admiration to the people they memorialize. It's time we took away the signs of respect and admiration for the people who fought for the right to have slaves.

I'm all for having a slavery museum, just like there are holocaust museums. These museums should contain all the horrific memories of slavery and include highlighting the people who took part in it. It IS important that we never forget.

a reply to: bonsaihorn

Sure, it was about state's rights.

Namely, the right to own slaves. More than one state mentioned slavery in their declaration of secession. Pretending otherwise is just an exercise in protecting the image one has of ancestors.

Though I will readily agree the north didn't go to war over slavery. The north went to war to end the rebellion. The rebellion that was started over state's rights. Like the right to own slaves and take them wherever one wanted to take them without worry that somebody would "steal" one's property by freeing it.

a reply to: kaylaluv

Yes, and you along with your army of SJW's can hope all inconvenient history is boxed up and hidden in some museum all you like. But keep in mind, there are still just a few folks left who aren't brain dead and still understand historical significance. It's sad to see stupidity embraced on this level. But, like I predicted, it only takes a few tears to wipe away history.

In all honesty, if it's already named and placed, being there long enough to be a part of wherever it's at, there is no need to move it or otherwise correct it.

In the South, the generals and such have many things named after them, so what, I say let them have it, they did lose in the end.

What i find offensive is this need to wipe out any and all mentions of that era from the American landscape. It's American History, own it. We're smarter and better having "learned" these lessons, supposedly.

originally posted by: kaylaluv
Statues and street names are memorials. Everyone knows this. They are signs of respect and admiration to the people they memorialize. It's time we took away the signs of respect and admiration for the people who fought for the right to have slaves.

I'm all for having a slavery museum, just like there are holocaust museums. These museums should contain all the horrific memories of slavery and include highlighting the people who took part in it. It IS important that we never forget.

These people were about more than just defending slavery.

But ok, lets take your mindset.

Well all of the founding fathers looked the other way on slavery, so no more monuments to them.

Well we will rename everything for a good cause, like women's suffrage leaders! Oh wait, whats that, they fought against equal rights for blacks?

www.npr.org...

Well what about Frederick Douglas, he championed black rights. Oh whats that, he cheated on his wife and was an accused womanizer?

blog.oup.com...

Oh geez, well what about Ghandi! We will change everything to his name! Oh whats that, he hated black people?

www.washingtonpost.com...

And he was a wife beater and accused pedophile?

www.huffingtonpost.com...

In fact, many historical figures used to have intercourse with people that we now consider underage, so we would do best just to not have any memorials of anyone before 1800. In addition, most people in history did not look favorably on LGBT people, or people with mental illnesses. so thats another reason to not recognize anyone from history.

So maybe we shouldn't recognize anyone in history just to be safe right? We will name everything after contemporary people.

But oh wait. In the future perhaps it will be seen as unthinkable to live in a society where people ate animals!!! What barbarians!!

I guess we have no choice but to memorialize great people who have yet to be born yet, taht will be perfect people! Thats the answer!

Here is my personal take. It's a road. It doesn't affect me any which way if the name stays or is changed.

Landscapes change.
Communities change.
Cultures change.
Names change.

I couldn't be bothered by it either way.

Now, if the name of a road was the biggest issue on my plate this year, I'd say I was living the good life.

History will still be taught.

-Alee

a reply to: network dude

I find it ironic that people like you want to keep memorializing slave owners, but when African Americans keep talking about slavery, the response is always "that happened a long time ago - forget it and move on".

Books and movies highlighting the horrors of slavery will continue to be made so that we don't ever forget it. Museums and schools and universities will continue to teach the youth about the horrors that were committed in the South so that we never forget it. African Americans and their allies will make sure we never forget it. You don't have to worry about America's horrible past going away, but then I suspect that isn't the real problem you have here.

a reply to: network dude

This is one thing I like about (and I know I'm generalizing) a military mindset: true students of military history, and I would argue history in general, can look at a monument or memorial and say "man, what a set of balls" instead of "yea but he fought to keep slaves."

Take the memorial for the priest that was killed while giving last rights. To me, it's a memorial to a man who was doing his sacred duty in the most extreme circumstances imaginable, and he died trying to do it. There's no "yea but slaves" in it for me.

My .02.

a reply to: Grambler

We might as well memorialize Hitler then, as he did do some good for Germany's economy.

No one is perfect, but when a person's greatest achievement was fighting for slavery, I have a problem memorializing them.

Follow the advice so often given to "the blacks" ...

Get over it

It's ancient history

It was a dark time but it was a long time ago

You never put anyone in chains

You never fought for "States Rights"

No one needs to be constantly reminded

Put it all in the Smithsonian so we aren't doomed to repeat the past and quit your crying.

a reply to: kaylaluv

It's astounding the level at which you miss the point. I have no desire to "forget it and move on". I have every desire to have the history of the country I live in be remembered for what it was, and have the lessons that we learned from those times be clear in our minds. I have made mistakes and if I forgot about the ramifications of those mistakes, I might repeat them. Luckily, I can still recall the bad things that happened and remember that those are the reasons I don't repeat the same stupid thing that caused my hardship in the first place.

The real problem I have here is stupid folks thinking that because a few snowflakes shed tears, the entire area must be cleansed of whatever offended said douchebag. I'm tired of a fraction of a fraction of the minority crying so loud and throwing a tantrum until things change, and society sides with them, just to shut them up. Like a #ty parent. You don't give in to tantrums, or they will become the norm.

originally posted by: Kali74
Follow the advice so often given to "the blacks" ...

Get over it

It's ancient history

It was a dark time but it was a long time ago

You never put anyone in chains

You never fought for "States Rights"

No one needs to be constantly reminded

Put it all in the Smithsonian so we aren't doomed to repeat the past and quit your crying.

you write this, but disagree with my point. SMFH.