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The current political climate in the United States is in sorry state of flux. There are those who understand our country was built by immigrants from around the world, and others who believe the nation was built by white men alone.
For many Southerners, living in the former Confederate States of America is a considered a privilege. To these people, monuments glorifying the the men who fought and died to protect the the rights of slave owners and the horrors they inflicted on those black people who were their soulless property are precious reminders of their Southern “legacy”.
These proud, white Southerners demand anyone who is offended by the monuments to these courageous Confederate soldiers must respect the wishes of those who want the statues, plaques, busts, etc. to stand....forever.
However, this week in Montgomery, Alabama another historical monument to the Confederacy and Southern tradition opened, and many of these same proud, white Southerners were up in arms, declaring the past should be forgotten for the pain and anguish the memories cause.
The new monument honors a specific group of victims of these proud, white Southerners and their ancestors. The black men who were lynched for “standing around”, for “annoying white girls”, for failing to call a policeman “mister”. Those are just a few of the horrific stories on display at a new national memorial to lynching victims in Montgomery, Alabama. And these lynchings did NOT end with the Civil War, they continue to this day. (Despite the inevitable contradictions by conservatives, “lynching” is not limited to hanging, any murder of an innocent African-American by a white man or group of white men for no other reason than he is black is defined as “lynching.”)
Some of the comments by these proud, white Southerners concerning the monument honoring the innocent victims of lynching include: “ ‘It’s going to cause an uproar and open old wounds,’ said Mikki Keenan, a 58-year-old longtime Montgomery resident.’ She then added, ‘Local residents feel it’s a waste of money, a waste of space and it’s bringing up bullshit.’ “
“ ‘It keeps putting the emphasis on discrimination and cruelty,’ chimed in her friend, who asked not to be named for fear that her child would disapprove of her remarks. The memorial, she added, ‘could spark violence.’ “
Funny isn’t it, these proud, white Southerners strongly opposed the removal of monuments to those brave men who joined the Confederate military to kill those fighting to end slavery. Why, because those memories must be preserved....forever. But monuments to the victims of lynching bring back memories that might soil the image of these proud, white Southerners. So, these memories must be buried, with all types of their reminders.
Here again, we have a shining example of conservatism’s typical hypocrisy and double standard. It is the same with the conservatives’ b!tching about Michelle Wolf’s so-called “insults” towards the liar-in-chief’s lying press secretary. (Hey, the idiot trump has lied so often he gets confused, and admits his lies by telling more lies when he changes his stories. His lies do, indeed, keep his mindless minions on their toes, they must change their justifications and defense with each revision in the tall tales told by the idiot trump.)
Then we have the many years the Obama family were called monkeys by the conservatives, along with every other racial slur possible. He was not a citizen according to the right wing nuts. And the list goes on and on of the abuse layered on the Obamas by every right wing pundits and Noise outlets. (Of course, conservatives will conveniently forget how badly they and the congressional Republicans treated President Obama, or outright deny it.)
The conservatives’ defense of the hate-speech spewed at Nazi rallies to “Unite the Right” have shown the true agenda of conservatism. They are fooling no one with their talk of “family values” or their beliefs in the “right to life” or their fake “Christianity”.
So, you proud, white Southerners, suck it up, political correctness is dead, just as you wanted. The monument in Montgomery, honoring the victims lynched by your ancestors long ago, and those innocent black victims recently lynched by one of your close relatives, all deserve to be remembered. Whether you like it, or not.
Lynching memorial leaves some quietly seething: 'Let sleeping dogs lie'
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The current political climate in the United States is in sorry state of flux. There are those who understand our country was built by immigrants from around the world, and others who believe the nation was built by white men alone.
For many Southerners, living in the former Confederate States of America is a considered a privilege. To these people, monuments glorifying the the men who fought and died to protect the the rights of slave owners and the horrors they inflicted on those black people who were their soulless property are precious reminders of their Southern “legacy”.
These proud, white Southerners demand anyone who is offended by the monuments to these courageous Confederate soldiers must respect the wishes of those who want the statues, plaques, busts, etc. to stand....forever.
However, this week in Montgomery, Alabama another historical monument to the Confederacy and Southern tradition opened, and many of these same proud, white Southerners were up in arms, declaring the past should be forgotten for the pain and anguish the memories cause.
The new monument honors a specific group of victims of these proud, white Southerners and their ancestors. The black men who were lynched for “standing around”, for “annoying white girls”, for failing to call a policeman “mister”. Those are just a few of the horrific stories on display at a new national memorial to lynching victims in Montgomery, Alabama. And these lynchings did NOT end with the Civil War, they continue to this day. (Despite the inevitable contradictions by conservatives, “lynching” is not limited to hanging, any murder of an innocent African-American by a white man or group of white men for no other reason than he is black is defined as “lynching.”)
Some of the comments by these proud, white Southerners concerning the monument honoring the innocent victims of lynching include: “ ‘It’s going to cause an uproar and open old wounds,’ said Mikki Keenan, a 58-year-old longtime Montgomery resident.’ She then added, ‘Local residents feel it’s a waste of money, a waste of space and it’s bringing up bullshit.’ “
“ ‘It keeps putting the emphasis on discrimination and cruelty,’ chimed in her friend, who asked not to be named for fear that her child would disapprove of her remarks. The memorial, she added, ‘could spark violence.’ “
Funny isn’t it, these proud, white Southerners strongly opposed the removal of monuments to those brave men who joined the Confederate military to kill those fighting to end slavery. Why, because those memories must be preserved....forever. But monuments to the victims of lynching bring back memories that might soil the image of these proud, white Southerners. So, these memories must be buried, with all types of their reminders.
Here again, we have a shining example of conservatism’s typical hypocrisy and double standard. It is the same with the conservatives’ b!tching about Michelle Wolf’s so-called “insults” towards the liar-in-chief’s lying press secretary. (Hey, the idiot trump has lied so often he gets confused, and admits his lies by telling more lies when he changes his stories. His lies do, indeed, keep his mindless minions on their toes, they must change their justifications and defense with each revision in the tall tales told by the idiot trump.)
Then we have the many years the Obama family were called monkeys by the conservatives, along with every other racial slur possible. He was not a citizen according to the right wing nuts. And the list goes on and on of the abuse layered on the Obamas by every right wing pundits and Noise outlets. (Of course, conservatives will conveniently forget how badly they and the congressional Republicans treated President Obama, or outright deny it.)
The conservatives’ defense of the hate-speech spewed at Nazi rallies to “Unite the Right” have shown the true agenda of conservatism. They are fooling no one with their talk of “family values” or their beliefs in the “right to life” or their fake “Christianity”.
So, you proud, white Southerners, suck it up, political correctness is dead, just as you wanted. The monument in Montgomery, honoring the victims lynched by your ancestors long ago, and those innocent black victims recently lynched by one of your close relatives, all deserve to be remembered. Whether you like it, or not.
Lynching memorial leaves some quietly seething: 'Let sleeping dogs lie'
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