Erasing the past won’t fix the present
Many people want to dismantle the statues of Confederate Civil War heroes and change the names of military bases. They base this desire for change on slavery and prejudice. They forget that these men were soldiers, who were honored because they distinguished themselves in combat.
How about if we take this to the next level. Let’s tear down the statues of actual slave owners, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Washington owned 123 slaves and Jefferson owned 175. Thirty-four of the 47 signers of the Declaration of Independence were slave owners.
Therefore, we should topple the Washington monument, tear down the Jefferson Memorial and deface Mount Rushmore. Let’s change the names of Washington State and Washington, D.C. How about changing the names of the 88 cities that are named after Washington and the 72 named after Jefferson? Don’t forget the 31 counties named after Washington and 26 after Jefferson. What about all of their street names?
Ridiculous, right? Golda Meir said, “One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.” It’s time to act like adults and not children.