Saturday, August 29, 2020

Confederate Memorials – Arlington National Cemetery


Confederate Memorial [1914] 
Arlington National Cemetery (3 April 2011) 

Even our most sacred national burial ground has a Confederate memorial. Arlington National Cemetery, the last resting place for two presidents, four Chief Justices and scores of generals, Medal of Honor winners and other heroes, has its own monument to the traitors.

The heroic sculpture was created by Moses Jacob Ezekiel, the first Jewish graduate of the Virginia Military Academy. Thirty-two life-size figures encircle a pedestal topped by your classic female representation of the South, all peaceful-like, holding laurel wreath, plowshares and pruning hook symbols.

Confederate Memorial [1914] 
Arlington National Cemetery (13 April 2018) 

The turn of the 20th century was a time of reconciliation as the nation was recovering from the Spanish-American War and facing the prospects of the first World War. So maybe that’s why Arlington agreed to make a special place for the rebels. Besides, in those days, the powers that be were all on the same page regarding race. In 1912, we elected an avowed racist for president who went on to fire many Black federal office-holders and White House staff. The Lost Cause was noble again given we didn’t bury Negroes in Arlington. It wasn’t until 1948, after President Truman integrated the military, that the cemetery finally interred Black veterans.

Confederate Memorial [1914] 
Arlington National Cemetery (3 April 2011) 

Once again, the clamor to remove Confederate monuments AND change the names of military bases named after Confederate generals has taken center stage. It seems the defenders of the old order do not want to see their heroes as traitors.

But, what if…

Imagine President Bone Spurs is faced with a revolt. The west coast and northeast states decide they’ve had enough of the leadership of the Exceptional Christian White Man’s Party and decide to secede and form their own independent countries of East and West Freelandia.

Confederate Memorial [1914] 
Arlington National Cemetery (3 April 2011) 

I can see the president channeling his inner Lincoln when he realizes so much of the nation’s wealth and knowledge are concentrated in those misguided blue states. Rather than say ‘good riddance,’ he marshals the military to beat back the rebellion and preserve the union.

Detail, Confederate Memorial 
Arlington National Cemetery (3 April 2011) 

So, here’s the next question. Would Trump welcome back the traitors and name military bases after them? Would they erect monuments to them and revere the heritage of the disgraced subversives? Or would the victorious ‘law-and-order’ leaders hang them in the town squares and punish the traitors in no uncertain terms? I suspect that since they already call people who peacefully protest police murder ‘terrorists’ and want to shoot looters, etc., they will not be as generous.

Just sayin’.

3 Comments:

At August 30, 2020 12:31 PM, Blogger Bevnichols said...

Scary thought

 
At August 31, 2020 9:13 AM, Anonymous Jack Vest said...

Not gonna happen, Ted. The Exceptional Christian White Man's Party is also The Angry Armed-To-The-Teeth Vigilante Party. Our peaceful protests don't stand a chance......even if we up the ante with firecrackers, paint guns, and laser lights. It's best to just get rid of the SOB on November 3rd.

 
At September 01, 2020 2:54 PM, Blogger Ted Ringger said...

While I feel there's much to worry about, I'd still like to think that next rebellion will not be Trumpist militia gun-nuts against us wine-drinking pansies armed with butter knives and garden tools. Of course, we're toast in that conflict but I'd like to think the U. S. military would weigh in and defend stability and the Constitution they are sworn to protect. They're not automatically going to join forces with the vigilantes...I hope.
Thanks for visiting, Jack.

 

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