There have been a lot of debates on both sides regarding historical monuments and a lot of anger and venom spewed.
In reality, we need to look at the history behind these conflicts and view both sides. So often, that is not the case.
Recently on the editorial page of The Columbian-Progress, there was an Our View discussing damage to the Emmett Till civil rights marker in Money, Miss. The marker describes the 1955 murder of Till, a key moment in Mississippi in regards to the civil rights era.
In the editorial, the vandalism was condemned, as it should be. Destruction of a historical marker should not be condoned.
A few weeks later, a letter to the editor (July 13, “Remember all of state’s history” by K.R. McNease) appeared on those very same editorial pages chastising The C-P and other media for condemning the vandalism of the Till marker and not, for example, condemning the work being done by politicians in New Orleans to eradicate Civil War-era monuments.
The interesting point is that several opinion pieces have been written on our editorial pages questioning the actions in New Orleans and other Southern cities — for example, Sports Editor Joshua Campbell’s April 29 column “Removing history solves nothing.”
Last Friday night, the thoughts of both were on my mind as I toured one of the Old South’s most historic sites, Beauvoir, the home of the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis.
As most of you know, I’m not a native Southerner. Heck, I grew up in Ohio, and I’m actually half Canadian. My dad was born and raised in New Brunswick, Canada, and didn’t become an American citizen until the year after I was born.
But the controversy of both the civil rights era markers and Civil War sites had me thinking about one thing: Both are a part of American history. As a matter of fact, both should be studied by all people. Too often, we only view one side of history. The simple fact is that if we learned more about all of these historical markers and statues, we would all probably be better off.
Since moving to the South nearly a decade ago, I’ve spent a great deal of time embracing the history and culture of the region. When I lived in Pennsylvania and New York, I visited historical sites depicting many eras. I’ve been to Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pa., where our Declaration of Independence was signed. I’ve stood on the banks of the Delaware River where George Washington crossed in a key moment in our own United States’ battle for independence from England. Along the way, I’ve also visited sites marking history from other eras. I’ve learned about Canton, Ohio, native and President William McKinley and his wife, Ida, for whom the First Ladies Museum is named for. I’ve also stood on the spot in my hometown, Kent, Ohio, where national guardsmen shot and killed four students during protests of the Vietnam War on May 4, 1970.
All of these are important moments in history. They all should remain a part of history. It seems that too many times now we’re trying to revise history and even teach what some believe should be taught to not offend our children.
Instead, we should embrace these battle scars and learn from them and work to establish unity. We need to look to the past to learn from it as we look to the future.
After all, if we don’t learn from history, it is bound to repeat itself. No one wants another Civil War or even another Kent State. If we aren’t looking to the past to learn from it, how can we improve in the future?
For those on both sides of the issues, study the history of the events surrounding them. As the May 4, 1970 memorial at Kent State reads: “Inquire, Reflect, Learn.”
