In August 2017, I wrote about the controversy raging over the proposed removal of the Confederate statues on Monument Avenue in my hometown of Richmond Virginia. Now some of those statues are coming down at the hands of protestors. I’m confident the rest will come down eventually, ideally through legislative or judicial action, though opponents to removal are putting up a fight, so we’ll see. This resistance to the removal of the statues baffles me. They should have been gone long ago, and replaced with symbols that unify the city, not divide it!
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Heritage: What to do about Monument Avenue
I’ve been following the debate over Monument Avenue with great interest. I was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. I’ve lived in a few places since leaving home for graduate school, but Virginia is, and always will be home.
I’m proud of my state and its heritage, but there’s also a lot to be ashamed of, and there’s no use denying it. Virginia has a sordid and long history of slavery and civil rights violations. There are many who celebrate its role as Capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War, but I am not one of them. I am fascinated by the history of the Civil War, but I recognize that it was a secessionist rebellion.
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