{"id":2082142,"date":"2023-10-28T09:41:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-28T13:41:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/incinerating-robert-e-lee-statue-in-a-memory-hole-signals-a-darker-agenda-constitutional-scholar\/"},"modified":"2023-10-28T09:47:36","modified_gmt":"2023-10-28T13:47:36","slug":"incinerating-robert-e-lee-statue-in-a-memory-hole-signals-a-darker-agenda-constitutional-scholar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/incinerating-robert-e-lee-statue-in-a-memory-hole-signals-a-darker-agenda-constitutional-scholar\/","title":{"rendered":"Burning Robert E. Lee Statue Hints at Sinister Motives: Expert"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fincinerating-robert-e-lee-statue-in-a-memory-hole-signals-a-darker-agenda-constitutional-scholar%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2082142&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>As social justice \u200dleaders\u2064 and media \u200dcelebrate the melting and remolding of the Robert E. \u2062Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, \u2062into\u2064 a new \u200dpublic artwork, one history \u2062scholar warns of\u2064 the \u2062dangers of \u2064erasing \u200bthe \u200bpast.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with\u2064 The Epoch Times, Robert Natelson, a former constitutional \u2062law professor and senior fellow in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/too-good-to-be-true-the-virtues-and-vices-of-common-good-constitutionalism\/\" title=\"Too Good to Be True: The Virtues and Vices of Common-Good Constitutionalism\">constitutional jurisprudence<\/a> at the Independence Institute\u200d in Denver, compared the removal of the\u200d statue \u200cto the Ministry\u200d of Truth&#8217;s \u2064incineration of historical \u200cdocuments \u2063in \u200bthe memory hole in\u2063 George Orwell\u2019s \u2062\u201c1984.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy did they have\u2062 that system by which they rewrote history \u200bin\u2064 \u20181984\u2019?\u201d Mr. Natelson \u200dasked. \u201cThey had that system so that \u2063the elite would have unlimited power over everybody else. Accompanying the \u2064small-minded ignorance and \u2064bigotry of people who\u2063 want to destroy \u200bhistorical monuments, ultimately \u200cthere\u2019s an \u2063agenda of enabling the elite to\u200b govern us by erasing our societal memory\u2064 and then\u2063 rewriting it to \u200cserve themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<!--$--><\/p>\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/6-ways-to-rewrite-history-5517193?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">6 \u2062Ways to \u200cRewrite History<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/27\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/6-ways-to-rewrite-history-5517193?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" https:><\/source><\/picture><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/tucker-carlsons-media-startup-gets-big-boost-from-anti-woke-investment-firm-report-5511657?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">Tucker\u2063 Carlson&#8217;s\u2064 Media Startup Gets Big Boost From &#8216;Anti-Woke&#8217; Investment \u200cFirm: Report<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/17\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/tucker-carlsons-media-startup-gets-big-boost-from-anti-woke-investment-firm-report-5511657?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" https:><\/source><\/picture><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--\/$-->\n<\/div>\n<p>The \u2062sculpture of \u2064the\u2062 Confederate general was removed by city officials in 2021 after \u200cseveral legal \u2064battles.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Taking down this statue is one\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/robert-e-lee-statue-at-center-of-unite-the-right-rally-removed-nearly-4-years-later\/\" title=\"Robert E. Lee Statue At Center Of \u2018Unite The Right\u2019 Rally Removed Nearly 4 Years Later\">small step closer<\/a> to the goal of helping\u2062 Charlottesville, Va., \u2063and America grapple \u2062with the sin of\u2064 being willing to destroy black people\u200d for economic gain,&#8221; said then-Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah \u2063Walker the day the statue was removed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Now, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2023\/10\/26\/1208603609\/confederate-general-robert-e-lee-monument-melted-down-charlottesville-virginia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NPR<\/a>, the 10,000-pound bronze sculpture is being melted down \u2064in an undisclosed \u2064location to \u2063protect the foundry from repercussions.<\/p>\n<h2>Telling a New Story<\/h2>\n<p>Those who spoke to NPR framed the metallurgical process as an allegory for transmutation and reparation \u200bfor having lived\u200b in the shadow of an oppressive \u2064symbol\u2064 of the past.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<!--$--><\/p>\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--\/$-->\n<\/div>\n<p>Andrea Douglas, executive director of the Jefferson School African\u200c American Cultural \u200bCenter that\u200d is leading the project, told NPR \u200cthat the removal is an act of deconstructing myths that have\u200b surrounded Robert \u2063E. Lee.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are turning swords into\u2064 something else,&#8221; said Ms. Douglas. &#8220;That saber is the object of violence and it was the\u200b object of power, the object of conquest. I think that is an \u2062important symbol \u200cto really sort of dig\u2062 into.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, co-executive director of the Highlander\u2063 Research and Education Center, told NPR\u2062 that it\u2019s\u200b an\u200b act of\u200c reparation\u200c that will allow for the\u200d telling of a \u200b\u201cnew story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think \u200cthis\u2062 is a \u2064joyful \u200coccasion in\u200c a really dire strait of political nastiness that we&#8217;ve \u200dbeen surviving,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The statue was the site of a \u20642017 rally protesting its removal that ended in one protester driving his car into a \u2063group of counterprotesters, killing one and injuring several others.<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;Ignorance and Malice&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>Methodist minister Rev. Isaac\u200c Collins blamed the \u2062violence on the sculpture, telling\u2062 NPR it has cost\u200c the city bloodshed.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cAnd it&#8217;s never going to \u2064be put back together\u2064 the way it \u200dwas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>However, Mr. Natelson argues that the call for the removal \u2062of the statues \u2062telling the story of America\u2019s past is driven \u2063by \u201cignorance and\u2064 malice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a failure to acknowledge that even a defeated \u2062enemy can be a great man,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He referenced the George Washington statue at Trafalgar Square in London.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThink about that,\u201d he said. \u201cThe British have \u2063a statue of \u200dGeorge Washington, a man\u200c who fought against the British Empire.\u2063 Why did they \u2063do that? Is \u2062it because\u200c they think \u200cWashington was on\u200c the \u200dright side?\u2062 No, it\u2019s because \u200dthey\u2064 recognized that Washington had great virtues that all of us should emulate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To \u200crecognize the virtues in people who\u200d fought \u200don\u200c the defeated side displays \u2064well-rounded intelligence, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRipping down \u200cstatues of great people because they \u2064fought on the wrong side \u200dis a\u2063 mark of bigotry and\u200b pusillanimity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>This \u2064doesn\u2019t mean one should celebrate enemies such as Adolf Hitler, Mr.\u2063 Natelson \u200bsaid. \u201cHe had no significant\u200d virtues and fell well below the standards of his own time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>However, although judged and condemned by the\u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/incinerating-robert-e-lee-statue-in-a-memory-hole-signals-a-darker-agenda-constitutional-scholar\/\" title=\"Burning Robert E. Lee Statue Hints at Sinister Motives: Expert\">current social-justice-warrior lens<\/a> for fighting in the Confederate Army,\u2062 Robert E. Lee \u200cwas multifaceted, displaying more good traits\u200d than bad,\u200b he said. \u200bIn addition to freeing his own slaves,\u2064 he was\u200d a brilliant engineer and educator.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>\u201cOf all people, Ulysses Grant commended his \u2062leadership in the \u2063Mexican-American War for saving American lives\u200c and shortening \u200bthe\u200c war.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;Social \u2063Amnesia&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s\u200b impossible for someone today to understand the context \u2064of\u200c the time in\u200c which Gen. Lee made\u2062 his decisions, Mr. Natelson said.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cHe had\u200d a difficult choice to\u200d make \u2062between the United States\u2063 and Virginia,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if I would have made\u200d the \u200bsame choice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But \u2063what is clear, Mr. Natelson said, \u200dis \u200bGen. Lee\u2019s contribution \u200dto \u2064American culture, and \u2063to cancel out his legacy is to\u200d give in to an emerging tyranny.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s \u2063dangerous\u200b because our ability to function\u2064 as\u2064 a society depends \u2063largely on \u200bour understanding of history,\u201d he\u200d said.<\/p>\n<p>Like \u2064a person,\u2064 a society with no \u200bmemory can\u2019t function, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe society\u2019s memory we call history, so \u2064when we blot out \u200dthe \u200bexamples \u200bof\u200c people \u200blike Robert E. Lee, we essentially\u2064 create social amnesia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Rather than erasing controversial symbols, how can we engage in meaningful \u200cdialogue and education to foster a deeper understanding of their historical significance<\/h2>\n<p><span>  The Danger of Erasing the Past: The Melting of Robert E. Lee Statue in Charlottesville<\/p>\n<p>The recent transformation of\u2062 the Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville,\u2064 Virginia into a new public artwork has been hailed by social justice leaders and the media as a step \u200btowards \u200cprogress and inclusivity. However, one history scholar, Robert Natelson, \u200bwarns of the dangers that come with erasing\u200b the \u2063past.<\/p>\n<p>In an\u200d interview with The Epoch Times, Natelson,\u2064 a former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/abbott-signs-heartbeat-bill-allowing-texans-to-sue-abortion-providers\/\" title=\"Abbott Signs \u2018Heartbeat\u2019 Bill Allowing Texans To Sue Abortion Providers\">constitutional law professor<\/a> \u2064and senior fellow in constitutional jurisprudence at the \u2064Independence Institute in Denver, draws a parallel between the removal of\u2064 the statue and the Ministry \u200cof Truth&#8217;s incineration of historical documents in George Orwell&#8217;s \u2064acclaimed novel, \u200c&#8221;1984.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Natelson questions the motivations behind \u200crewriting history in Orwell&#8217;s dystopian society, stating,\u2064 &#8220;They \u200bhad that system\u2064 so that the elite would have unlimited power over\u200b everybody else. \u2062Accompanying the \u200dsmall-minded\u200b ignorance and bigotry of people who want to destroy historical monuments, ultimately there&#8217;s an agenda of enabling the elite to govern us by erasing our\u200d societal \u2063memory and then rewriting it to serve themselves.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>While the intentions behind the remolding of the Lee statue \u200dmay be\u2062 rooted in creating a \u2062more equitable and inclusive society, \u200dit is crucial to recognize the importance of preserving history. Erasing or reshaping historical monuments\u2064 and artifacts can have unintended consequences, leading to\u2064 a distorted\u200c understanding of\u2062 the past and its lessons for the present and future.<\/p>\n<p>History is not something that should be tampered with lightly. It serves as a testament to \u200cthe triumphs and\u200b tragedies of human\u200d civilization, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-live-antony-blinken-gives-speech-on-ai-and-development-goals\/\" title=\"LIVE: Antony Blinken speaks on AI and development goals\">providing valuable \u2062insights<\/a> into our \u200bcollective identity and\u2063 societal development. By erasing \u2063or rewriting \u200bhistory, we risk losing vital \u2064knowledge and\u2064 understanding of\u2063 our \u2062past, and consequently, our ability to learn \u2062from it.<\/p>\n<p>Preserving \u2062historical monuments, \u2064even those that may\u2063 be viewed \u2064as controversial or problematic in today&#8217;s context, allows us to confront and learn from the complexities of our past. Rather than erasing these symbols,\u200d we should \u2063engage in meaningful dialogue and education\u200b to foster a\u2062 deeper understanding of their historical significance\u2062 and the lessons they offer.<\/p>\n<p>The remolding of the\u200c Robert E. Lee statue \u200bmay be seen as a symbol of\u2063 progress for some, but it is essential to approach such transformations with caution. We must constantly evaluate the ways in\u200d which we engage with\u2064 history, ensuring that we prioritize the preservation\u2063 and understanding of our \u2062collective narrative.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of \u2064erasing the past, let us strive for a society that acknowledges and learns from its \u200bhistory. Only through a comprehensive understanding of our past\u2063 can we build a more just and inclusive future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, is transformed into a new public artwork, some caution against erasing history. Robert Natelson, a history scholar and former constitutional law professor, warns of the dangers. Celebrated by social justice leaders and media, the statue&#8217;s melting and remolding is seen as a step towards progress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":230,"featured_media":2082143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2082142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2082142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/230"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2082142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2082142\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2082143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2082142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2082142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2082142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}