There I would get to visit "Mother Russia" and stand before one of the most controversial figures monuments in World History, and I would marvel at it.
That monument was that of Lenin which is in the famous Red Square. I felt nothing but awe as he was, like him or not, a important historical Figure who helped Shape Russia.
His twisted Idea of Communism would lead to worse things, however removing it in My opinion would be the saddest thing for Russia as it takes away some of who they are, and were.
I want to point out as I will again, LENIN IS DEAD! HE CAN DO NOTHING TO ME, YOU OR ANYONE ELSE! Moreover his Monument is inert and incapable of doing nothing in and of itself.
Next I want to address the Confederacy and key points regarding those Monuments.
The Confederates withdrew from the Union after Lincoln won the Presidency and before he could take office, soley do to his stance on Slavery.
Now I want you to understand, Slavery was cruel and brutal, families were ripped apart, children, wives and husbands sold. Most worked in paltry conditions and were treated in many cases worse than livestock.
There honestly is no debate regarding why the South withdrew for any of us that actually know history, this is a very good presentation by a West Point Historian so I do not have to rehash it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcy7qV-BGF4&t=2s
To make matters worse they would be the first to attack the Union, assaulting Fort Sumter, this solidified their act of Treason. For that alone they do not deserve any recognition.
They were also were point in fact not AMERICAN since they pulled out to become their own history, meaning their short history is THEIRS ALONE! not ours. Second reason they deserve no Recognition beyond the story being told in History books and in Museums.
After the war Ended, Lincoln wanted the hate to end and IMO, incorrectly let the South Keep on living in their own way, however we were "United" so to speak.
That belies the fact that the South and their Repugnant beliefs not only created its own subculture in the South, failing to assimilate with the Vision of the popular vote and America, but they would push disgusting "Jim Crow" Laws which continued the Subjugation of Minorities to the point even forbidding mixed marriages. I think we are all familiar with the Souths Segregation laws, some of which Joe Biden himself would push during the late 70s no less!
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/joe-biden-didn-t-just-compromise-segregationists-he-fought-their-n1021626
But this is about Statues, so lets stick with it.
The South responded to various pieces of Civil Rights Era Legislation over the years by erecting Statues to "keep an Eye" on Minorities and let them know they were being watched.
Flat out Evil.
However that is not necessarily relevant as History is not always good, and we should remember it, however since those statues were erected Decades after the Confederacy they were not even a part of the Confederacy during its short existence. So why the fuck do they have to stay again?
Don't get me wrong,m if they stay I will not lose any sleep as I am a firm Believer that NOBODY should be afraid of a inert object, in the end it is a MONUMENT!
However we as a Nation cannot go forward until we end the Confederacies grips on our Politics, and that means no longer giving them any creedence or consideration, after all, they give none to anyone else.
So what about the rest? Columbus was not part of The US and Committed Genocide!
Indeed he did, by today's standards he was a terribly repugnant individual, however during those times, he was not. Let us not also forget that Natives themselves committed Genocide even among one another long before Columbus set foot anywhere near America (he never actually stood in what is known as the United States!). Columbus was however a very important figure in the age of discovery and without him, our history would be very different. His daring voyage set the stage for many others who would bring steel and the WHEEL!
Argue all you want, but your Iconic Statues of Native Americans are alsmost always with a Native astride a SPANISH HORSE! Do you hear me? Horses were not even In the America's until the Spanish Came!
Now lets take this farther, since people want to rip down statues of People who owned Slaves, so what, George Washington goes? I want to be clear, he FREED his slaves upon his Death.
Thomas Jefferson, who is famous for his pretend care of all, never did, neither however matters, they were founding members of this country who created the Very Government to which we now exist. That government gave us all a chance where none others at the time existed.
Do the Presidential Portraits go? Should we rip up the Declaration of Independence since TJ was a slave owner?
Perhaps shred the Constitution since Madison was as well?
For that matter the White House was built on the back of slaves, so what, does that go too?
Well shit, this is not just in America as I pointed out in the beginning, so does Genghis Khan and what is Mongolia's soul go too?
I mean he lit Beijing on fire to the point that the fat from human bodies melted and ran down the streets, yet he also created Powdered milk and ran an Administration on Science which was well cultured and even embraced other Religions. See what you can learn when you sit down and think?
How far do you want this to go?
Statues of our founding fathers are already being Removed as I type. President Grant, who also FOUNDED YELLOWSTONE AND DISLIKED SLAVERY had his statue torn down, and it was wrong.
Completely fucking wrong.
Stop it, just stop it.
Take astep back and breath. History is what it is, burning our books, changing them and ripping down our statues to make you feel better does not change what happened.
History is there for us to learn from, so do so and stop crying over inert damned objects.
However you feel, it's not up to you to run out and vandalise or destroy anything, if you want it gone, then do so legally, but I would encourage you otherwise as you are destroying a part of yourself and making yourself no better than the Taliban who also destroyed Statues they did not like.
In closing I want to mention that My Great Grandmother was a Child Bride in an Arranged Marriage. I still look at her photo with her first Husband from time to time and I do not think any less of him, her or her family.
It is history, without it, I would not exist.
