Hands Off!

These days all things Confederate are under fire. This last week at Gettysburg illustrated to me that would-be Rebels are making yet another stand - this time to preserve what they insist is nothing more than their heritage. Though the controversy has captured America's attention for the time being (the Kardashians are having a slow week) I would like to point out that attacks on Confederate symbolism are nothing new. At the base of the Virginia State Memorial on Seminary Ridge is a weather-beaten plaque admonishing potential vandals who might try and stick a proverbial bayonet in the still-defiant Confederacy. Though there are other southern monuments on the field (few in comparison to Union monuments and with only a couple of exceptions, all state memorials) this is the only warning sign. And judging by its aged appearance, it looks to have been there a while.

This suggests to me that both in a modern context and for quite a while, Virginia - and by extension, Robert E. Lee, whose likeness (and Traveller's) sit atop the monument, specifically represent the Confederate nation and its ideological underpinnings. Why else would this particular monument - as opposed to North Carolina's or Alabama's - be singled out for potential vandalism? The Virginian Lee is Confederate ideology and nationalism personified. This was true in the 1860s  and has been true ever since. Those who choose to attack physically Confederate ideology (particularly racial oppression in the form of  chattel slavery) would naturally set their sights on the nation's most salient symbols: Lee and the Old Dominion - and thus the Virginia memorial seems in especial danger...and has been for some time.

With compliments,

Keith