“Statuegate,” the campaign to remove statutes, plaques and other artifacts recognizing prominent figures from American history who are perceived in an unfavorable light, is far from over.
The latest episode in the ongoing fiasco has taken place in the church where George Washington was a founding member. Unbelievably, the leaders at Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia have decided to remove a plaque that honors the father of our country and first president by marking the pew where he sat at church with his family.
Washington attended the church for more than two decades, starting at the time the church opened its doors. He attended when he rode from Mount Vernon into Alexandria. In other words, he played a prominent role in the life of the church at the time, and was much more than just a casual attendee.
Feeling “Unsafe” and “Unwelcome”
Why would this be happening with significant plaques being removed? The church says that some of those who attend services do not find the plaque to be acceptable.
“The plaques in our sanctuary make some in our presence feel unsafe or unwelcome,” they said, referring to Washington’s historical status as a slave owner.
“Some visitors and guests who worship with us choose not to return because they receive an unintended message from the prominent presence of the plaques,” the church said. “Many in our congregation feel a strong need for the church to stand clearly on the side of ‘all are welcome – no exceptions.'”
How a plaque could intimidate someone so badly is not clear. The plaque refers back to a time and person from centuries ago.
They Aren’t Stopping with Washington
As Christ Church removes the plaque honoring Washington, they are also working to remove any other semblance of an offensive nature. Thus, they have also decided to remove a memorial to Robert E. Lee, a general in the Confederacy during the Civil War and another prominent attendee of the church.
Why here? Why now? In recent months, there has been a call to remove any statutes or artifacts that honor people from U.S. history who are perceived as being offensive, particularly because of their support of slavery. So statutes in various places, especially in the South, of Lee and others have been removed.
In some cases, such as in Durham, North Carolina, citizens have taken it upon themselves to tear down statutes on government property. Debates over the monuments have turned heated and violent in many instances.
A Slippery Slope
As decisions were made to remove statutes of Lee and others, President Trump predicted over the summer that the actions would lead down a slippery slope that would involve memorials of George Washington and other foundational figures in American history. As it turns out, his prediction is already coming true.
The issue is an extremely sensitive one. It prompts the question of whether statutes should be removed if deemed racist and offensive, or whether the artifacts are simply that, markers of a time in history that can teach current and future generations about important people, places and events.
The statutes themselves are not biased. Perhaps they could be viewed not as an endorsement of any particular ideology or viewpoint, but rather as historical remnants. And as the saying goes, those who do not know history are destined to repeat it.
The Real History of Washington
Although Washington did have slaves for many years of his life, before he died in 1799, he wrote in his will that he wanted his slaves to be freed after his wife’s death.
The words read as follows:
“Upon the decease of my wife, it is my Will & desire that all the Slaves which I hold in my own right, shall receive their freedom.”
Many of the slaves he had came to his home, Mount Vernon, when he married his wife, Martha. She had owned slaves with her previous husband, who later died.
The debate regarding statues, plaques and other historic artifacts will likely continue, as there are still plans in the works to remove various other statutes and memorials. Many of those are in the southern part of the country.
It is a shame that people cannot think about the issue in a different way and understand the difference between a historic marker and an endorsement of a particular issue.
~ Conservative Zone
