It comes as no surprise that historic American figures who were involved in the civil war on the confederate side have come under fire in today’s political environment. Many argue that they should be remembered in history while others want them completely removed from memory.
As more white Americans start to come forward in recognition of the unfair treatment of black Americans, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants Congress to make America a more inclusive place. While President Trump refuses to rename the Army bases named after the Confederate leaders who tried to split the country apart, Pelosi plans to use all of the power granted to her along with the momentum of social change to modernize American and fight to unify it.
Pelosi specifically mentioned two prominent Confederates — Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stephens — who served as president and vice president of the Confederate States of America, respectively, and who were charged with treason against the United States. Stephens’ statue was given by Georgia and Davis’ by Mississippi.
“While I believe it is imperative that we never forget our history lest we repeat it, I also believe that there is no room for celebrating the violent bigotry of the men of the Confederacy in the hallowed halls of the United States Capitol or in places of honor across the country,” Pelosi wrote.
As more white Americans start to come forward in recognition of the unfair treatment of black Americans, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants Congress to make America a more inclusive place. While President Trump refuses to rename the Army bases named after the Confederate leaders who tried to split the country apart, Pelosi plans to use all of the power granted to her along with the momentum of social change to modernize American and fight to unify it.
While President Trump refused to separate America’s identity from the Confederate leaders of the Civil War, Pelosi hopes to fight to get Confederate statues removed from the United States Capitol once and for all. Pelosi plans to fight to get rid of Confederate references and statues because they represent a time in America when white and black people were not treated equally. She said these Confederate statues symbolize racial oppression and the ideals of white supremacy.
In the letter, the Speaker wrote: “[T]he halls of Congress are the very heart of our democracy. The statues in the Capitol should embody our highest ideals as Americans, expressing who we are and who we aspire to be as a nation. Monuments to men who advocated cruelty and barbarism to achieve such a plainly racist end are a grotesque affront to these ideals. Their statues pay homage to hate, not heritage. They must be removed.”
Pelosi added, “Let us lead by example. To this end, I request the Joint Committee on the Library direct the Architect of the Capitol to immediately take steps to remove these 11 statues from display in the United States Capitol.”
The Confederate statues in the Capitol include one of Jefferson Davis, who served as the president of the Confederacy during its doomed tenure. The state of Mississippi elected to put Davis’s likeness in Washington, D.C. A statue of General Robert E. Lee is also featured in the Capitol. The Commonwealth of Virginia elected to put this here because he commanded the Army of Northern Virginia from 1862 until his surrender in 1865.
Pelosi concludes her letter, “Let us lead by example. To this end, I request the Joint Committee on the Library direct the Architect of the Capitol to immediately take steps to remove these 11 statues from display in the United States Capitol.”
