Adrastos, Bigotry, Fog Of History, Gret Stet Politics, Lost Cause, New Orleans, Race

NOLA White Supremacy Monuments: One Down, Three To Go

The process of removing four Jim Crow era monuments from their current locations has begun. I wish that the city had NOT done so under cover of darkness but the Mayor has said that there were death threats against the work crew. Unfortunately, I believe him. BUT since other security measures were taken, I still think it should have been done during the day. I, for one, am proud of this action, which is why I don’t think we should be sneaking around. It gives the appearance of wrongdoing when they’re doing the right thing. Celebrating hatred and racism is unacceptable.

I also wish Mayor Landrieu would stop calling them Confederate monuments. The one that was removed this morning, the so-called Liberty monument, honors the triumph of white supremacy during Reconstruction. The remaining three statues honor Confederate dignitaries-only one local-and were erected in celebration of white supremacy, which is why I use that term.

It would have been better if there were a post-removal plan in place. I think some form of public display in a park or museum that places them in context is the way to answer charges that we’re trying to erase history.  The removal was relatively well thought out but the aftermath remains murky, which gives ammunition to the erstwhile Gret Stet Fuhrer:

https://twitter.com/DrDavidDuke/status/856484366394028032

The Alamo, of course, is a monument to Texas independence, not white supremacy. Context and intent are everything is this debate. How does Dukkke think we can “erase” the Founding Fathers? I think their monuments are safe. I would, however, like to shove the Washingtion Memorial up Duke’s ass.

Anyway, I came here to praise the Mayor, as well as to bury the white supremacy monuments, so I’ll stop quibbling about details. I’ll save the nitpicking for another day.

Here’s how one local teevee news organization covered the removal:

 

5 thoughts on “NOLA White Supremacy Monuments: One Down, Three To Go”

  1. Best description of the so-called “Confederate” monuments that I’ve seen on Facebook today is calling them “participation trophies” (because they certainly weren’t given out for them being “winners”).

  2. You say “Texas independence, not white supremacy” like those are two different things.

    We remember the Alamo because the slaveholders fighting to secede from Mexico in defense of slavery used this minor military disaster very skillfully as propaganda, a “noble loss” story.

  4. I agree that these monuments need to be placed somewhere publicly accessible with appropriate signage denoting their historical context. This way folks can be educated as to their significance, their connection to New Orleans (if any) and the reason for them being moved. Perhaps a corner o’ City Park could be made available.
    As for replacements:
    1. Capt. Jean Laffite
    2. His Lieutenants, Renato Beluche (born in New Orleans and actually on the Chalmette battlefield) and Dominique You (also on the battlefield, acknowledged as the best Cannoneer there and buried in St. Louis #2 – the only verifiable Pyrate grave in the Americas)
    3. Bartholomé Lafon – “The Architect of New Orleans”. Built many fine homes in the city (including the famous Pedesclaux-Lemonnier House in the Vieux Carré), designed the CBD & Garden District – including the streets named for the Muses, designed the town of Donaldsonville…and incidentally, managed the Pyrate city at Galveston while Laffite argued with the government at Washington to get his property in Barataria & goods back.
    4. Charles Trudeau dit Laveau (Marie Laveau’s Father), Surveyor General of Spanish Louisiana (aka “Don Carlos”, created the first detailed maps of the state) and first Mayor of New Orleans.

    Unless I’ve missed it, there should be SOME sort of monument to those brave souls – the “ordinary folks” – who arrived in the early days and carved a living out of the rough territory that became a grand city!

  5. Being offended by history is stupid. Trying to eradicate history’s fossils is worse – it promotes ignorance. True, pulling down statues is what people do, in all places at all times – everyone wants to control the narrative, including the people who put the damn things up to begin with. Still stupid.

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