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So, I was reading this article about all these Confederate statues being taken down, melted, and turned into art pieces, and it got me thinking. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s no denying a lot of bad things went on back then. A lot of those Confederates were on the wrong side of history. But you know what? The other side wasn’t perfect either.

Now, about these statues being destroyed or turned into what some people call “art,” my take is simple. We shouldn’t pick and choose what stays and what goes just because it makes us uncomfortable. That was the way things were. Not pretty, not right by today’s measure, but real. If anything, those statues should stay standing as a reminder of what actually happened. Not as heroes. As history.

Kind of like that Aunt Jemima syrup that took the image off the label. Makes me shake my head. Back in the day, I always saw it as a nod of respect, strange as that sounds now. Funny how something so small can shift meaning depending on who’s looking and when.

So yeah, my take on things… leave the statues alone. Leave the books alone. Let people live with them, see them, learn from them. History isn’t always pretty, but it’s ours. Trying to hide it or melt it down into something easier to swallow doesn’t teach anyone anything. Better to see it, sit with it, and move on smarter than we were before.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW