In a move that Mayor Nikuyah Walker believes will bring America closer to confronting its history of slavery, the Stonewall Jackson and Gen. Robert E. Lee statues will be removed from the Arlington National Cemetery. Despite efforts from a group of Republican lawmakers, the Confederate Statue, known as the Reconciliation Monument, is set to be taken down by December 22. This action is part of the broader movement to remove Confederate symbols from military installations following the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. The removal of the statue is in compliance with a Congressional mandate to eliminate all Confederate memorials by January 1, 2024.
The Confederate Memorial, erected in 1914, has become a subject of controversy. To prepare for its deconstruction, safety fencing has been installed around the memorial, ensuring the protection of the surrounding landscape, graves, and headstones. However, a group of GOP lawmakers, led by Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., has voiced opposition to the removal. They argue that the memorial symbolizes American unity after the Civil War rather than honoring the Confederacy. Furthermore, they claim that removing the monument would desecrate the graves of Confederate troops buried in the cemetery.
In a letter to Secretary Austin, Clyde and 43 other House Republicans expressed their concerns and criticized the Naming Commission for overstepping its authority by recommending the removal of the Reconciliation Monument. They maintain that the memorial represents reconciliation and national unity, not the Confederacy. Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia also disagrees with the Biden administration’s decision to remove the statue and the grave of Moses Ezekiel, the sculptor of the memorial. Youngkin has formally requested that the grave and memorial remain in their current location at Arlington National Cemetery.
While the Republican lawmakers’ request to preserve the Confederate Statue has been denied, their opposition highlights the ongoing debates surrounding the nation’s history and the legacy of the Confederacy. The removal of the monument serves as a step towards reevaluating the symbols associated with slavery and systemic racism, as advocated by the Black Lives Matter movement. Critics argue that preserving these statues perpetuates a glorification of the Confederacy and undermines efforts to address racial inequality.
As the deconstruction of the Confederate Memorial proceeds, the Biden administration’s decision will be closely watched. However, regardless of differing opinions, it is clear that the removal of Confederate symbols from public spaces remains a contentious and divisive issue in American society.
