Statue Update

Vandals in Madison tore down a statue of a Union soldier who worked tirelessly for abolition. They also assaulted a state representative.

Inevitably, the excesses of radical politics force more and more extreme actions to keep the juice going.  That's as true for the Tea Party as it is for Anarchists. The problem with rage is that it inevitably clouds judgment. Imagine trying to be in the mob that destroyed a hero of the antislavery cause and telling them to stop.

Inevitably, the argument becomes that ALL statues are monuments to oppression.  That seems to be the message from Madison. The problem is that when you start tearing down everyone, who will be left to stand with you?

There is a right wing expectation that studying American history should simply be a tale of glory and righteousness with no room for nuance or critical self-reflection. The far left seems to take the complete opposite take - nothing America did was ever right - and similarly reject nuance or self-reflection.

All heroes have feet of clay. Or as Pappy Boyington said, "Show me a hero and I'll prove he's a bum."  Boyington should know, as he was both. But people do need someone to look up to, even if that person has flaws.