Statues

 (cont'd from yesterday's post)

Last summer in the U.S. we were horrified to see statues of historical figures - including Thomas Jefferson - torn down and defaced. The French saw it too, and the rest of the world. 

Thomas Jefferson was without doubt a flawed man. He did own slaves at the same time that he and other founders tried to reduce or eliminate slavery. The rational way to address his faults does not include destruction or violence.

The French president addressed the subject in a televised talk to his country last June. He promised he would be "uncompromising in the face of racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination.” And, he  said, France “will not erase any trace, or any name, from its history ... it will not take down any statue. We should look at all of our history together with lucidity” including relations with Africa, with a goal of “truth” instead of “denying who we are.”

from 13abc

Statues 2

 (cont'd from yesterday's post)

A statue of George Washington was toppled last summer too, more of what the French call "out-of-control woke leftism." A flawed human being, he too owned slaves. Slavery was practiced all over the world and outlawed nowhere in his time. 

But like growing numbers of conscientious people in England and in America, he was troubled by it. He says in a letter in 1786, "I hope it will not be conceived . . that it is my wish to hold the unhappy people who are the subject of this letter in slavery. I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of it."

His will gave orders to free all his slaves after his wife Martha's death. He also left orders to his heirs that they care for sick or old slaves, educate their children, and not sell a single one of them or take them out of state.

None of us can live outside the world into which we were born. George Washington's statues and birthday (this week) can and should be honored.

from Stream

Respect them

 I have a movie recommendation for you. "Monuments Men" is currently on Netflix, the story of civilian men recruited during World War II to recover works of art and return them whenever possible. 

Statues and paintings were stolen by Hitler's armies from museums and churches all over Europe. Locations include Belgian cathedrals and Nazi-occupied France. The cast is full of stars whom you'll recognize.

The leader of these men (played by George Clooney) was passionate about finding these art pieces before they were lost or destroyed and explains why: "You can wipe out a generation of people, you can burn their homes to the ground and somehow they'll still come back. But if you destroy their achievements and their history, then it's like they never existed." 

It still happens today. Destroyers want to destroy statues, history, achievements. That's what they do.

Fidelity 2

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

It may seem like these Americans-who-don't-believe-in-American-values suddenly popped up out of nowhere. Example: our own government shockingly turned against parents who hold their kids' schools accountable. Example: statues of our founders were defaced or destroyed.

But undermining has been going on for decades . . decades . . and many just slept through it. Our values eroded gradually. 

Communist Russia worked intentionally and effectively to corrode what Americans believed in. I'm posting the interview of the Russian defector who told us this again, in case you didn't watch it last week:

Robby George calls us to be faithful, in spite of hostility, to what we know is true. In addition to whatever else it's called, June is now Fidelity Month: "“a month dedicated to the importance of fidelity to God, spouses and families, our country, and our communities.”

Taliban return 1

Taliban stories from Afghanistan were featured in our headlines years ago. We're going to wish they stayed in the past because they're back, bringing death and destruction with them.

According to Wikipedia, Islamic "mujahideen" fought the U.S.S.R.'s invasion and occupation of Afghanistan back in 1979, aided and trained by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. Some of them eventually founded and led the Taliban movement.

photo

Their own power and ideology were driven rough-shod over all other traditions. In 2001 they aimed their missiles and weapons at two historic, gigantic Buddha statues carved into the hillside almost 2000 years ago. The heritage of other people is nothing to them.

Murder and destruction of anything in their way was typical. They never disbanded and now they're back. Panic is rising in Afghanistan.

(cont'd tomorrow)