by Allen B. West | allenwestrepublic.com
I‘ve been sharing with y’all the somewhat disconcerting absurdity emanating from my home of Dallas, Texas. We’ve addressed the issue of the county commission voting to be a “sanctuary county” for illegal immigrants. We told you the story about the vote to make Dallas a U.N. Human Rights Community…like we really need the U.N. Human Rights Council defining human rights…isn’t Saudi Arabia on that council?
And most recently we informed you of the Dallas city manager allowing a convicted felon — for child abuse no less – who was also the organizer for the anti-police protest which resulted in five Dallas law enforcement officers being killed a year ago, to sit on a search committee for a new Dallas police chief.
Well, the hits just keep on coming. Now Dallas seeks to join the other chuckleheads who want to erase American history. As written by James Ragland (who by the way is awaiting a decision on misdemeanor family violence assault charges) in the Dallas Morning News,
“The Confederate Generals who loom in granite and marble glory over two historic Dallas parks may be standing on borrowed time. Excuse me while I let this out: Yippee! Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings won’t come right out and say this, but he willingly, if somewhat reluctantly, tips his hand.
“Personally”, Rawlings said, “I’m careful about espousing my point of view too much but not ashamed to do it. Slavery was the greatest sin that America ever participated in and we need to appropriately own up to that and move beyond it”. When we have a “historical reminders” such as the towering statues of Confederate stars planted in public parks, “it’s concerning”, he said”. With Rawlings’ blessing — or insistence — Dallas is finally digging into how it should handle the Confederate symbols that dot the city’s landscape and calculating what it would take to remove, relocate, or alter the memorials to add historical context.”
First of all, perhaps Mayor Rawlings should pay more attention to the fiscal plight of Dallas affecting the pensions of our law enforcement officers and first responders. As well, Mayor Rawlings should pay attention to the fact that the Dallas Police Department is short hundreds of law enforcement officers due to his severe lack of support, and leadership of the men and women of the “Thin Blue Line.” I know because they tell me…seems he doesn’t spend too much time on “ride-alongs” with them.
Now, for the matter at hand, it disturbs me to no end this progressive socialist aspect of revising history — actually seeking to erase it. What a truly insidious statement that America needs to “appropriately own up to and move beyond it,” regarding the issue of slavery. It appears to me that the only people, not owning up to it, and not moving away from it, are the liberal progressives of the Democrat Party.
Perhaps they want us as a nation to forget it was the Democrats who completely voted against the 13th Amendment. The Democrats were the party of Jim Crow, the Ku Klux Klan, lynchings, poll taxes, literacy tests, and the entire concept of segregation. As a 56-year-old black man born and raised in Georgia, and remembering Lester Maddox and George Wallace — both Democrat southern governors — these statues do not offend me, discourage me, or cause me to run is search of a safe space. They’re just a simple part of the history of our nation. So, let’s have a little history lesson, ok Jimmy?
Many of these men were graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point. They served in the Mexican War — then again, that may offend you. In the case of Robert E. Lee, he was the Army commander who suppressed John Brown’s insurrection at Harper’s Ferry. And just a few weeks ago, we laid to rest my father-in-law, U.S. Army Master Sergeant Ronald Keith Graham, in Arlington National Cemetery…the former property of Robert E. Lee, where Lee’s home sits atop those beautiful hills where the “Garden of Stone” marks those brave men and women who have given their all in service of our nation.
Having his property confiscated for the purpose of a National Cemetery was one of his “punishments.” If you read the accounts of Lee’s surrender at Appomattox County Court House, you’ll see he was rendered honors, by a Medal of Honor recipient, Union Army leader Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.
As a matter of fact sir, two of the largest military installations in the world are right here in America, one in the state of Texas…Ft Bragg and Ft. Hood. These Army installations are named after two confederate egnerals, Braxton Bragg and John Bell Hood. Now, should we go ahead and change the names of those installations? Just so you know, I served on both of these installations, with many a black Soldier, and NEVER did I hear anyone complain about being stationed at a place named after a confederate general. Mostly, you’ll find pride in Soldiers for being assigned at these iconic military installations, irrespective of their race or region of the country from whence they come.
If we are to do as this article quotes, “move beyond it,” then stop bringing it up. Teach our children our history, the good, the bad, the ugly…if we don’t know from whence we came, how do we know where we’re heading? Just gotta ask Mr. Ragland, does this mean folks will stop asking for “reparations” for something they did not experience? I mean seriously, you say move beyond it, then it should apply in all cases, not just those fitting your revisionist and ideological agenda.
But let’s ask ourselves, what prevents the acolytes of the progressive left from declaring one day that our Founding Fathers should have all of their statues, memorials, and monuments removed? Think about it, why have a Washington or Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC? After all, they did own slaves. Does this lower, degrade, and demean their contributions to the establishment of this great nation?
James Ragland’s piece is entitled “It’s time to bring down symbols of slavery.” Well, there’s a modern day slavery that the Democrats are advancing: economic servitude. There is a new plantation afoot in America, and it has been since a Texas Democrat president came up with his “Great Society” programs, and the infamous war on poverty.
It’s different from physical bondage, but it is still bondage and if I may assert, even worse, as it destroys the indomitable individual will and determination. Maybe instead of worrying about these statues, Ragland and Rawlings should focus on South Dallas.
You see, the new crop on the 21st century plantation is votes. Relegating young black kids to failing schools is a form of slavery, enslaving the mind. I wonder if Mr. Ragland and Mayor Rawlings are supporters of school choice, charter schools, and school voucher programs enabling young inner city kids to rise above and seek out the best educational opportunities? Who cares about a statue of Robert E. Lee or Jefferson Davis? Our young black kids don’t have that statuesque figure of responsible dads in their lives…another of those intentional results of the failed progressive socialist policies that have enslaved the black community.
Maybe James Ragland and Mayor Rawlings shouldn’t consider fiscal expenditures to remove or relocate these statues and memorials. Instead, tell us what y’all are going to do about urban economic empowerment zones, creating better small business entrepreneurship in the black community. Perhaps that would be a better place to expend our taxpayer dollars, not on a harmless statue, but towards that which harms the most: young black men and women not having gainful employment, or clear pathways to starting a business.
Yes, I’m tired of these “useful idiots,” and I best be careful about being accused of collusion with Russia by using a quote from Vladimir Lenin. But yes, these useful idiots of the progressive socialist left who distract us from the real ills, worries and concerns that advance a new form of slavery — economic enslavement –which as in the past, is today created by the Democrat Party.
I think truthfully, this is the history the left wants to erase, the fact that they have always been the party of the four S’s — slavery, secession, segregation, and socialism. And boy howdy, not a one of those S’s has bode well for the black community — and that has nothing to do with statues, memorials, or monuments. It has everything to do with a failed ideology.
As Alexis de Tocqueville stated, “Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.”
Via allenwestrepublic.com | http://allenwestrepublic.com/allen-west-i-cant-believe-what-my-fellow-texans-are-letting-happen-right-now/
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