Regarding the statues in the South, I have a feeling that there has been a certain romanticism attached to the Confederacy and/or the prominent characters involved. Similar to how pirates or cowboys are romanticized. Much of the reality has been lost and replaced with fictional motivations or made romantic with notions of “southern pride” or rebelling against The Man.
I don’t think the present-day South understands what the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia (aka the Confederate Flag) actually stood for back in the day, but rather attaches a romantic quality to it in ignorance of the reality it came from.
This is very true. I witnessed it firsthand, and at that time didn’t even recognize its fallaciousness. To Southerners, it isn’t always about slavery and racism. Yes, I remember a racist shop where they sold KKK paraphernalia and Confederate flags. However, to the majority, they see Confederate leaders as modern knights, overlooking their ideology the way we overlook the evils of, well, as to said, pirates and cowboys and such. John Wayne and Johnny Depp never raped or murdered anyone!
Wait, you are you John Wayne and Johnny Depp actually raped people? I’ve honestly never heard either one of them being accused of rape.