Stop Honoring Traitors !

While on vacation in Washington, DC last week, we toured the US Capitol building. We found ourselves right at the epicenter of the heated controversy over Confederate monuments.

Each state chooses two people to be honored with a statue in the Capitol's Statuary Hall. The Hall was established by an 1864 law that instructs "the States to provide and furnish statues, ...not exceeding two in number for each State, of deceased persons who have been citizens thereof, and illustrious for their historic renown or for distinguished civic or military services..."

The big controversy is that many of the former Confederate states chose to honor Civil War Generals or politicians. They chose men who committed treason against the government in whose Capitol they are commemorated. In doing so, the states celebrate the abhorrent practice of human slavery. This is a big poke in the eyes of all loyal Americans and a big slap to the faces of black citizens.

Of the 100 people honored in our Capitol, eight were political or military leaders who played major roles in the fight against the United States. President Jefferson Davis (MS) and VP Alexander Stephens (GA) are there. Rebel officers Robert E. Lee (VA), James George (MS), Wade Hampton (SC), Edmond Smith (FL), Joseph Wheeler (AL), and Zebulon Vance (NC) are honored.

Commemorating these men who fought against the United States in our Capitol building is equivalent to honoring others who fought against America. Why not a statue of Admiral Yamamoto or Field Marshal Rommel in the rotunda? Why not a bust of Vietnamese General Giap in the Visitor's Center? Why not statues of British Revolutionary War Generals Howe or Burgoyne in Statuary Hall? (Actually, a painting of Burgoyne is in the Rotunda, but he is surrendering to Americans).

But these foreign military leaders who fought the US have far more honor than the rebel leaders from the Civil War. After all, they were patriots in their own countries. In contrast, the Confederate leaders turned their backs on the United States. They should no more be allowed a place of honor in our Capitol than other notorious traitors like Benedict Arnold, KGB mole Aldrich Ames, or atomic spy Julius Rosenburg.

Republicans have come to the defense of honoring traitors and defenders of slavery in our Capitol. House Speaker Paul Ryan meekly said, "These are decisions for those states to make." VP Pence said (of course) on Fox News," [whether to remove monuments] should always be a local decision. And with regard to the U.S. Capitol, should be state decisions." And it has been made perfectly clear how the quickly-failing President Trump feels about keeping the monuments to racism and bigotry.

In sharp contrast, Democrats are on the right side of history. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi stated, "The Confederate statues in the halls of Congress have always been reprehensible. If Republicans are serious about rejecting white supremacy, I call upon Speaker Ryan to join Democrats to remove the Confederate statues from the Capitol immediately." I agree with Nancy. Statues of Confederate leaders should come down now ! Turn them into something more useful, like nails or gravel !
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On the lighter side, there is a silly article in White Right Wisconsin suggesting that the statue of Bob La Follette should be removed from the US Capitol and replaced with someone deemed more suitably conservative, such as Supreme Court Justice Rehnquist. I guess that reforms championed by Fightin' Bob, such as women's suffrage, worker's rights, consumer protections, child labor laws, and the direct election of US Senators are just too far left for the goofy author of the article.

If we are going to replace one of the two Wisconsin commemorative statues, let's not remove the one of La Follette. Let's not take down the statue of a man who was voted by historians as the greatest Senator in American history, based on accomplishments in office and long term impact.

If we must remove a statue, let's take down the one of Jacques Marquette. He merely passed through Wisconsin on his travels around the Upper Midwest. He had as much, or more impact on Michigan and Illinois as on our own state. Aren't there Wisconsinites who have given more to our state and country than an ancient French explorer from the 1600's ?

Who should we honor instead of Marquette? Let's not venerate yet another politician. Since the state honoree decisions are made by politicians, this self-important group is naturally way over-represented in Statuary Hall.

How about an aeronaut or astronaut? Wisconsin can claim Billy Michell (father of the Air Force), Deke Slayton, and Jim Lovell. Or an entertainer? Houdini is ours, as are rocker Steve Miller and Orson Welles. Or an important environmentalist such as John Muir, Aldo Leopold, or Gaylord Nelson?

Wisconsin has claims on many creative types worthy of statuary honor. Frank Lloyd Wright was from here. Several important inventors have Wisconsin ties, including Les Paul, King Gillette (safety razor), Seymour Cray (supercomputer), and John Bardeen (twice a Physics Nobel laureate, invented the transistor).

Let's leave Bob La Follette in his place of honor in both the US and state Capitols. He has earned it. If we must switch-out a statue, let's remove Jacques Marquette and replace him with someone more worthy of acclaim.