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Keep Confederate Statues Standing

August 28, 2017 - 9:30am

A petition drive has started to remove the Confederate Memorial in Pensacola’s Lee Square.  I will not take the time to detail the history of the memorial which was erected in 1891 with private dollars.  The reader should do that with a quick Internet search. That’s the problem with this insane drive to remove Confederate statues from across our nation – ignorance of history.

I am an American who happens to be black. I am not an African American. This is my country. The terms African American, Hispanic American, Asian American and other such phrases were largely unheard of before the late 1980s. As a nation, we must get away from this relatively recent agenda of dividing our country into different ethnic camps. We are one nation under God.  

The insidiousness of these dual distinctions gives the impression to too many people that the United States is not really their nation and that their real deep seated allegiance actually belongs elsewhere. This leads to too many people acting like they have no ownership in this great nation.  It’s similar to how renters act compared to how owners behave. By using these terms, the pride of ownership is not there when it comes to the thinking about the United States, its history and its heritage. This makes it easier to disrespect our culture, our flag, and our history. It also makes it easier to accept dependence from the state.  

We need to reject such nonsense.  We need to be proud to be Americans. This is a nation upon which God has abundantly shed His grace.

America is an amazing nation full of opportunity and potential for those who seize it. As Tom G. Palmer wrote in “The Morality of Capitalism,” the framework for America’s greatness comes from a constitution that limits our government, individual rights, equal treatment under the law, freedom of speech and freedom of religion. This is a recipe for what has made this such a great nation. Of course, parts of our past are flawed (because flawed people were involved) but we learn from our history and our mistakes. We should not try to hide from it and tear it down.

Tearing down a statue is barbaric, a brutish act that belies a civilized people. Nobody’s lives are improved by tearing down statues.  A new job does not suddenly appear. Children do not start performing better in school and those are measurable metrics.  

There are some who insist they will feel better if the statues are removed. But will they? How do they know that? Why should the public pay for them to feel better? It’s clear taxpayers will have to pay to remove a statue that private donors erected.

Let us put a stop to this rush to divide our great nation.  We are a land of tremendous opportunity.  In the United States, every individual has before them an incredible future. My father proudly served as an enlisted member of the U.S. Air Force.  I graduated from the Air Force Academy.  My father worked for a Fortune 500 company.  I started my own successful company from scratch.  

I am not unique. There are countless success stories of hard working Americans overcoming the obstacles that happen in life and leaving things better for their children.  Determining your successful, amazing future is within your grasp. Carpe diem!


Mike Hill served as a Republican representing parts of the Panhandle in the Florida House from 2013-2016. 

Comments

Thank you so much. It is refreshing to hear a voice of reason. The pain this political correctness has caused those of us who want to remember our ancestors is great. These memorials to our dead are as sacred to us as any tombstone in any cemetery. Every time one goes down, our hearts hurt. We appreciate you speaking out.

Thank you so much!!!!! Finally someone with intelligence speaks up!!! I hope you run for president one day, you will definitely have my vote!!

I agree that we have bigger battles than these statues. We need to focus on the things that really count. We only have some much time, money and energy.

Well stated. I've read some of the comments as well which are also well articulated. Look at who wants to remove the statues, do we really want CAIR telling us what to do? People who do not know our history want the Confederate flag and these statues removed, they think the Civil War was only about slavery. That's why we need to keep the flag and statues to raise questions from future generations so they can educate themselves and make sure history does not repeat itself.

Mike, thank you so much for your clear-sighted, level-headed editorial. It is a beacon on an island of calm and intelligence in a sea of hysteria and, to be frank, a lot of untruthfulness. From a State Farm alumna (P&C claims)...

I admire you, Mike. Your article is well written and I cannot agree more. You touched on some very important issues. One being patriotism. Proud to be an American. I have noticed the biggest difference between Conservatives and Liberals is compromise. I disagree with every opinion and word that Antifa and Black Lives matter speak. While I disagree with them, I agree that they have a Constitutional right to have that opinion and I will defend their right to have that opinion. However Liberals do not believe that way. They want to exterminate any opinion that is not their own. They have no respect for others, and no consideration. The Nation needs more leaders like you, and I sincerely hope you consider running for Senate.

Very well said, Vivian Nichols. I agree with every word said.

Over 59,000 people died of drug abuse in 2016. I believe we have more important issues than some 100 year old statues. If you remove all the statues, what will they demand you remove next?

Cultural Genocide is no different than physical genocide. I have no great love for the Confederacy or most of the morons who live out their fantasies on alt-Right websites, but I will fight side by side with them and gladly shed blood with them rather than submit to the Communist-Progressive-Antifa-Pick-Your-Name-This-Week-We-Will-Have-A-New-One-Next-Week program. Anyone with half a brain should know, given the world-wide record AND body count since 1917 which is the far greater evil. Trolls will call me names, The inquisitive will look up the numbers. For the lazy, Stalin and Mao are generally considered to have accounted for 117,000,000 just between the two of them. That's a bit more than 7 times what Hitler did. Deal with it.

Thank you for your support of letting history stand. Without learning from the past, we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past!

Great points Mike - you are a man of honor. Here is my reply to a young person on Facebook about Confederate Monuments. "You may think having Confederate statues are raciest. Young people have pure thoughts so I do not question your honesty. I would just like to ask a simple question so we maintain a good precedence. What do you think of Roman Architecture? Is it pure and representative of our nation? Most would say yes just like most have said in the past 160 years that Confederate memories reflect on a particular time in US history. Both reflect American history. Ask yourself, "did we really have Civil War”? The answer is Yes and no one can change that. But? People and societies are known and represented by their architecture. The Romans enslaved and killed more people than anyone in world history. But, our governmental buildings, White House, Capital, Supreme Court, and most State Capitals are all Roman Architecture. Should they all be torn down? They architecturally reflect Roman Culture. Remember the Nazi's thought they could destroy the Jewish Nation by killing all the Jews. They failed because they were wrong and the world stood in the gap. But Nazis had the power to do it and many Americans died proving them wrong. The answer is history. No one can change history because history has value, even today. Remembering history will ensure never repeating it. Destroying or ignoring history will ensure history's return. Deal with history by putting it on display and it will remain history. Deny or ignore history and it will reappear in many forms. Embrace all history as history to ensure it never returns."

Thank you. CAIR HAS REQUESTED THE STATUES TO BE REMOVED. PLEASE LOOK INTO THAT. I don't think Muslim brotherhood should be telling America what our history should be . The civil war was and is our history that war is what made us a free nation. Also Russia is not the enemy we have never declared war on Russia . But in 1801 we declared war on islam and in 1952 we banned them because of the ideology of taking over the world. 9/11 then we vote Obama in office he hired over 300 Muslim liberal judges and put common core in our schools teaching 5 Pilar of Islam brainwashing our youth talking about killing America from within . OK that's the islam side of it now we have soros raised by Hitler and he loved it look all this up please fact check me you will be amazed . Soros and his son Alex soros is funding antifa and most hate groups . Now the last time Hitler and Muslim brotherhood worked together was WW11 the plan to over throw America is in full play all they need is civil war and the NWO can over throw us

Rachel, Excellent comment! Many refuse to recognize or understand the NWO as the end game in the overthrow of America. For those that understand, no explanation is necessary, but for those that don't understand, no explanation is possible! But, for the readers who don't understand please try and Google You Tube any way & view, "Why, I don't want to become a minority."

woah, you might need to get away...

Thank you for a well written article.

Great report

Thank you, Mr. Hill for you frank opinion. As long as we call attention to our differences, be it race, gender, ethenticity, or sexual orientation, we can never come together as a country.

Let the voters decide... They are a symbol of a time in our country that should not be celebrated. The south broke the law and were fighting for the continued enslavement of our people. They were in violation of the constitution. These statues were erected mostly during the Jim Crow days, in opposition to the Civil Rights movement. The soldiers who fought should be celebrated, they were called and they served. However, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis were war criminals, no different than Hitler or Mussolini. They violated the law. They were not from Florida and never did anything for Florida. If you knew your history, you would know what this was done for and why. No statue should ever be erected with private money without public approval. The Gov't in Pensacola in place at the time of this particular statue was illegal. They dissolved the city charter and took power without being elected and then agreed to this statue. The whole thing was illegal. Still the voters should decide, as it is now their monument, whether they wanted it or not. Everyone has an opinion, but it would be better if everyone at least tried to have an informed one.

Thank you Mr. Hill for showing honor and courage against a few people that only want to divide us as southerners. Again Thank you

I have to give you credit Mike! You were on the mark in your article. Wish you'd write more and become a regular donator of articles and you'd certainly wash out Leslie Wines who also is washed up. Your intelligent style of writing is wonderful and I do look forward to reading YOUR articles, more than any other so-called writer.

Grateful for the Mike Hill article and his stand. Also for most of the comments I read. All but one or two I read so far have credibility and substance, relate to fact and principle. The other one or two were the usual nonfactual, hateful, sort that looks for something or someone good to destroy with the premise that doing so will someone make their ungodly cause popular and right.

Until History is taught the way it really happened, there will always be this great divide...with Google and other avenues so easily at hand, one would assume that these people would atleast make themselves aware of the real issues that caused the South to secede and the North to invade them...Until then we will have this division, and the hate they are showing in their dissent to American Veterans ( deemed by Congress not me) is disgusting and a very well planned plot that has been foreseen for some while now....excellent article, and may you continue having great success in all that you do...

Exactly right Clay.

Mr. HIll, what an excellent article, thank you for your article. I agree with Jack Lee, you should run for Governor. :)

A great idea!

Thank YOU! I hope you will have something we can all sign to show media that this drive to remove the statues shows that these people DO NOT know our American history. And for those who want our statues taken down of Jefferson and Washington makes me sick. If it wasn't for the heroic efforts as well as suffering that he did in order to free us from England, we would still be a part of England. We owe our freedom to him and all those who were willing to give up their fortunes, their lives and their freedom to do this. This effort to destroy our historic statues is just like ISIS destroying centuries old statutes because they don't agree with it. The effort here in America is being driven by people like George Soros who is paying Antifa rioters, Black Lives Matter, Marxists to riot and create bedlam in order to undermine our Govt.

Thank you for your article, Mr. Hill! No matter what color we are we are all Americans and we, as Americans, need to build our country up, not tear it down!!

Mike Hill courageously makes a great statement about history/heritage and this great Nation. History must always be taken in toto, not sliced and diced and then the parts you don't like thrown out like garbage in the can. History is a record of what occured - 100% of what occured. It must all be taken together, not piecemeal. Those that favor re-writing or erasing part of American History are guilty of being racist and furthermore an opponent of the First Amendment, which guarantees our rights to free speech. The monuments that stand proudly throughout Florida represent the free speech of those who lived during that difficult period of time in our Nation's history. For many, the monuments represent free speech today as a modern day expression of the qualities that drove soldiers to leave their homes and fight for their states and family. Fortunately, the free speech rights of those that would destroy history end where our rights begin. Keep the monuments, cherish all aspects of America and thank Almighty God that you live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Mr. Hill, Thank GOD (for those who believe), Black Americans, African-Americans, Latino's, Hispanics, are not a monotheistic group. "In other words, this BLACK American does not speak for me." I must have missed your moral outrage when the 4th Infantry Marine Battalion tore down the statute of Saddam Hussein. Were you offended them? No. I'm sure you were praising our men and women in combat for removing the symbol of a failed leader, who enslaved, murdered, and oppressed millions of his fellow citizens. The US Congress has designated billions in set asides for various Indian Tribes, and Florida recently renewed the pact with the Seminoles. Do you also wish that they would just "get over it?" We've also seen many schools remove offensive "Indian names," deemed by tribes to be in appropriate. Perhaps you'd like to reach out to Ms. Merkel in Germany. You know the country where displaying swastikas or any tribute to NAZI's is forbidden and punishable as a crime. It seems that when it comes to Black Americans, we not only want to re-write history, we want to erase it. Ben Carson (another confused Black American), tried to tell us slavery was just "low-wage immigration." Well, Mr. Lee let me tell you this. My Grandmother was born in 1924 in Jacksonville Florida. Her grandparents were brought here as slaves from Africa and owned by a former President. As her descendent, I'm a proud African-American. This country was founded to escape tyranny, taxes and religious oppression. So one can choose to believe in GOd, or not. Saying "one country under GOD does not = patriotism. Atheists, Muslims, Jews, also serve this country. You want to know what is more divisive than a statue, one man (usually Republicans) thinking he/she has the right to speak for the rest of us, well you don't. The bible says: "And if thy right eye offends thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. Well, let's start casting out offense statues of men who succeeded from the Union, betrayed the constitution and waged war against their own brothers. Tear the $hit down.

Really were you born in Africa ???? Bet not so there for you are an AMERICAN , your color of your Karin doesn't matter to many people , but I see colors of skin does to you , and this is why we are a nation divided .. We are all Americans first , born and raised, statues don't hurt anyone they educate why did they put up a MLK statue be use he was part of our history , like him or not, why NOW DOES EVERYONE have a problem with this when they have been up for hundreds of years , why because the people who lost need sow thing to hold on to and win something. But it's only making more division ... Peace to America. God bless all ,

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