George Washington and Robert E. Lee

The president appears worried that if a statue of Robert E. Lee is taken down, then a statue of George Washington might be next.  The president asks what’s the difference between the two men, since both owned slaves?  Good question, Mr. President! 

One difference is this: George Washington was the general who led an undersized Continental Army to a tremendous victory over the forces of King George III. 

Another difference is that George Washington was the first president of the United States; he helped the country end the arbitrary rule of monarchy as it became a constitutional democracy.   

A third difference is that Washington came to oppose slavery and provided for the emancipation of his slaves in his will.  Did Lee?  Of course not!

Washington also subscribed to the principles of the new nation.  When one attempt was made by officers to make Washington their king, he firmly refused; he would have none of it. 

At the end of the war, he resigned his military commission and returned to civilian life.  He did not seek power beyond what was called for by service to his country. 

I can go on but you get the point.  It’s not just the difference between Lee and Washington that is involved; it’s also recognizing that the neo-Nazi racists idolize men like Lee and Hitler. 

The Confederacy represented a rebellion against the legitimate authority of the U.S. government, Lincoln having won the 1860 election fair and square.  As the South intended to keep Slavery, the Confederate flag came to represent a very brutal form of oppression.

By contrast, the American flag of Washington and the whole country represents the progress made in granting universal suffrage over the years to Black men (1870), women (1920), and Native Americans (1924).  We remain a self-governing constitutional democracy.    

The Nazis and fascists want to turn back the hands on the clock of history; the rest of the nation wants the country to move forward and live up to its ideal that ‘all men are created equal.”

If removing a statue of Lee could one day lead to questioning the wisdom of honoring Washington, so be it.  That would not be the end of the world.  It seems unlikely that people will ever wish to tear down the Washington Monument but you never know; the president apparently thinks that’s a real possibility! 

Perhaps that question will arise in the future, at which time--through discussion and debate--the American people can make their decision.  It is not a question that needs to be raised now; it is a red herring invented by the president to sidetrack people from the real issues.

Trump also just repeated a lie that has no basis in historical fact, concerning General Pershing.  This is another red herring, no doubt—or an example of astonishing ignorance on his part. 

It would seem rather than suggesting that George Washington is the same as Robert E. Lee, President Trump would be better off studying American history--at about the 8^th grade level, to make a guess. 

He seems unable to grasp why Americans protested the neo-Nazis and fascists in Charlottesville. He does not understand the threat posed by the white supremacists of the Far Right who historically have resorted to violence.  History teaches us that much, if nothing else. 

A car slamming into protesters was not an accidental byproduct of the thinking of such white supremacists.  It is who they are, always seeking to provoke clashes and trouble.        

In his “many sides” view, President Trump would say the American colonists were as much responsible for the violence of the American Revolution as the British soldiers.

He would say that the slaves were responsible for the violence of the Civil War when they ran away to freedom, fought back against slave-owners, supported the Underground Railroad, and enlisted in the Union Army.

He would say women are responsible for the conflicts and attacks upon them when they fought secure the right to vote. (Yes, not unlike the “blame the victim” mentality).

He would say the followers of Dr. King’s non-violent civil rights marches were as much to blame for the violence in Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham as the Southern racists who planted bombs, fire-bombed Freedom Riders bus, turned on the fire hoses, released the dogs, swung batons to bust heads, while attacking and murdering peaceful protesters. 

The president’s view lacks any sort of moral compass.  He does not recognize the historical necessity and significance of these many struggles for freedom and equality. 

He lashes out at his critics rather than trying to understand their point of view.  He attacks and slanders protesters rather than leading them in opposition to such a brazen and open display of racism and fascism as witnessed in Charlottesville. 

He does not understand the brutality brought to bear by southern racists and German fascists.  If Nazi Germany taught us anything, it is that the people everywhere must not wait to build a strong popular movement of opposition to them whenever the first signs of fascism appear.

President Trump cannot seem to wrap his head around the notion that there is a difference between the violence of the Far Right trying to revive Segregation and Hitlerism and the brave actions of American men and women openly confronting them and their terrorist tactics.    

A man that confused by history has no business opening his mouth to try and explain to anyone that there really is no difference between the two sides. 

American patriots who fought for independence, courageous abolitionists who fought to end slavery, brave women who fought for equal rights, anti-fascists who fought to defeat Hitler, and clear-headed protesters committed to stopping the growth of racist and Nazi ideology before it is too late—all have high moral purpose and great personal courage on their side.

That the president seems unable to grasp the deeper issues involved, is a sad commentary on his lack of compassion, courage, and insight.