Silent Sam
Photo: AP

Monday night, students at the University of North Carolina brought down the ‘Silent Sam‘ statue on the campus. Erected in 1913 the statue was a point of contention for the past 50 years as people battled over the existence of a Statue that paid homage to Confederate Soldiers during the American Civil War. That contention intensified after the events of Charlottesville last summer.

Via NPR:

A crowd of about 250 students, faculty and local residents carrying banners that condemned white supremacy stormed the bronze sculpture and, using ropes, brought it crashing down from its century-old pedestal. It was the culmination of a protest that began earlier in the evening, on the eve of the first day of classes.

“I feel liberated — like I’m a part of something big. It’s literally my fourth day here,” first-year Natalia Walker told The Daily Tar Heel. “This is the biggest thing I’ve ever been a part of in my life.”

Dwayne Dixon, a teaching assistant professor of Asian studies, told the paper, “I watched it groan and shiver and come asunder.”

“I mean, it feels biblical. It’s thundering and starting to rain. It’s almost like heaven is trying to wash away the soiled, contaminated remains,” Dixon said.

Despite the growing cries to remove the statue from the UNC campus, the University seemingly doubled down on their efforts to keep the monument standing. UNC officials often cited a state law that protected a “monument, memorial or work of art owned by the state”. Last year the University even spent $390,000 on security for the statue, according to The News & Observer.

In response to the destruction of the statue, the University released the following statement:

Meanwhile, Governor Roy Cooper‘s office also weighed in on Twitter:

“The Governor understands that many people are frustrated by the pace of change and he shares their frustration, but violent destruction of public property has no place in our communities.”

The Statue was originally commissioned by the Daughters of the Confederacy as a way to honor former students at the University who left school to fight in the Civil War. Furthermore, famed White Supremacist Julian Carr gave the following speech at the statues dedication in 1913:

It’s always funny to hear people defend these statues that did nothing but try an reignite Jim Crow era law towards African Americans.

The irony is also baffling.

For instance, the people that defend Confederate monuments also seem like the biggest supporters of nationalism and American patriotism. Yet people who fought for the Confederacy are some of the biggest traitors to the Union in United States history. Those individuals actively sought to split the Country in two and for what? Some might give you some bullshit answer or try and paint history with a broad brush that doesn’t look as racist and say something like ‘state’s rights’.

But lets stop fucking around with this. We all know that the Confederacy were actively trying to preserve White superiority over African Americans and it’s sickening to think that in 2018 we still have to see these garbage monuments honoring the root cause of the CSA.

And save the bullshit about preserving history. History has already been made. If you want to study or learn about the Confederacy, read a book, take a class, watch a documentary or go to a museum which is where these statues – if they are going to exist – belong. Don’t rely on some monument to educate you. That idea is almost as absurd as keeping a racist team mascot around to honor a race of people or to educate the masses. Give me a fucking break.

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