Tag: Arlington National Cemetery

bookmark_borderPete Hegseth on statues…

Posted on by Marissa

“We recognize our history; we don’t erase it. We don’t follow the woke lemmings off the cliff that want to tear down statues. We look at and learn from our history, all aspects of it, and so Arlington deserves to have, and we’re grateful to the state of Virginia for partnering with us, it wasn’t easy, we fought to make it happen, and the Reconciliation Monument will return to Arlington, where it belongs, to recognize the service of Americans of all chapters. We’re not tearing stuff down; we’re done with that. We’re putting statues back, we’re putting paintings back, we’re recognizing our history, we’re restoring the names of bases, as we’ve done across the country, because we’re proud of our history, as difficult as it may have been in some chapters. We’re gonna teach it, we’re gonna live it, and we’re gonna fight for it.”

 – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Amen to that. Let’s hope that the Arlington monument and the Albert Pike statue are not the last statues to make a comeback, but rather just the beginning of a dramatic reversal.

Source: Fox News

bookmark_borderThe best $10 million ever spent…

Posted on by Marissa

I fully agree with this post by Dixie Forever stating that the financial cost of restoring the Confederate Monument at Arlington National Cemetery – estimated at $10 million according to an article by the Associated Press – will be worth it. Dixie Forever suggests using the money to fully clean and restore the memorial itself, as well as adding flag poles, historically accurate explanatory plaques, and perhaps even improvements to the surrounding street and its sign.

I also agree with the following sentiments expressed in the post, which I believe are a quote from Virginia Lt. Governor candidate John Reid:

“No matter how one feels about the north or the south or the civil war- we all used to leave dead people and cemeteries alone. The fact that Democrats couldn’t control their hate for dead people and their inclination to be dictators in the modern era is gross and telling.”
 
Exactly.
 
Before the past few years, the continued existence of statues and monuments – and particularly ones located in cemeteries – was not a political issue. It was not up for debate. It was unanimously accepted, regardless of one’s political beliefs and regardless of one’s opinions about the historical figure(s) in question. Removing statues was simply not a thing. It was not a thing that anyone did; it was not a thing that anyone proposed or supported or advocated or argued in favor of; it was not a thing that anyone even considered doing. It was simply accepted that if a statue or monument was put up, then it is up. It exists. Permanently. Period. Full stop. And that is the way it should be. The phenomenon of removing statues is a recent invention. And I am not exaggerating when I say that it is an abomination. Statues are not supposed to be removed. It is simply not the way the world is supposed to work.
 
Indeed, we all used to leave dead people and cemeteries alone. And the fact that we stopped doing so is the most atrocious, the most reprehensible, the most despicable, the most horrifying, and the most immoral thing that has ever happened in the history of the world.
 
To hate dead people demonstrates complete moral bankruptcy. Dead people pose no threat. They are powerless. They cannot hurt you in any way. To destroy their statues and monuments is the epitome of cruelty. It is the epitome of punching down. It is the epitome of a bully beating up on an underdog. To call this behavior gross is an understatement. 

bookmark_borderFantastic news re: Arlington National Cemetery!

Posted on by Marissa

Another piece of excellent news regarding statues: the Confederate monument at Arlington National Cemetery will be put back up! 

Last night, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued the following statement:

“I’m proud to announce that Moses Ezekiel’s beautiful and historic sculpture — often referred to as ‘The Reconciliation Monument’ – will be rightfully returned to Arlington National Cemetery near his burial site. It never should have been taken down by woke lemmings. Unlike the Left, we don’t believe in erasing American history – we honor it.”

What happened at Arlington National Cemetery in December of 2023 was one of the absolute worst atrocities committed as part of the statue genocide. Proponents of the genocide frequently argue that statues of unpopular historical figures do not belong in public parks or city squares, and that it is more appropriate for them to be located at museums, battlefields, or cemeteries. But this statue was located in a cemetery, marking soldiers’ graves, and people still demanded that it be removed. 

Now, this wrong will be righted. This atrocity will be undone. Just as with the Albert Pike statue that I posted about yesterday, on this monument, the bullies have lost. The trauma inflicted by the statue genocide will never fully heal, and most likely the majority of these sickening instances of destruction will never be reversed. But two particularly despicable instances will actually be reversed, if everything goes according to plan. And that is something that, a year ago, I did not think possible. Things like this are exactly why I voted for Donald Trump. I am thrilled by this amazing news. Hallelujah! 

Here are some links to posts and coverage:

bookmark_border“Hell, yeah! Let’s put up statues of Hitler and Putin!”

Posted on by Marissa

Yup, let’s only allow statues that you personally like to exist!

Let’s only allow statues that reflect the views, perspectives, and stories of the majority! Clearly, that’s what it means to be diverse and inclusive!

Also, restoring a statue that was removed is totally the same thing as building a new statue!

Sounds logical.

Not. 

Plus, what would be wrong with putting up statues of Hitler and Putin, anyways? Hitler and Putin are historical figures (the latter is still alive, so maybe not technically a historical figure yet) that both you and the majority of people happen not to like.
But how well-liked or popular a person is, has nothing to do with whether they are good or bad.

You consider your own personal dislike of a historical figure as obvious proof that it would be ridiculous to put up a statue of them. In other words, you act as if your own personal likes and dislikes are the sole determinant of goodness and badness, and you treat this as obviously true. When in reality, this isn’t true at all, let alone obviously so. Your personal likes and dislikes might match up perfectly with the majority’s, because you have no capacity for independent thought, but this doesn’t make them any more legitimate than anyone else’s. Minority views and perspectives are just as legitimate, and just as deserving of being reflected in statues and public art, as yours are. 

“Hell, yeah! Let’s put up statues of Hitler and Putin!”

Um, yeah. And that’s bad, how?

Translation: “Hell yeah! Let’s put up statues of people that I don’t like!”

As if it the existence of views and perspectives other than your own, is somehow ridiculous. As if it’s ridiculous for statues to exist that honor anyone but bland, mundane people that the majority approves of. Completely ignoring the fact that this not only defeats the entire purpose of statues but also creates a world in which life isn’t worth living. 

You think that you’re so smart, you think that you’ve somehow defeated the argument for restoring the memorial at Arlington National Cemetery with this purported “gotcha” comment. But your comment isn’t the hot take that you think it is. In reality, all that your comment demonstrates is your own mindless intolerance and moral bankruptcy. 

“Hell yeah! Let’s create a world in which everything that makes life worth living has been destroyed!”

Sounds really great.

Not.

bookmark_borderMilitary watchdog group STARRS speaks out against Arlington atrocity

Posted on by Marissa

The military watchdog group STARRS (Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services)

has published an article correctly condemning the atrocity that was committed at Arlington National Cemetery one year ago.

“Of all the woke agenda advanced by the Biden-Harris Defense Department, arguably the worst was the removal of the Reconciliation Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

In a little covered event, a massive crane was driven into Arlington National Cemetery at the end of Hanukkah and the process of dismantling a historic memorial, the brainchild of US President William McKinley (the last president to serve in the Civil War), from Section 16 was accomplished…

If hauling down a monument to veterans in cemetery isn’t bad enough, this particular Memorial was actually the headstone for the sculptor, Moses Ezekiel.  His brother got special approval to inter his brother at its base and it is has always been considered the headstone by the family.”

Read the rest here.

The article states of the Biden administration, “Their agenda was division, not unity.” I agree with that and would also add that their agenda was (and continues to be) the complete and utter obliteration from existence of every person who is different from the norm in any way. I am such a person, and that is why fighting back against atrocities such as the one committed at Arlington is so important to me.

bookmark_borderWise words from Arlington amicus brief

Posted on by Marissa

According to an email that I received from the organization Defend Arlington, several amicus briefs were recently filed in the litigation surrounding the atrocity that was committed at Arlington National Cemetery.

The organizations filing amicus briefs in support of reversing the despicable atrocity include the Foundation for Moral Law, the Society for the Preservation of Jewish Civil War History, the Virginia Council, Guardians of American History, Hood’s Texas Brigade, and Veterans Monuments of America.

I was struck by the following quote by the Foundation for Moral Law:

Sadly, the Reconciliation monument – erected in 1914 to reconcile and bring closure to harsh feelings about the War, and to honor those who fought bravely for their homes and families – is now being sacrificed on an altar of political correctness. Not only is Arlington National Cemetery being deprived of what is arguably its most impressive and beautiful work of art, but the relatives and survivors of those who are buried in that section of the Century are also being deprived of this Monument to their ancestors, all because someone thinks they should not have to be exposed to ideas with which they disagree.

I would go even further and argue that not only do the worshippers of political correctness believe that they should not have to be exposed to ideas with which they disagree; they believe that they should not have to be exposed to the existence of people that they dislike. The defining quality of political correctness (and “woke” ideology, which is a synonym for political correctness) is intolerance for people who are different. Believers in this ideology possess complete and utter intolerance for people who are different from them. Essentially, they believe that people who are different from them should not be allowed to exist. (Many people would say that I am exaggerating by claiming this, but I truly don’t think I am.) This is extremely ironic, given that this ideology purports to be all about diversity and inclusion. In reality, it is about the opposite: conformity, compliance, and obedience to authority.

The Virginia Council, for their part, argued that by committing the atrocity, the Department of Defense “frustrated national historic preservation policy and contributed to the proliferation of cancel culture.” That, I would argue, is an understatement.

If you are interested in supporting the organization fighting back against the Arlington atrocity, you can visit their website at DefendArlington.org. You can also view the press release about the amicus briefs here.

bookmark_borderThe atrocity at Arlington National Cemetery

Posted on by Marissa

It was 11:25 p.m. on Saturday, January 7. My goal was to go to bed by 11:30, so naturally, I figured that I had enough time to do one more relatively small task. I chose as my final task, the job of looking up something that I had seen on social media the day before and wished to blog about, taking a screenshot of said thing, and pasting said screenshot into a draft blog post so that I could easily bang out the blog post the next day, the screenshot of the subject matter already in place.

Naturally, I was unable to quickly find the social media post that I was looking for. So I continued scrolling and scrolling, looking for it. In the process, I discovered that the U.S. government had decided to remove the Confederate monument at Arlington National Cemetery, something that pains me to have to type. I had known that this was under consideration, but hadn’t known that the decision to go ahead with this atrocity and moral abomination had already been made.

Making matters worse, this decision had taken place on December 29, ten entire days before I found out about it. 

Immediately upon learning this information, my entire body, mind, and soul erupted in excruciating and unbearable agony. To say that I don’t get the reasoning behind this decision, and the countless others like it in all different places around the country, would be an understatement. It is difficult to imagine a future for myself in a society that has decided that it would somehow be a good idea to systematically obliterate everything that makes my life worth living. Arlington National Cemetery, like so many other places and things, has been turned into yet another instrument to hurt me, to oppress me, and to declare my feelings, thoughts, and perspective invalid. Arlington National Cemetery has been redesigned and reconfigured to send the message that everyone deserves to be honored, except for people like me. Yet another thing, which used to be (and ought to be) beautiful, magnificent, and cool, now deliberately ruined. As I’ve written before, I don’t believe there are words available in any language that are capable of fully expressing the severity of this pain. 

Thinking about the events of Saturday night, I am simultaneously mad at myself for making the decision to look at social media at such a late hour (an activity that I am trying to cut back on), and also mad at myself for not having found out about the atrocity sooner. I felt derelict and irresponsible for not keeping up with the latest developments on a topic that is so important to me and affects me so deeply. I suppose this relates to the philosophical question of whether it is better to know the truth, even though it makes one unhappy, or to remain ignorant and also happy. Would it really be beneficial for me to be shielded from these horrible things via cutting down on my social media use, given that these things are, in reality, happening? Is happiness truly valuable if it is based on an inaccurate perception of what is actually happening in the world? 

By the way, after an hour of searching, I never found the post that I was looking for.

I also, as you might imagine, got very little sleep, so my brain was in no shape for blogging on Sunday anyways.

I’m not 100% sure why I am sharing this, other than to make it clear that the systematic obliteration of statues and monuments honoring the Confederacy causes real pain and inflicts real harm on real people. I am a human being, my feelings, thoughts, and perspective are just as valid as anyone else’s, and I do not deserve to be made to feel like this. I wish that Ty Seidule, the government official who made this despicable decision, could be made to feel what I am feeling as a result of his actions. I wish that he could truly understand what I am experiencing, and truly understand the impact, the real human costs, of what he did. I am certain that if this were possible, government officials would make different decisions than the ones they are currently making.

Actions and decisions like the one regarding Arlington National Cemetery are morally wrong, and the people who make them and carry them out do not hold the moral high ground.