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Since Forrest wasn't the founder of the Klan, and left them, and never had anything to do with them again, and after he left he persued reconcilliation.
Talk about disrespecting the dead.
Still was a member of the KKK, can't erase that part of his history, but you can erase him from history.
No progressive city wants a person like Forrest on their front door. Nashville has the same statue near the freeway. They need to get over the Confederate stuff that is divisive and move forward.
I am a proud Southerner, and I find my family history very interesting - lots of Confederate soldiers and officers. Heck, I even had a great great great great great grandmother and grandfather who were Civil war medics together and traveled all over the south attending to the injured after battles. I also have a good number of Revolutionary War veterans in my family tree. And slave owners, for that matter, though most of my ancestors never owned slaves. And renegades, outlaws, veterans of the Battle of Goliad - and Jesse James!
It's interesting history, but it's history made by imperfect, flawed humans who fought for a variety of reasons - some honorable and some less than honorable. But regardless - it's the PAST. I learn from it - and move forward.
My ancestors may have carried the Confederate flag proudly - and bravely, but the truth of the matter is that I live in the 21st century American South - and that means that I share this beautiful land with many African American people whose ancestors were mistreated by slavery. The Confederate flag simply DOES NOT REPRESENT the same things to them as it does to me (most of my family members who fought for the Confederacy never owned a slave in their lives - they were fighting for states' rights). To my fellow AA neighbors, the Confederacy represents oppression.
If I don't acknowledge this fact OBJECTIVELY, then I am guilty of disrespect. How can I DEMAND that they respect my heritage, when I don't respect theirs?
I am free to name my children Forrest if I want to, fly the rebel flag from my front porch, teach my children whatever I choose about the War Between The States, but I do not have the right to insist that African American neighbors put up with public parks, schools, etc - supported by tax dollars - that are named for KKK Grand Imperial Wizards, and others who oppressed their rights and considered them as 3/5 of a human. (By the way, "others" would include Abraham Lincoln, but that's a story for another day.)
Time to move forward. I commend the city of Memphis for changing these names. I would NOT approve of dismantling statues that honored Civil War veterans, however. In my opinion, THAT would be revisionist history. Add a statue to honor Civil Rights leaders - oh, wait, there's already a very well received memorial to MLK, Jr in Memphis. Check!
It is important to learn from our history. One reason we should learn from our history is so that we don't repeat certain things in our history. It is important that we don't become so divided as to literally break apart as a nation.
While we all have the right to free speech, it is important to realize there are certain considerations that need to be made. We have to think about what we are putting up, and what kind of message we are sending.
The times are moving on. While some things have remained the same, it doesn't mean we can't making changes for the better.
All statues will be replaced for one of dear leader soon to the fawning cheers of the swooners. Hopefully one day we rise up and yank em down like the Iraqi's did to the statue of sadaam. I also hope we do it before sitting around watching our fellow citizens herded off and slaughtered hoping somebody will come and do it for us. Yes if you don't know history it will be repeated. That is why the "transformation" of America is at hand. It was all evil before the great messiah obama came into power. Many comparisons can be made to nazi germany with what is happening in the US today. Look at the eyes of the swooners mesmerized at the sight of dear leader and look at how folks looked at Hitler as he rose to power. Quite scary indeed. Useful idiots abound.
Everything. If the city fails to improve its image, it will not attract any more corps than it has, and fare no better than Mississippi, among the nation's longest running lagging economies.
Corps do not relocate to cities clinging to a backwoods, racist past.
So Memphis has a choice, accept perpetual poverty with their Forrest namesakes, or attempt to enter the 21st century, and leave the 19th behind. They wisely chose the latter path.
Corporations don't give a crap. Money talks. Charleston, SC didn't do anything to change its civil war past and I am willing to bet its gotten ALOT more money from outside companies moving in.
Corporations don't give a crap. Money talks. Charleston, SC didn't do anything to change its civil war past and I am willing to bet its gotten ALOT more money from outside companies moving in.
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Are there any parks or monuments in Charleston dedicated or named after Nathan Bedford Forrest?
A Ku Klux Klan leader named Edward, who goes by the title “KKK Exalted Cyclops,” is promising the “largest” rally in Memphis history after the city decided to remove Confederate names from three parks.
It should be good for a temporary boost in sales tax reveunes for Memphis, provided the clean up does not cost more.
A Ku Klux Klan leader named Edward, who goes by the title “KKK Exalted Cyclops,” is promising the “largest” rally in Memphis history after the city decided to remove Confederate names from three parks.
In an 9-0 vote on Tuesday night, the Memphis City Council approved temporary names for three Confederate-themed parks. Forest Park will become “Health Sciences Park,” Confederate Park will be called “Memphis Park” and Jefferson Davis Park will get the name “Mississippi River Park.”
I was wondering why they thought they needed to go thru the trouble and expense of giving them goofy generic names? The name Forest Park seemed harmless enough. Then I looked up person the park was named after, Nathan Bedford Forrest, and now I know why they wanted to rename that.
Changing the names of the other two parks seems like a waste of money and needless aggravation to me. do they think they can erase the Confederacy and sanitize their state history by changing the name of a park?
I am a proud Southerner, and I find my family history very interesting - lots of Confederate soldiers and officers. Heck, I even had a great great great great great grandmother and grandfather who were Civil war medics together and traveled all over the south attending to the injured after battles. I also have a good number of Revolutionary War veterans in my family tree. And slave owners, for that matter, though most of my ancestors never owned slaves. And renegades, outlaws, veterans of the Battle of Goliad - and Jesse James!
It's interesting history, but it's history made by imperfect, flawed humans who fought for a variety of reasons - some honorable and some less than honorable. But regardless - it's the PAST. I learn from it - and move forward.
My ancestors may have carried the Confederate flag proudly - and bravely, but the truth of the matter is that I live in the 21st century American South - and that means that I share this beautiful land with many African American people whose ancestors were mistreated by slavery. The Confederate flag simply DOES NOT REPRESENT the same things to them as it does to me (most of my family members who fought for the Confederacy never owned a slave in their lives - they were fighting for states' rights). To my fellow AA neighbors, the Confederacy represents oppression.
If I don't acknowledge this fact OBJECTIVELY, then I am guilty of disrespect. How can I DEMAND that they respect my heritage, when I don't respect theirs?
I am free to name my children Forrest if I want to, fly the rebel flag from my front porch, teach my children whatever I choose about the War Between The States, but I do not have the right to insist that African American neighbors put up with public parks, schools, etc - supported by tax dollars - that are named for KKK Grand Imperial Wizards, and others who oppressed their rights and considered them as 3/5 of a human. (By the way, "others" would include Abraham Lincoln, but that's a story for another day.)
Time to move forward. I commend the city of Memphis for changing these names. I would NOT approve of dismantling statues that honored Civil War veterans, however. In my opinion, THAT would be revisionist history. Add a statue to honor Civil Rights leaders - oh, wait, there's already a very well received memorial to MLK, Jr in Memphis. Check!
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