Why Are We Not Removing All Things Related To Robert “KKK” Byrd?

by William Teach | June 25, 2015 7:10 am

The “National Conversation” has now spread out from just the Confederate Flag

(Fox News[1]) The debate over the rebel flag that began anew after last week’s church shootings in Charleston, S.C., has morphed into a full-blown Confederate controversy.

While Stars and Bars have long been associated by many with slavery, the latest campaign to remove Confederate emblems has extended beyond the flag to statues, memorials, parks and even school mascots. Never has the debate over what symbolizes heritage and what stands for hate covered so much ground, as efforts to strip icons that have been part of the visual and cultural landscape of the South for decades are afoot at national, state and local levels.

In one Arkansas town, the school board voted unanimously Tuesday to ban the song “Dixie” for the next school year and phase out “Rebel,” the school’s mascot.

Harry Reid linked the Charleston shooting with gun control and the flag. What about renaming the UNLV Running Rebels in his home state of Nevada? Yes, it has a link to the Confederacy, not through action, as Nevada had no part in the Civil War or the Confederacy, but, simply a cool name.

In Maryland, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamentz is pushing a plan that would change the name of Baltimore’s Robert E. Lee Park. A spokesman for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake told The Associated Press she supports the name change and is willing to work with the county to find an appropriate alternative.

Baltimore has more important things to worry about, like crime, murder, violence, mobs, declining property values, tax base, and education, and so much more, but, hey, why not.

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Tennessee have called for a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader, to be removed from an alcove outside the Senate chambers. The bust, with the words “Confederate States Army” engraved on it, has been at the state Capitol for decades.

A group of Kentucky officials, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, want to kick a statute of Confederate leader Jefferson Davis out of the state Capitol rotunda, and activists in Minnesota have demanded a lake named after John C. Calhoun, a senator and vice president from South Carolina who supported slavery, be re-christened.

Should we remove George Washington and Thomas Jefferson from Mount Rushmore? How about all statues, streets, monuments, and references to the two? Despite being opposed to slavery, they had been slave owners at one time.

Better yet, why are we not calling for the removal of all things named after Robert “KKK” Byrd (Democrat), as well as any and all statues? The man was an actual high ranking member of the KKK. Fire Andrea Mitchell[2] notes

What’s more offensive? A KKK Grand Kleagle like Democrat Robert Byrd, or a Confederate flag that was on top of the General Lee in the Dukes of Hazzard? Andrew Wilkow[3] has started a petition at change.org to have Robert Byrd from the public space, road ways and government buildings (including schools). The petition to get rid of Robert Byrd from public spaces has been up less than an hour at the time of this post and already has over 100 signatures.

Byrd made many racist pronouncements[4]. He was a virulent racist. Let’s remove all references to him.

How about John F. Kennedy? He voted against the 1957 Civil Rights Act. He refused to send in federal troops to enforce desegregation. He has a mixed record on civil rights, but, hey, it’s the bad things that count. We should remove all statues and such in his name. Hey, get rid of the eternal flame and memorial[5] to this raaaaacist.

Kevin D. Williamson wrote about officially having reached peak leftism[6]. I disagreed

https://twitter.com/WilliamTeach/status/613859073654714368

It’ll never end. They always want more more more. It started with a shooting, and rather than focusing on the racist murderer, they focused on a flag, with help from some Republicans. Then they move to other related notions. Then bring in other things. It’s always something. Give an inch, they take a mile. It never stops. Till they realize that their peak leftism actually harms them in their own lives.

They are coming after the American Flag[7]. Gone With The Wind[8]. Aunt Jemima pancakes[9] and syrup, Uncle Ben’s Rice, Chiquita Bananas’ Miss Chiquita, the ice cream truck song, and The Washington Redskins

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove[10]. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach[11].

Endnotes:
  1. Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/24/debate-over-rebel-flag-widens-to-include-all-symbols-confederacy/?intcmp=latestnews
  2. Fire Andrea Mitchell: http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2015/06/24/remove-kkk-grand-kleagle-robert-byrd-from-public-space/
  3. Andrew Wilkow: https://www.change.org/p/west-virginia-governor-to-remove-the-name-of-the-late-senator-and-ku-klux-klan-member-robert-byrd-from-the-public-space-road-ways-and-government-buildings-including-schools?just_created=true
  4. racist pronouncements: http://www.frumforum.com/remembering-robert-byrds-racism/
  5. eternal flame and memorial: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore-the-Cemetery/Monuments-and-Memorials/President-John-F-Kennedy-Gravesite
  6. officially having reached peak leftism: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/420211/left-activist-peak-kevin-d-williamson
  7. American Flag: http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/06/24/farrakhan-i-dont-get-debate-over-confederate-flag-we-need-to-put-the-american-flag-down/
  8. Gone With The Wind: http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2015/06/24/confederate-frenzy-film-critic-calls-for-banning-of-gone-with-the-wind/
  9. Aunt Jemima pancakes: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/racially-insensitive-article-1.2270225
  10. Pirate’s Cove: http://www.thepiratescove.us/
  11. @WilliamTeach: http://twitter.com/WilliamTeach

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