Civil War Statues?

[Kevin]

I can think of no other examples of the victorious country erecting monuments to the leaders of those who were defeated.

I think Lee's take on it was prescient considering the fact that these monuments are now viewed by white supremacists as important symbols of their cause. His words on the subject:

“My conviction is, that however grateful it would be to the feelings of the South, the attempt in the present condition of the Country, would have the effect of retarding, instead of accelerating its accomplishment; & of continuing, if not adding to, the difficulties under which the Southern people labour.”

On another occasion, when asked to appear at a dedication at Gettysburg, he wrote:

Engagements will not permit me to be present. Wiser … not to keep open the sores of war but to follow the examples of those nations who endeavored to obliterate the marks of civil strife, to commit to oblivion the feelings engendered.”

And really, we're not talking about monuments to the men who died, although some are of men who died. We're talking about the butchers who sent young, mostly poor men to fight for the right of rich men to own other people. Also, it's quite arguable that these statues were erected not to honor the dead but to be public, outward signs as to who is in charge, i.e., you may have defeated us on the battlefield, Yankees, but we're going to build statues to our dead heroes and there's nothing you can do about it. Now power dynamics in those communities have shifted and in many places, the public no longer wishes to be reminded of a past that no one is proud of... well some are proud of. I'm sure a bit of taking these statues down is also that those who are now in control can manifest their power by tearing down the monuments to dead traitors.

I suppose if you wanted to put the Vietnam War Memorial in Vietnam, you might have a similarish situation, but I don't think the context would really be all that comparable even then.