new orleans is one of the important towns of southern United States.It has been the scene of a agitation by two groups for and against removal of 4 statues that represent the Confederate past of the city. More than 700 demonstrators mostly white agitated against the removal of Confederate statues, that have been part of the city for over a 100 years. 3 persons were arrested on charges of disturbing the peace.
The city has a long association with the confederates, who attempted to break away from America during the 1861- 65 civil war.150 years down the line some monuments that commemorate White Supremacy in the region are to be removed.
This has generated tension between the whites and the blacks. The blacks want the symbols of white racism to be removed while many whites feel that removal of the symbols serves no purpose.
At the root of the problem are 4 statutes. The first has been removed and the other three are slated to be removed soon.
Mayor's order
The mayor has ordered the removal of the 4 monuments which are to be relocated. This was after a City Council approval voting of 6 to 1. Among the statues is one of generally Lee who was an important Confederate general during the Civil War. After the removal of the first statue work on removal of the other three has been stalled, as the whites have mounted an agitation against their removal.
The blacks, on the other hand, feel that this is a symbol of slavery and need to be removed. The question has got enmeshed into racial overtones and facts of history have taken a backseat. As much as one empathizes with blacks it is difficult to understand how the removal of the statues will anyway alter the facts of history.
In particular, the sculptor of general Lee, at the popular Lee circle has overlooked the city since 1884 and is an important landmark since that time
New Orleans
New Orleans has had a strong Confederate past. Many famous monuments adorn the city. Among them, the famous memorial hall which opened in 1891 is the state's oldest museum.
It has the largest collection of exhibits including 140 flags and emblems of the Louisiana regiments.
Last word
Many whites are agitating against the removal of the statutes. There is a counter agitation by the Blacks for the removal of the statues. This has led to an explosive situation.
Businessman Frank Stewart, who represents the Monument Task Committee asked the mayor Mitch Landrieu a pointed question " I ask you, Mitch, should the Pyramids in Egypt be destroyed since they were built entirely by slave labor?"
