Brands' example of Sidney Lanier High School in Austin having its name changed because Lanier had served in the Confederate army in his youth is a good example of political correctness running amok. It's the American equivalent of damnatio memoriae in Roman times. I once asked a professor the following: If we're going to remove Confederate statues and rename schools, what about George Washington? Her answer was to ask what a historical figure is known for. We revere Washington as the founder of our country, not as a slaveowner. Well, we remember Sidney Lanier as a poet, not as a soldier of the South. I wish the statue removers and name-changers would at least be consistent.
Judgementalism is so deeply entrenched on the left that I feel that many of its adherents don’t even realize that there are other ways of viewing history. Arguing against this pernicious and self-righteous way of looking at the past is essential.
A willing suspension of judgment . . .
Brands' example of Sidney Lanier High School in Austin having its name changed because Lanier had served in the Confederate army in his youth is a good example of political correctness running amok. It's the American equivalent of damnatio memoriae in Roman times. I once asked a professor the following: If we're going to remove Confederate statues and rename schools, what about George Washington? Her answer was to ask what a historical figure is known for. We revere Washington as the founder of our country, not as a slaveowner. Well, we remember Sidney Lanier as a poet, not as a soldier of the South. I wish the statue removers and name-changers would at least be consistent.
Fantastic! This is in fact the core principle of my humble podcast.
Judgementalism is so deeply entrenched on the left that I feel that many of its adherents don’t even realize that there are other ways of viewing history. Arguing against this pernicious and self-righteous way of looking at the past is essential.