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.
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.