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Should confederate monuments be removed?
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Confederate monuments are a representation of slavery

Slavery was a horrible time in history. It was a time where people were abused and deprived of their human rights.

The Argument

Confederate monuments represent and celebrate slavery. In the south, slavery was a way of life that gave provision for plantations. However, slaves were property and were often abused.[1] They didn’t have the right to read or write, and they could be sold no matter what age or what family they would leave behind, leading to intense heartbreak. During the Civil War, the northern states (the Union) fought the southern states (the Confederates) for the rights of enslaved individuals and to unite the States again.[2] Thankfully, by the end of the war, slavery was illegal. Leaving behind the remnants of a bitter past rooted in abuse and pain is a slap in the face of the human rights America strives for today.

Counter arguments

Slavery is unconstitutional and the monuments aren’t going to spur people to try and make people slaves in America again. They pose no harm. They should be looked as part of our history no matter how painful it is.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Confederate monuments represent slavery. [P2] We should not allow monuments that celebrate such a dark period in American history.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] Slavery is part of American history, like it or not. Getting rid of monuments will not change this.

References

  1. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery
  2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Civil-War-Why-They-Fought-The-1793303
This page was last edited on Tuesday, 17 Mar 2020 at 12:03 UTC

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