Statues and History: Preserve the Past, Look to the Future

When General Sherman marched his Union Army into Georgia in 1864, he was fighting for a worthy cause: to defeat the South and preserve the Union.

Today, there are people attacking the South by trying to tear down the memories of it.

In the wake of the riots in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacist and left-wing Antifa mobs, there has been an increasing level of pressure from liberals to tear down Confederate statues across the country. Unlike Sherman, they aren’t fighting for the United States; they’re trying to rewrite history.

I read James McPherson’s “Battle Cry of Freedom” for my Civil War history class in college. I know that the majority of soldiers fighting for the Confederacy weren’t fighting because they owned slaves. The men who made of the rank and file of the CSA Rebel forces were fighting for their families and self-government.

Statues are set in stone. They’re reminders of historical events that happened in our country’s history. Yet they face resistance based on false accusations about the sculptors’ intentions for making their creative work. 

A case in point is the "Charging Bull" statue in New York City created by artist Arturo Di Modica. By itself, "Charging Bull" is a symbol of American strength and determination. 

Yet when feminists decided to systematically place a "Fearless Girl" statue in front of "Charging Bull," they in effect used "Charging Bull" as a symbol of women's oppression.

As a result, Di Modica hated this defacement of his work. 

NBC News reported on April 13, 2017, that Di Modica claims the placement of "Fearless Girl" is copyright infringement because it destroys his original intention for his "Charging Bull" statue. 

Let me be clean: I'm not saying the "Fearless Girl" statue has to be torn down. Just move it somewhere else.

Like pictures and news articles, statues are forms of artistic expression protected by the Free Speech clause of the First Amendment. 

You have to look back into the past and understand the motives behind what people did based on the time period in which they lived in. That’s what historians do.

The people who created statues of Christopher Columbus, Confederate soldiers, or even Union soldiers didn’t create them as symbols of white supremacy or Southern oppression. Those statues stand as living memorials for the men and women who served on both sides of the Civil War.

The United States of America is the greatest country in the world because of the Union victory. We should remember the men who died in that war on both sides as Americans, not white supremacists or anarchists. President Lincoln didn’t. 

Four movies and people that deserve Oscar wins in 2018

2018 is almost upon us, and in that time we've seen amazing performances by actors and great movies so far in 2017. But which ones will take home a golden Academy Award?

Regardless of what you think of the Oscars, there’s a difference when it comes to what audiences believe makes a good film and Hollywood’s standards. We all know Hollywood falls into “La La Land” territory when it comes to selecting Oscars and getting them wrong.

Taking an outsider approach to the Academy Awards, here are four movies and people that deserve Oscar wins in 2018.

1) Hugh Jackman in "Logan (2017)" - Best Actor

Despite the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it's great actors and storytelling, Hollywood as a whole is biased against superhero movies when it comes to Oscar nominations. When was the last time you saw an actor win Best Actor for starring in a superhero movie, aside from Heath Ledger as the Joker? If any actor deserves to win an Oscar for playing a superhero, it's Hugh Jackman. The man has played Logan/Wolverine for over 15 years and told Fox News that this film is very personal to him. Jackman’s commitment to Wolverine should earn him an Oscar nod.

2) “Logan (2017)” – Best Picture

The third film in the “Wolverine Trilogy” of 20th Century Fox’s “X-Men” franchise should be a finalist for the Best Picture. It sets a different tone than previous superhero films and has Hugh Jackman play an older and battle-scarred Wolverine. Instead of focusing solely on action or mindless explosions, the characters are at the center of this film. “Logan” has a good chance to be the first live-action superhero feature film to receive a Best Picture win.

3) Christopher Nolan, "Dunkirk (2017)" – Best Director

An acclaimed filmmaker, Christopher Nolan proves himself to be a master of cinema with his latest outing. He sought to recreate the historical event of WWII where Allied soldiers struggled desperately trying to get to England in order to escape the Nazis (long before America got involved in the war). Unless Hollywood listens to historically-inaccurate critics who condemned Nolan’s film for not using minorities and more women in the movie, Nolan should be a strong contender for Best Director.

4) Matt Reeves and Mark Bomback, "War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)" - Best Screenplay

Like superhero movies, science fiction films fall under the ire of Hollywood but resonate with viewers. This latest film in the “Planet of the Apes” reboot series continues to add heart and a good story for audiences. Thanks to a screenplay by Matt Reeves and Mark Bomback, the film manages to portray the apes as sympathetic characters and not portray all humans (including the soldiers) as evil. It therefore earns a shot at an Oscar win.

Bergdahl: A disgrace to U.S. Military character and justice

Being a coward and a deserter isn't a punishable offense.

That's the message the courts have ruled in the case of Bowe Bergdahl. 

Bergdahl, a U.S. Army sergeant who abandoned his post in June 2009 and subsequently got captured by the Taliban, will not serve jail time for his crimes. 

Today, November 3, a military judge, Army Col. Jeffrey R. Nance, sentenced Bergdahl to a dishonorable discharge, demotion in rank, and forfeiture of his military pay for 10 months. 

Bergdahl had pleaded guilty to desertion and endangering his American comrades. He could have served up to life in prison or faced the death penalty. 

Bergdahl's actions resulted in at least three soldiers receiving serious wounds on missions trying to rescue him, and several others getting killed looking for his sorry hide. 

Apparently the higher ups within the United States Army are a bunch of snowflakes who care nothing about discouraging further cowards in the Army's ranks from cowardice while on duty. 

Yet Bergdahl's case is an example of how far the U.S. Military has fallen from the high standard it's held during World War II. 

This shows that when it comes to the standards and qualifications of the men and women who want to join the U.S. Military, the Army will accept anyone. Not those best qualified to lead other soldiers as officers or go fight for their country. 

What can you expect when former President Obama pardoned a transgender Army soldier who sold their country and their soul by sending thousands of top secret U.S. documents to WikiLeaks? Or when Obama traded five high-ranking Taliban officials in Gitmo Bay in exchange for Bergdahl?

The United States Armed Forces should recruit men and women of courage, confidence, and high moral integrity into their ranks. Bergdahl embodies none of those qualities.

Bergdahl converted to Radical Islam during his captivity and earlier in October said the Taliban is more honest than the U.S. Military. Clearly, Bergdahl is a traitor who cares nothing about those American soldiers who put their lives on the line for him.

Colonel Nance prefers to align himself with cowards like Bergdahl over the soldiers who actually serve this country everyday. If he did care about those soldiers' lives, he would have sent Bergdahl to prison. He's saying that Bergdahl's life is more important than the lives of American soldiers or morals in the Army. His actions dishonor those who fought and died going after Bergdahl. 

The Catholic Church celebrates November 2 as the Feast Day of All Souls, where the faithful remember the souls of those who have died. Let's remember the souls of our loved ones and of those brave men and women who gave their lives fighting for our country. Like the soldiers who were put in danger looking for the coward Bergdahl, they will be greatly remembered for their heroism and.