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Democrats’ Statue Toppling Is A Dress Rehearsal For Going After Actual People
The Federalist ^ | 01/09/2024 | John Daniel Davidson

Posted on 01/09/2024 10:15:26 AM PST by SeekAndFind

It’s time to stop debating history and facts with people who only care about the exercise of raw political power.

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The news that the Biden administration planned to remove a statue of William Penn in a federal park in Philadelphia that commemorates the founding of Pennsylvania, and that the purpose of the removal was to “provide a more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience for visitors,” should at this point not come as a surprise.

Once the removals and destruction of Confederate statues and memorials began a few years ago, it was inevitable that all historical figures from America’s past, even those with no connection to the Confederacy, would be subject to removal or destruction or erasure.

Why? Because the removal of statues and memorials by radical Democrats has never been about the past, it’s always been about the raw exercise of political power and the assertion of tyranny over a free people in the here and now. This has been true of commie revolutionaries for a long time now. Simply put, what they do to statues is what they plan to do to their political enemies. It starts with statues and books, and eventually ends with people.

It hardly matters that Monday evening, amid the public outrage that ensued when news of the Penn statue broke, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that he had intervened and that the statue would remain where it is. Shapiro is a Democrat, so his effort to stop this is perhaps a sign that Dems are beginning to sense the radicals among them have gone too far in their cultural warfare against the rest of the country.

But I wouldn’t count on it. The fact that the National Park Service planned to do this as part of a “rehabilitation” of Philly’s Welcome Park (named for the ship, Welcome, which Penn took to Philadelphia in 1682) that envisioned an “expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia” tells you the bureaucrats at NPS think the Penn statue’s presence in the park is a problem, somehow offensive because William Penn was a white man.

It doesn’t matter that the same year he arrived, Penn signed a treaty with the Lenape (or Delaware) people that lasted 75 years, or that he went to great lengths to ensure the native people were treated well and paid fairly for their land. It doesn’t matter that Penn’s entire purpose in coming to America was to establish a Quaker colony for religious freedom that also guaranteed things like free and fair trial by jury, free elections, and other fundamental rights that would later make their way into the U.S. Bill of Rights.

In the context of the debate about statues and memorials, talking about all that is a waste of time. None of this has anything to do with actual American history and everything to do with politics and power in the present. I have been defending Confederate monuments for nearly a decade, ever since a staffer at The New Republic decided the 150th anniversary of Appomattox was the perfect occasion to argue for the desecration of Confederate grave markers in national cemeteries. I have explained the history of Confederate statuary in great detail, gone through the historical debates and deliberations that led to their creation, and argued ad nauseam for the preservation of these physical markers of our shared past.

A little over two years ago, I wrote a lengthy piece about the Confederate memorial in Arlington National Cemetery and why it should be left in peace. I went into some detail explaining how the memorial came to be there, how President William McKinley, a decorated Union veteran who saw combat at Antietam and in the Shenandoah Valley, first conceived of the idea and inspired other Union vets to join the effort. Last month, the Biden administration dismantled and removed it.

So I’m not doing that anymore. From the moment the first essay was written calling for the toppling of Robert E. Lee’s likenesses, or the exhumation of Nathan Bedford Forrest’s bones, it was inevitable that these Democrat revolutionaries would soon move on to other historical figures — as indeed they did. And when we saw the first images of a Black Lives Matter mob in the summer of 2020 pulling down random statues and defacing them with a mixture of glee and rage, it was clear enough that they would eventually move on to actual people.

Arguing about history with these people is pointless because they don’t care about historical realities or subtleties or facts, they only care about power. So this is my simple argument from now on for the statue question: No statues should come down, ever, for any reason. I don’t care if it’s a statue of Jefferson Davis waving a Confederate flag, leave it where it stands.

Why do I say this? Because once you grant the premise that there’s a problem with these statues, that they are somehow offensive or harmful, the contest is over and the radicals have won. And anyway, the premise itself is totally disingenuous. The last thing Democrats want right now is unity and peace among the American people. The idea that they genuinely believe toppling statues of historical figures from our nation’s past will bring people together is laughable and doesn’t deserve the dignity of a response.

At a time when President Joe Biden is openly campaigning for reelection by vilifying his political opposition as terrorists and insurrectionists, and trying with all his might to jail his chief political rival, former President Donald Trump, don’t try to tell me he cares about creating more inclusive public spaces, and that that’s why his administration is so keen to topple statues.

It’s not complicated. For Democrats, tearing down statues is a kind of dress rehearsal, not much different than book burning was for the Nazis. They want to erase their opponents from American public life, and if they can’t do it in an orderly and official way, they’ll use a mob.


John Daniel Davidson is a senior editor at The Federalist. His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Claremont Review of Books, The New York Post, and elsewhere. He is the author of the forthcoming book, Pagan America: the Decline of Christianity and the Dark Age to Come, to be published in March 2024.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: 2020; biden; cultural; culturalmarxism; delaware; democrats; godsgravesglyphs; him; history; indiantreaties; lenape; marxism; nps; pennsylvania; philadelphia; quakers; riots; robertelee; statue; summerofhate; toppling; waronart; waronstatues; welcomepark; williampenn
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1 posted on 01/09/2024 10:15:26 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

“Democrats’ Statue Toppling Is A Dress Rehearsal For Going After Actual People”

Yes (and it’s all Marxist inspired) just as “hate crimes” was intended from the start to devolve into criminal prosecution for “hate speech”.


2 posted on 01/09/2024 10:18:41 AM PST by Wuli
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To: SeekAndFind

Thanks Nikki...


3 posted on 01/09/2024 10:22:27 AM PST by bankwalker (Repeal the 19th ...)
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To: SeekAndFind
Democrats’ Statue Toppling Is A Dress Rehearsal For Going After Actual People

Yes it is, and it is both Marxist and Nazi in Origin.

4 posted on 01/09/2024 10:23:10 AM PST by Navy Patriot (Celebrate Decivilization)
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To: Navy Patriot

“Yes it is, and it is both Marxist and Nazi in Origin.”

And therefore of the extreme left. Only fools, those ignorant of history, or those who practice deception and disinformation say that Naziism, National Socialism, is an ideology of right. People often listen to what so-called experts say about such things without ever bothering to check primary sources.


5 posted on 01/09/2024 10:27:46 AM PST by Belteshazzar
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To: SeekAndFind

The democrats must be toppled for good


6 posted on 01/09/2024 10:36:58 AM PST by butlerweave
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To: SeekAndFind
Only if the statue isn't shaped like a human anus.
7 posted on 01/09/2024 10:38:30 AM PST by fwdude (.When unarmed Americans are locked up for protesting a stolen election, you know it was stolen.)
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To: SeekAndFind

DemoCRAPs indoctrinate students by teaching American history spun in the most negative way possible to undermine pride and loyalty to the nation. At the same time they only teach a positive view of “oppressed” groups like minorities and Native Americans while ignoring the negatives.


8 posted on 01/09/2024 10:38:30 AM PST by Brooklyn Attitude (I went to bed on November 3rd 2020 and woke up in 1984.)
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To: SeekAndFind

What goes around, comes around. I can’t wait for the first statue of Dorkbama, the Muslum eunuch quota liar. Get those wrecking balls and paint cans ready, baby.


9 posted on 01/09/2024 10:39:17 AM PST by Da Coyote
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To: SeekAndFind
[Democrats’ Statue Toppling Is A Dress Rehearsal For Going After Actual People]

Trust the Bible, folks. COVID-19(84) was but a dress rehearsal. Even if by accident, and I seriously doubt that it was.

Dividing people (still occurring), determining if you're "worthy" to work, Digital Passports, your cash "has COVID", restricting your travels and purchases.

3-1/2 years after the confirmation of 7 years of 'Peace and Security'.....




10 posted on 01/09/2024 10:48:48 AM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: Belteshazzar
Only fools, those ignorant of history, or those who practice deception and disinformation say that Nazism, National Socialism, is an ideology of right.

Absolutely Correct!


11 posted on 01/09/2024 10:49:08 AM PST by Navy Patriot (Celebrate Decivilization)
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To: SeekAndFind; lightman

......to “provide a more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience for visitors,”....

“Welcoming” and “inclusive” are the same weasel words used by the creeps that have been infecting our great universities, especially Harvard and MIT.

Remove Penny Pritzker from Harvard’s Board and Alumni Association!


12 posted on 01/09/2024 10:49:38 AM PST by Honorary Serb (Kosovo is Serbia! Free Srpska! Abolish ICTY!)
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To: All

It didn’t start with the removal of Confederate statues.

It started long before then.

In Minnesota, it started about 20+ years ago when mostly white liberals started complaining about high schools that had team names such as Indians, Warriors, etc.

It continued on with the renaming of geographical places (lakes, mountains, etc) that were deemed to be racist or at the very mimimu, insensitive.

The removal of Confederate statues was in place even before the George Floyd overdose. It was sporadic but was occurring in various places. It accelerated after that the Dems saw public opinion on their side and plus they never let a crisis go to waste to advance an agenda.


13 posted on 01/09/2024 10:50:26 AM PST by MplsSteve
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To: bankwalker

[Thanks Nikki...]

Exactly. Like Obama, she’s a foreigner at heart.

Their allegiances are not to this country at all.

Other than to stir up trouble.


14 posted on 01/09/2024 10:50:49 AM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: SeekAndFind

One flaw in their putative “argument”: statues don’t shoot back. I do.


15 posted on 01/09/2024 11:05:40 AM PST by Noumenon (You're not voting your way out of this. KTF)
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To: SeekAndFind

Democrats’ Statue Toppling Is A Dress Rehearsal For Going After Actual People

_______________________________________________

They’ve been doing this for years. I think we’re past the “dress rehearsal”.


16 posted on 01/09/2024 11:21:19 AM PST by Bishop_Malachi (Liberal Socialism - A philosophy which advocates spreading a low standard of living equally.)
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To: SeekAndFind

When the Taliban destroyed ancient statues in Afghanistan, most of the world recoiled in horror. Then the West proceeded to do the same to statues and markers for whites from the past in their countries.

When we let them remove the confederate flag because one racist asshole shot up a Church and killed people, we signed up for this erasure of our history.

Now they want to replace William Penn with markers for Indians (WHY?) and minorities, and white people be damned.

We allowed them to rename our military bases and the erasure continues. Soon, as whites stop being the majority in this country, the slaughter will begin in earnest. I am an old man and I will not live to see it, but it will surely be a bloodbath, because we failed to push back when this crap started.


17 posted on 01/09/2024 11:48:29 AM PST by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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To: SeekAndFind

So, the Shawnee and Delaware tribes are whining? How about some history!
French and Indian Wars, Conspiracy of Pontiac 1750s-1765

The Quaker Pennsylvania Legislature, in the 1760s was so pacifist and pro-Indian that the citizens had to pile their murdered family members in the doorway to force the Quaker legislators to walk over them, and finally call out the militia to protect the settlers from Indian attacks.

This was about the time the FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE MASSACRE took place in Pennsylvania, caused by Delaware Indians. Google The Enoch Brown Massacre of 1764.
https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/feature-articles/enoch-brown-massacre-unmatched

The Shawnees and others, after being moved to Oklahoma, made a great reputation by being SCALPHUNTERS, killing Apaches for Mexican Gold!

Google the name James Kirker, Scalphunter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Kirker

“In December 1839, Kirker was given a contract by the government of Chihuahua to fight Apaches. He was authorized to raise 200 men and would be paid for Apache prisoners.[3] The core group of his force was about 25 men, called “Sahuanos” (Shawnees) which included Anglos, Mexicans, escaped Black slaves and Shawnee, Delaware, and Creek Indians, including his second in command, a Shawnee named Spybuck.[4]”


18 posted on 01/09/2024 11:49:46 AM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: bankwalker

Yes that was the beginning of this erasure of our history. Notice how it is immigrants or their offspring who fail to uphold our history.


19 posted on 01/09/2024 11:49:48 AM PST by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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To: Da Coyote

And you would surely be charged with a HATE crime and thrown in prison for a long time. Just like the BLM flags painted on the street.


20 posted on 01/09/2024 11:51:22 AM PST by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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