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To tear down Andrew Jackson’s statue would be a terrible misunderstanding of our nation’s history.
Let us recognize that Andrew Jackson was not perfect. In fact, he was at the center of the two original sins of this country – slavery and the treatment of Native Americans.
But if we're looking for perfection, we're not likely to find it in American history or the history of almost any country or in human nature.
What do we do about Thomas Jefferson, who only freed those slaves that he fathered with his slave mistress? What we do about George Washington and Mount Vernon, and the slaves that he owned?
What about Franklin D. Roosevelt and his internment of Japanese-Americans in camps during World War Two?
Do we pretend America didn't exist during that history when decisions were made that we would not make today or we would not approve of today – some of which would be abhorrent today?
Do we try to burn down all the monuments – burn down Mount Vernon, burn down the Jefferson Memorial? Do we try to erase all that from our history?
That's not what we should do.
That's not what we should do.
Here's what I think we should do.
Number one, recognize that it's always appropriate to review the places that we have named or the monuments that we've put up in the context of today's times.
Number one, recognize that it's always appropriate to review the places that we have named or the monuments that we've put up in the context of today's times.
Number two, with a history that includes mistakes we today abhor, we should try to learn from those mistakes and build a better future.
In his first inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln appealed to the better angels of our nature.
If there are better angels of our nature, I guess that means there must be worse angels in us as well.
Our goal is to bring out the best in us, which does not mean ignore the worst.
If there are better angels of our nature, I guess that means there must be worse angels in us as well.
Our goal is to bring out the best in us, which does not mean ignore the worst.
We need to be honest about our weaknesses. We need to be proud of our strengths.
We need to learn from both to create a better future for the United States of America.
We need to learn from both to create a better future for the United States of America.
