House Republicans want to prevent the Pentagon from removing a Confederate memorial from “America’s most sacred shrine,” Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia led a group of more than 40 GOP colleagues in calling for the Department of Defense to halt the planned removal of the Reconciliation Monument, also known as the Confederate Memorial, “until Congress completes the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations process.”
In a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the GOP lawmakers said the monument’s removal “does not align with the original intent of Congress.”
Yeah, I try to bring this up anytime state’s rights are brought up by Confederate supporters, because I think we concede too quickly on that point. But I understand the confusion, because online, there’s a lot of “well, aktshually slaves learned trades” bullshit, especially right now. I could probably help myself by whittling down the argument to a shorter, clearer purpose statement. Something like “Confederates were even bigger shitheels than you think!” It’s a nuanced issue that doesn’t make a practical difference for most people, though.