Virginia GOP calls own lawmaker's comments on Confederate statues 'idiotic'

[RandySF]

A Republican state senator in Virginia known for courting controversy and who is running for governor in 2021 is facing backlash from members of her own party after she said that the removal of Confederate statues is an "overt effort to erase all white history."

Sen. Amanda Chase, whose majority-white district is just west of the capital, Richmond, made related comments in a fundraising email and a video shared Wednesday on Facebook live — a day before Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, announced that statues of Gen. Robert E. Lee and four other Confederate leaders along Richmond's Monument Avenue will be dismantled.

His decision came amid a longstanding debate about whether Confederate symbols should be taken down because they represent a racist legacy and a divided nation or if they have historical and cultural significance worth preserving. Following national unrest related to the death of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis, cities like Birmingham and Mobile in Alabama moved swiftly to remove such statues.

During a five-minute video on Facebook, Chase said Virginia's "Socialist Democrats" were making a mistake if they did something similar.

"There is an overt effort here to erase white history. That's what they're looking on doing," Chase said. "Listen, our grandfathers were guilty of slavery, and that is wrong. And I denounce that. I feel like slavery is wrong, it is evil. We should never own another human being. But that's not the only thing that Lee and others are known for. They did other things."


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/virginia-gop-calls-own-lawmaker-s-comments-confederate-statues-idiotic-n1225806?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma

[scarletwoman]

1. "But that's not the only thing that Lee and others are known for. They did other things."

Yes, like foment sedition and go to war against the U.S.A.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Lee Was A Butcher

Kidnapped free black men in the north & sent them south to slavery.
The casualty rate of his troops was far higher than Grant, and the lost causers call Grant the butcher.
Twice, this tactical "genius" sent troops into fortified, high ground positions with no hope of achieving the aim. Both times, that battalion was slaughtered.
He now only was no hero, he wasn't really that good a battlefield general.
His troops loved him? Yeah, mostly uneducated country boys that were lied to about the reasons for fighting.
And, they never mention the 10s of thousands under his command that died. I guess their likely opinion over being cannon fodder doesn't matter.

[Grins]

5. Yes. Took up arms against the United States.

Eff that guy. He is lucky he wasn’t hung.

[Grins]

6. Took up arms against the United States.

Should have been hung after the war.

[TeamPooka]

8. She's right. They were traitors and huge losers too. Complete military failure that Robert E. Lee.

[Goodheart]

9. They did OTHER things?

Then why do those statues always depict them in their CONFEDERATE uniforms?

[Dustlawyer]

2. There is a big difference here!

History is history, not statues. Statues were made to venerate famous heroes etc., but not for villains. These civil war generals were traitors to the United States of America. They tried to overthrow the government of this country and lost. They are the last people to deserve a statue.

Couple that with the daily visual reminder that black people see these damn things, people who wanted to keep them enslaved enshrined in our public places, it is unconscionable.

People arguing to keep them are the same ones that misrepresented Colin Kaepernick’s taking a knee during the anthem to protest police killing unarmed black men into disrespect for the flag, troops ...

[maxrandb]

4. I say let these Confederate Generals statues stand

but put a White Flag in their hands.

It's more historically accurate.

[Grins]

7. The poor Virginia GOP...

Learned nothing from the last time they ran an out n’ out racist, Corey Stewart. To quote their leader, “Sad.”

[Marrah_Goodman]

10. Those statues were all put up during the civil rights days

they were to simply snub their nose at those who wanted equality and a wink and a nod to all the racists.

[brush]

12. Most were put up during the early 20th century. 1910s and 20s.

Long past time for the statues of those traitors to come down.

[trof]

15. Correct.

To reinforce white supremacy.
Many by the Daughters of the Confederacy.

[SoonerPride]

11. If she is so worried about "white history"

We can always put up statues of Union generals who beat those traitors into submission.

They should have lots of those around to remind them hey got their ass kicked once and if we have to we will do it again.

“White history” indeed.

[brush]

13. Yep, I just watched the "Grant" doc on History channel. It was great. Grant was...

better General. Once he figured out how to take Vicksburg and thus the Mississippi River and greatly cut the traitors' supply lines, it was just about over for the rebels.

Grant then was called east to defeat Grant who many thought was invincible but he hadn't fought a commander like Grant. Grant took care of him too.

[GulfCoast66]

14. Why yes. Yes they did. Committed Sedition.

Attacked the nation they had sworn allegiance to when they lost politically.

Then they mainly died and finally surrendered. So lots of other things.

Too bad they were not hanged.

[brush]

16. They went past sedition. They committed treason.

[GulfCoast66]

17. No lawyer here. But I thought treason was conspiracy with an enemy of he US.

Sedition is undermining the government internally.

But we are just discussing semantics. The results are the same.

As should their penalty been. And I’m not really talking about the military leaders. Because that would have, as is normally the case, punished those doing the dirty work and expending those that brought it about.

Had every legislative leaders who voted for secession of all the confed states been strung up it would not have enraged the south. By the end of the war they were as hated as the Yankees. More so actually. Because since they all owned 20 or more slaves they and their families were exempted from military service.

That was a missed opportunity.

Hanging Longstreet, Pickett and any others who had survived the war would have been cutting the tail off the snake. Not the head

[brush]

18. Treason covers several acts. One is war against your native country.

"In law, treason is criminal disloyalty, typically to the state. It is a crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's nation or sovereign. This usually includes things such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government..."

I agree there should've been hangings. All this "confederate flag, heritage" crap probably wouldn't have survived the traitors being made an example of. Everyone else wouldn't felt the shame of being not just losers but also traitors.