Should statues to the Buffalo Soldier come down?

[ripcord]

On one hand the Buffalo Soldiers were very successful and highly decorated units of the U.S. Army in the time immediately following the Civil War, on the other hand they made their reputation in the Indian Wars including participating in the massacre at Wounded Knee. Do we keep the statues up to commemorate their trailblazing or tear them down because they made their reputation fighting and killing Native Americans?

[jaysunb]

1. Interesting question. Nt

[ripcord]

2. I'll throw another thing into the equation

While the Buffalo soldiers were serving their country they not only had to deal with the racism all African-Americans had to deal with post Civil War but had to deal with the added systemic racism of the Army which gave them the toughest and most dangerous assignments in the worst areas.

[Doodley]

7. Yes, they were victims too, and never should we erase or sterilize history because

it is unpleasant. Should monuments be to celebrate these men, or to remember this moment in American history and the lessons that should be learnt and never forgotten? What it needs is context.

[Alacritous Crier]

3. Since they represent the exploitation of primarily freed slaves...

and the genocide of indigenous peoples sure, why not.



GOTV.

[Doodley]

6. Yes, The Buffalo Soldiers were subjected to prejudice. They were victims too. That

is something that should not be forgotten.

[LanternWaste]

4. It begs the question: exactly what does the Buffalo Soldier monument

represent on the national collective level? From that specific answer, the conversation can then follow with the necessary relevance and accuracy.

[Doodley]

5. Should statues of Christopher Columbus come down? Just asking. He is

famous for brutality and exploitation of natives. He was the pioneer of all that is good and also all that is bad in America and the Americas right now. Our history is defined by a lot of bad actors, but we can take those moments and celebrate the good that came from them in shaping who and what we are now, as imperfect as it is, or we can destroy it. Personally, I think they should be taken down and put in museums where the appropriate context can be provided.

[customerserviceguy]

9. There are people

actively supporting removal of his statues. Last year, we went to Columbus Circle in NYC before finally selling our condo and leaving the state, just to see it before they tear it down.

[LastDemocratInSC]

8. Did they declare war against the United States?