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Whiskeytide

(4,654 posts)

46. I went to Stone Mountain about 12 years ago...

Reply to struggle4progress (Original post)

Tue Jul 14, 2015, 03:09 PM

Jul 2015

... on the recommendation of a friend from Atlanta (we went for a Braves game primarily). I had not even heard of it, which was odd since I was born in Alabama and raised primarily in the South. I guess my parents didn't have it on the "must see" vacation list.

I was expecting a "confederate theme park", but by the end of the day I realized that - although "the Civil War" and "the confederate legacy" are there since that is the theme of the images on the carving and the history of the mountain itself - it's NOT really a confederate theme park. Other than the carving and the confederate hall museum, most of the attractions are not of the 'Southern Heritage" type. A train ride around the mountain, golf, boating and canoeing, hiking trails and camp sites, a frontier type town, a wild west show, a rope climb, a WWII era "duck" boat ride, a summit skyride, bike trails... and a host of other attractions that have nothing to do with the rebel cause.

There is a gift shop where you can buy anything confederate (or Union) your heart desires, but also a lot of items similarly not confederate in tone. The museum has exhibits that are not flattering to the South and the confederacy. There is information about the clan rally history - but it also is not glorified in the presentation. In fact, after reading over the clan exhibits, my impression was that it was really acknowledged for what it was - a white supremacist horror. Most of what I recall is the geological history of the mountain and the odd history of the carving itself - about how much trouble they had getting support and financing for it, fighting between the designers, and how it was just left unfinished - a failure.

The operators of the park seem to have tried to put the confederate stuff in its place - historical, not offensive and in your face - and I didn't come away from the park feeling drenched in confederate propaganda. It honestly was not what I expected. But that's just my anecdotal experience.

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NAACP wants Confederate carving removed from Georgia's Stone Mountain [View all] struggle4progress Jul 2015 OP

That's a dumb suggestion. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #1

Sure Major Nikon Jul 2015 #9

Art is art. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #11

You could also consider the movie, "Birth of a Nation" art Major Nikon Jul 2015 #18

It is art. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #20

It never was a statue Major Nikon Jul 2015 #23

That's precisely what the Buddha statues in Bamiyan were, too. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #28

Nonsense Major Nikon Jul 2015 #39

A nation that destroys art because it disagrees with the subect of that art... MohRokTah Jul 2015 #44

Yeah, right Major Nikon Jul 2015 #75

There are no public funds supporting it. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #76

Nonsense Major Nikon Jul 2015 #77

Herschend Family Entertainment manages Stone Mountain Park MohRokTah Jul 2015 #85

Do you think it is privately owned? Major Nikon Jul 2015 #92

I just PROVED it is privately MANAGED! MohRokTah Jul 2015 #99

You didn't answer the question. Diversion noted. Major Nikon Jul 2015 #106

Should all copies of "Birth of a Nation" be destroyed? philosslayer Jul 2015 #22

I could care less if they rotted in Trump's attic Major Nikon Jul 2015 #24

You are the one who brought up destruction philosslayer Jul 2015 #29

No, I'm not the one who brought it up Major Nikon Jul 2015 #35

It should be used as a way to teach how propaganda is used csziggy Jul 2015 #113

While Birth of a nation may be biaased and racist 1939 Jul 2015 #34

Sure, so were statues of Stalin and Saddam Hussein Major Nikon Jul 2015 #36

Museums seem a much more appropriate venue to maintain and display art... LanternWaste Jul 2015 #54

No museum could hold the Stone Mountain bas relief. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #55

Birth of a Nation is art created to support an awful premise el_bryanto Jul 2015 #48

The celebration of racism is the celebration of racism. LanternWaste Jul 2015 #43

Destroying art is vile and morally on the same level as the Taliban. eom MohRokTah Jul 2015 #45

Also on the same moral level as ISIS: NutmegYankee Jul 2015 #91

Have you really looked at the Stone Mountain carving? csziggy Jul 2015 #112

I would absolutely support multiple signs explaining the history of the site. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #118

Wow. really? Scootaloo Jul 2015 #78

Interesting - who lives in Stone Mountain GA JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #2

Are you sure they want it gone? philosslayer Jul 2015 #4

You familiar with GA? JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #7

FWIW, Stone Mountain is part of Metro Atlanta. It's surrounded by suburbs. n/t Dawgs Jul 2015 #17

a lot of this was a reaction to civil rights JI7 Jul 2015 #21

What I saw in Stone Mountain GA's Klan JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #30

That really is not a very good carving.... dixiegrrrrl Jul 2015 #3

A hurricane already did that exboyfil Jul 2015 #51

I'm for it. That place gives me the creeps. It was home to an annual Klan cross burning Hoyt Jul 2015 #5

Oh my god! JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #8

Finished in '72. The concept goes back to the early 20th century Gormy Cuss Jul 2015 #10

Here's a phtograph of the progress in 1930 MohRokTah Jul 2015 #12

15 years after the second Klan was 'born' JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #14

Destroying art because we disagree with the subject is no different from the Taliban MohRokTah Jul 2015 #19

I'm not suggesting we destroy it - JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #25

To remove it would be to destroy it. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #32

I disagree JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #38

I like it...let's do it! nt haikugal Jul 2015 #41

It CANNOT BE DONE! MohRokTah Jul 2015 #47

I agree, it can't be moved. Interestingly, they are moving the Cyclorama Hoyt Jul 2015 #59

No Abouttime Jul 2015 #62

It's art. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #63

And destroy the mountain itself, which is an interesting piece of geology. alarimer Jul 2015 #119

You are just too damn smart! bravenak Jul 2015 #79

No never smash JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #111

IT CANNOT BE REMOVED WITHOUT DESTROYING IT! MohRokTah Jul 2015 #86

It is really bad art. I suggest howitzers. kwassa Jul 2015 #98

That's just Taliban like crap. Blowing up art because you don't like it. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #100

It isn't art. It is propoganda. Blow it up. kwassa Jul 2015 #102

You don't like it so you say it isn't art. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #103

It isn't art because you say it is. kwassa Jul 2015 #105

A 90' x 190' bas relief isn't art? MohRokTah Jul 2015 #110

I think the sculpture should stay where it is Gormy Cuss Jul 2015 #97

Another of a place to put it - the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis? JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #33

I don't think you get the enormity of this piece of art. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #37

I absolutely DO JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #40

I'm telling you IT CANNOT BE DONE! MohRokTah Jul 2015 #49

They don't want to preserve it B2G Jul 2015 #50

It's fucking Talibanlike to destroy it. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #52

I couldn't agree more. nt B2G Jul 2015 #53

ITA with you. Ilsa Jul 2015 #96

Ummmm...actually, explosives weren't used to do the actual carving. Edited A HERETIC I AM Jul 2015 #69

lose a significant amount of material in doing so MohRokTah Jul 2015 #70

No, by significant I mean 10% or less. A HERETIC I AM Jul 2015 #71

And some were pissed about an honor guard B2G Jul 2015 #73

Might be a tad tricky to dangle something like that off a sheer face of a mountain. alphafemale Jul 2015 #115

It cannot be moved. Calista241 Jul 2015 #64

Is there an example of removing with out destroying such a large carved relief in granite? aikoaiko Jul 2015 #117

Then every city in the US is "just like the Taliban" Scootaloo Jul 2015 #80

Interesting Gormy - the first meeting of the '2nd Klan' JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #13

Good CTBlueboy Jul 2015 #6

+1. I grew up in Atlanta, still arguing with yahoos who say the flag and memorial are part of Hoyt Jul 2015 #15

Question - see MohRokTah's responses up above JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #42

I'm in a minority of opinion in Atlanta on this. Unless I just can't avoid it, I will not Hoyt Jul 2015 #57

I go there all the time. The roads are perfect for cycling and there's not much traffic Calista241 Jul 2015 #67

Unfortunately, I feel creepy there. I go to Kennesaw Battle Field to hike, but it's not a monument Hoyt Jul 2015 #74

Thanks for sharing your experience on this JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #109

Would you agree to bulldozing the grave yards? n/t oneshooter Jul 2015 #95

Did I not answer that question CTBlueboy Jul 2015 #104

Its about time the NAACP drop the "C" 951-Riverside Jul 2015 #16

WTF?? philosslayer Jul 2015 #26

Well - you get right on them and get that protest going n/t JustAnotherGen Jul 2015 #27

I think the NAACP can decide what to call themselves. They don't need your advice. nt Damansarajaya Jul 2015 #31

Man, there's some weird people making weird claims in this thread. Scootaloo Jul 2015 #82

I went to Stone Mountain about 12 years ago... Whiskeytide Jul 2015 #46

I remember the park as an outdoors haven to get away from the built up cities for a while Charlie Brown Jul 2015 #56

That's it exactly... Whiskeytide Jul 2015 #72

It is a park I have enjoyed. alphafemale Jul 2015 #114

Well, that isn't going to happen. BKH70041 Jul 2015 #58

People forget that this memorial is bigger than Rushmore. craigmatic Jul 2015 #60

. Nye Bevan Jul 2015 #61

. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #65

OOPS, the park is run by private enterprise. MohRokTah Jul 2015 #66

It's so sad to me that sculptors with talent were such racists. Starry Messenger Jul 2015 #68

I did not know you are a sculptor! bravenak Jul 2015 #81

Ceramics teacher and sculptor. Starry Messenger Jul 2015 #87

NAACP should be more worried about the right to vote. They need to pick their battles B Calm Jul 2015 #83

I do not necessarily disagree and yet tymorial Jul 2015 #84

Precisely. Where does it stop when it comes Ilsa Jul 2015 #101

Nobody wraps themselves in stone mountain. The flag removal in NC and elsewhere kelliekat44 Jul 2015 #88

Change Davis' outfit to a Petticoat - that's what he was wearing when captured maxsolomon Jul 2015 #89

Are we going to close down Civil War museums next? davidn3600 Jul 2015 #90

All those nickels with Jefferson and Monticello on them...they prob'ly gotta go. HereSince1628 Jul 2015 #116

Stupid idea. 840high Jul 2015 #93

I have said that in the past jberryhill Jul 2015 #94

I don't go there often, I'm all for removing the sculptures but ecstatic Jul 2015 #107

Lived in metro Atlanta most of my life, never been to Stone Mountain Glitterati Jul 2015 #108