Topic: Confederate Monuments

Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia, decided to remove plaques honoring George Washington and Robert E. Lee, claiming they make some visitors feel "unsafe." This is framed as part of a larger trend of historical revisionism. The segment also references Bill Cosby's past efforts to destroy recordings of "Amos 'n' Andy" due to racial stereotypes.

The movement to remove or deface offensive symbols has expanded to include the Edmonton Eskimos team name and the Christopher Columbus statue in New York. Activists are now targeting Confederate monuments in Gettysburg, raising concerns about potential physical confrontations. There is speculation that this cultural purge could eventually extend to classic literature and films, such as "Gone With The Wind" or "Uncle Tom’s Cabin."

CNN commentator Angela Rye argues for the removal of statues of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson due to their history as slave owners. The discussion explores the broader movement to take down Confederate memorials, which some claim were originally part of a "beautification project" in the early 20th century.

Following the Charlottesville violence, cities across the U.S., including Baltimore and Lexington, have accelerated the removal of Confederate statues. NBC News reports that 67 monuments have been taken down since the 2015 Charleston church shooting, though over 700 remain nationwide. Historians debate whether these removals constitute the erasure of history or the necessary dismantling of symbols of oppression.

Protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, centered on the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue, with a small group of KKK members met by a much larger counter-protest. There is growing speculation that the movement to remove Confederate monuments will eventually target statues of Thomas Jefferson due to his history as a slave owner.

The final Confederate monument in New Orleans, a statue of Robert E. Lee, was removed in broad daylight following a decision by Mayor Mitch Landrieu. Proponents of the removal argue the statues celebrate a "sanitized Confederacy," while opponents claim the move rewrites history. The hosts discuss the cultural significance of these monuments in the South versus the perspective of "Yankees."