Down with the kings. Down with the enslavers. Good riddance to all their monuments.

There are plenty of heroes from that time who fought for liberty. General Winfield Scott was an anti-slavery Virginian who refused to betray the United States. He served as General-In-Chief of US forces and formulated the anaconda plan, which eventually strangled the Confederacy.

The slavers of the antebellum planter aristocracy were as un-American as the British monarchy. It’s not erasing history to say these were evil men perpetuating an evil system. In fact, that’s the judgement of history.

Which brings me to why some people don’t deserve to be memorialized. The promise of America is that “all men are created equal.” Saying you’re better than someone else because of a skin color or an inherited throne violates that promise.

Tearing down false heroes is as old as our republic. It’s certainly an older and more endearing than the failed southern slavers confederacy.