OZY and WGBH are bringing you a terrific new TV show, Third Rail With OZY — launching on PBS this fall! Every Wednesday, we’re debating hot topics in the lead-up. This week’s topic: “Should Confederate symbols and statues be taken down?” Email thirdrail@ozy.com with your take.
What’s in a statue? Or a flag?
Charlottesville was both an inciting moment and the product of centuries of history. The Unite the Right rally began in the Virginia city because of a single threat — the removal of a Confederate statue — and since then, Confederate symbols have been under siege. In North Carolina, a Confederate statue was toppled in front of the old Durham County Courthouse. The University of Texas at Austin decided to take down four Confederate statues overnight. Some of these removals were officially sanctioned, while others were at the hands of vigilantes.
Some 150 years after the Civil War, the United States of America remains divided over whether these landmarks are offensive reminders of slavery or document a key chapter in our shared history.
What do you think? Should Confederate symbols and statues be taken down? Let us know by emailing or answering in the comments below.
