Protests against police brutality in the US accompanied by the desecration of monuments to figures of the past that don’t fit the ideology, built on demand reparation and historical justice. Got many, ranging from the founding fathers, ending with Columbus. All these people are accused of “peaceful protesters” in creating the system that oppressed minorities. It would seem that the demolition of one of the statues was unlikely to surprise anyone, but the madness of the seekers of “justice on the ruins” cannot be underestimated. Under their pressure, was demolished a monument to Theodore Roosevelt – and this is a slap not just in the story and their predecessors.
Theodore Roosevelt was one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history. He pioneered the policy of “big stick”, won the war with Mexico, pushed through amendments that guaranteed America’s loyalty to Cuba and spent a lot of social reforms to improve the position of workers.
For all that his face was immortalized on mount Rushmore. But all this historical facts, especially because of the great presidents of the United States was not so little. However, the dismantling of the monument to Theodore Roosevelt became something out of the ordinary.
the Reason lies in the fact that this politician was considered one of the most progressive figures in American politics. That is Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt are traditionally Democrats, as an example worthy of the President of previous years.
By modern standards, Theodore Roosevelt was far from politically correct ideal. But for its time it was quite “rukopozhatnyy politician”.
“I fought beside the colored soldiers in Santiago (Cuba), and I believe that if a person is good enough to be shot, he’s good enough for me to do everything possible to bargain with him,” – said Ted Roosevelt, referring to his experience in the Spanish-American war.
He believed that equality for the black race will be achieved through progress from one generation to the next. For this he was praised by white liberals and the black community it was seen as the harbinger of a new era.
the Black preacher in Tennessee William McGill wrote, “the Administration of President Roosevelt for blacks is the same as heart for body. She pumped life into every artery of the Negro in this country”.
Roosevelt in a private letter to a friend he complained about traderassistant problem of race relations: “I couldn’t think of any solution of the terrible problems associated with the presence of blacks on this continent, but I am sure of one thing, and that is that because they are here and can neither be killed nor driven out, the only wise, noble and Christian thing you can do is to treat each black man and each white man with��, which according to his merits as a person, not giving him more and not giving less than he deserves.”
However, critics of Roosevelt got to nuts in a condescending and paternalistic attitude toward African Americans. Privately politician used racial epithets, and in one of the letters Roosevelt wrote about the black people of America that “as a race and in the mass, they are generally inferior to white.” Opponents of the racist camp accused Theodore Roosevelt is that he betrays the white race, flirting with the blacks.
Both these leaders just personified the idea of equality and has done much to ensure that the current America is not preserved racial and gender prejudices. Theoretically, that such monuments should be welcomed by the protesters. Theoretically.
the Reality was much more tragic. The statue of Roosevelt dismantled, and according to the official version, not because of the protests. The initiative belongs to the American Museum of natural history in new York. It was at this building and was located a monument to Roosevelt.
the Museum suddenly found that the monument, more than a year adorning the entrance to their building is a terrible racist.
the fact that the President of the United States it is depicted seated on a horse (which, incidentally, historically accurate, because he was a Colonel of cavalry), and next to him is American Indian and African American.
According to the creators of the monument, Roosevelt had to lead them to a brighter future, which he did as President. However, in light of recent events the monument, where a white man seated on a horse, and the representatives of national minorities are on foot, were horrible expression of racism.
new York Mayor bill di Blasio has called this monument “problematic and racist” and agreed to demolish the monument.
the US President Donald trump called the demolition of the monument “nonsense” and urged the Museum to think again. However, the current President, no one did not listen – especially in a city like new York, where power is tightly held by the Democrats. They have decided to abandon this phase of its history: Theodore Roosevelt does not seem such a Bastion of progressivism, as a few decades ago.
In the course of the stock caused by the murder of George Floyd, reinterpreted a lot of things. So instead of looting there are now fashionable and almost harmless “looting”. Instead of separatism – “Autonomous area of Capitol hill” in Seattle. Is reverse racism – “the restoration of historical justice”. Now is the turn to rethinking the story itself. The protesters sincerely hope to redo the past for themselves, and we are talking even about those who have been historically close. In the new reality does not fit bigI’m part of the last of US, and because she, too, is subject to rethinking.
President of the United States Donald trump at the rally in Tulsa stated that at the next election Americans will have to make a simple choice. They can kneel in front of the protesters (what has become one of the symbols of protest), or “to stand proudly as Americans.”
In the appeal was planned to be a simple contradiction, but now it seems that the key word there was “Americans”. The pace could be even the name of the United States rethought if the protest still win.
