Some activists inclined to look for ways to be offended

WHILE it’s understandable that some communities may rethink continuance of public memorials to Confederate figures in the aftermath of recent violence, some on the left are taking that cause to the point of self-parody.

The Southern Poverty Law Center recently released a national map showing what it claims are public Confederate symbols. An accompanying message notes, “More than 1,500 Confederate symbols stand in communities like Charlottesville with the potential to unleash more turmoil and bloodshed. It’s time to take the monuments down.”

Yet many of these “monuments” are not monuments, and removing them would often either be physically impossible or a danger to society.

In Oklahoma, the SPLC identifies Jackson County as a Confederate monument or symbol. Not a statue in the county, but the county itself because the group says it was named for Gen. Stonewall Jackson (some sources say it was named for President Andrew Jackson). There’s no sign that the county’s name threatens to “unleash more turmoil and bloodshed.” Yet Jackson County is still highlighted on a map along with actual statues and memorials to Confederate soldiers.

In Oklahoma City, the SPLC identifies Lee Elementary as another Confederate monument/symbol. But locally, for a time there was debate regarding whether the school was named for Gen. Robert E. Lee or local civic leader Oscar G. Lee.

Across the nation, the SPLC’s map identifies at least one dam and three U.S. military bases as Confederate monuments that need to come “down.” We suspect those living downstream of the dam would see more real turmoil and destruction occur if it were removed than in the event of its continued existence.

At the University of Southern California, the school’s mascot is a white horse named Traveler. As it turns out, Robert E. Lee once had a horse with the same name (spelled with two L’s). In a recent speech, the co-director of the USC Black Student Assembly referenced the horse’s name and declared that “white supremacy hits close to home.” There’s no indication the shared horse name is anything but a coincidence.

In the aftermath of Charlottesville, one Chicago activist called on city officials to remove the name of President George Washington from a park. Washington of course has no Confederate ties. The fact that the nation’s first president was a slave owner was sufficient to lump him with Confederates.

The rush to demand removal of monuments that aren’t monuments, even when debate exists over Confederate ties, has many causes. The SPLC is well known for promoting questionable claims in its effort to rake in large contributions. (Notably, The Washington Free Beacon reports the SPLC has transferred millions to offshore entities in the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, and Bermuda, according to public filings.)

In other cases, it seems some people are merely desperate to signal how virtuous they are.

Local jurisdictions should be free to remove monuments or rename buildings if local citizens want to do so. But there’s little reason to think that would stem the “outrage” from some activists. People who actively seek an excuse to be offended will generally find one.