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Category: Chamber Corner Chamber Corner
Published: 25 November 2015 25 November 2015

This column will no doubt strike a nerve, but quite frankly, recent reported activities by some people strike a nerve with me.

Have you ever been to Stone Mountain, Georgia? It's a pretty amazing place just outside Atlanta. On the side of this mountain of stone, you will find the highest relief sculpture in the world. This is a piece of historical art that was begun in 1923 and was not completed until 1972. So what is depicted on this large carved surface that measures three acres, larger than a football field and larger than Mount Rushmore? This carving, towering 400 feet above the ground, measuring 90 by 190 feet, and is recessed 42 feet into the mountain depicts three Confederate heroes of the Civil War - President of the Confederate State of America Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. It's actually an amazing site. Yet there are some people who have recently decided they believe the statue should be destroyed. Yep, let's just take some dynamite and blow up the sculpture. Those upset individuals are offended by the carving of these three historical figures.

I get it. Some folks are totally offended by any symbols that remind them of slavery and other things that happened over 150 years ago. However, slavery and the Civil War were things that make up the history of our country. You simply can't erase history, no matter how you feel about it. Let's use these events to teach that slavery is bad... now and then.

Last week students at Princeton University disrupted the education processes at the school as they demonstrated to have the name of Woodrow Wilson removed from campus buildings, erased from university programs and any portraits of America's 28th President (and Princeton's president from 1902 to 1910) should be taken down from any buildings at Princeton. Though none of the demonstrators were even alive when Woodrow Wilson was president of Princeton and The United States... theses students and university staff members are unable to study or work in an appropriate manner due to the supposed racial injustice that exists because of Woodrow Wilson's beliefs from over a hundred years ago.

Over the many years of the existence of the United States of America, time and time again there have been many actions that some people would find as injustices. No matter how terrible it seems to some, it was a part of our Nation's history. We should learn from those events and make certain those things never happen again... but to simply believe that we should erase or destroy those events from history are misguided ideals. Heck, since moving to New Mexico, I have often wondered why the State of New Mexico would name a state park after the a guy who crossed the nation's southern border to attack and try to kill Americans. Yet, New Mexico honored Pancho Villa. Amazingly, no students are upset about something as trivial as our State honoring a guy for attacking our Country.

At the last Silver Consolidated Schools Board of Education meeting, a gentleman complained to the board members about a couple of trucks flying confederate flags. Now you have to understand, the trucks were not parked on school district property. The students driving the vehicles did not display confederate symbols on school campus or in their classes. The gentleman that complained to the school board even stated that as far as he knew, the students' parents did not have a problem with their kids displaying the rebel flag. Yet, he brought his complaint to a body of elected officials who have absolutely no jurisdiction regarding the actions of the young people driving the vehicles.

We have become a nation that is incredibly obsessed with being politically correct. Don't call terrorists... terrorists. It might upset someone. Don't call Native Americans Indians, though they call themselves Indians. Don't voluntarily pray to God in public, because someone who doesn't believe in God may see the action of praying as disrespecting their belief that there is no God. Don't say Merry Christmas... say Happy Holidays. And please change the names of school and corporate mascots all across the Nation because it's just pretty darn offensive to someone.

I'm not a racist. I'm not a bigot. I don't practice pagan rituals, however I don't go to church as regularly as I should. I'm not a vegan, however I do like eating certain vegetables. I'm just a regular guy who can't understand why people think it is important to make me change my beliefs and to change my history to fit their opinions of the way they want to see life in this complicated world. And yes, I am a politically incorrect over-weight old white guy who is happy to wish you and your family a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.