I’m a proud Southerner. I grew up listening to The Allman Brothers Band, and as a child Dale Earnhardt was my hero. Thanks to my dad, I watch more Georgia Bulldog football than I do Carolina basketball, knowing the only things more evil than Duke is Auburn and Florida. It is safe to safe being raised in the South has been played a significant role in my life.
And I have also seen my fair share of Confederate symbols, from the Rebel Flag to monuments like our own SIlent Sam. With the flag, I see it as a representation of a country dependent on the institution of slavery, and applaud efforts to remove it and flags featuring it. This includes last week’s removal of the Mississippi state flag at both Ole Miss and Southern Miss.
But monuments like Silent Sam are a different matter. While the meaning of the flag is dichotomous, the associations with Silent Sam are not…show more content… Maybe we should take it down, even though it would require state approval to do so. Perhaps we can build upon the Unsung Founders Memorial and erect similar monuments to that, adding more narratives to our diverse story.
I do not know what the best solution would be, but we will never know if we do not bother to hear out all sides.Giving people the chance to voice their concerns will allow us to better understand Silent Sam’s place on campus and its effects on the people at UNC as well as the greater community. Thankfully, Chancellor Folt encouraged feedback from both campus and community members while the university examines its methods of teaching university history.
Unfortunately, a portion of our campus still needs to understand disagreement does not constitute immaturity. Between last Sunday’s vulgar anti-Silent Sam protesters and the acts of vandalism throughout this year, it is evident some need to work on their conduct. All of us here are adults, and it is time we start acting the
