Confederate statues should be removed

The Confederate States of America; some may argue that what they were fighting for was their way of life, to keep the old traditions. Others argue that they were wrong in fighting for what they were protecting, that their “old tradition” was immoral and needed to be eliminated. This argument still leaks into the politics of today, being the basis for many conversations. As of lately, though, actions have been taken that speak volumes for where Americans stand on the issue today. Confederate statues are coming down – but is America doing what’s right?
Recently, in Baltimore, Maryland, Mayor Catherine Pugh had ordered two confederate statues in her city to be removed quickly and quietly. The first statue being that of Robert E. Lee, and the second statue being Stonewall Jackson. Both men were soldiers and commanders for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Both men grew up with slaveholding families, and even became slaveholders when they were grown adults. They then went to fight for the confederacy to protect their traditional way of living, believing that there was nothing taboo about the subject of owning slaves and forcing them to do work on plantations. They truly believed that what they were fighting for isn’t immoral, and eventually gained statues in Baltimore City honoring their duty.
Although, this isn’t exactly what America is about anymore. Obviously, forcing people to do work is inhumane. Obviously, auctioning off people and splitting up families is definitely not something that happens in today’s society. So, why is America still glorifying what these men were fighting for? The statues were sending a message of hatred, basically glorifying slavery and saying it was okay. Pugh made the correct decision in removing the statues, sending the message that what these men fought for was not right, and it is not what America is about in today’s society. Other figures of authority should consider doing the same thing, reevaluating the current values in American society.
The statues should not be destroyed, but rather placed in a different setting where people can learn from the mistakes of those passed. In Germany, there aren’t statues of Nazi soldiers being glorified in public places. Just like here, there shouldn’t be statues of Confederate soldiers being glorified in public places. Some history belongs in a museum, where citizens can learn and not repeat the mistakes of the past.