Take Down These Monuments! | Eastern NC Now

    While we're heading down the dangerous slippery slope of government-sponsored censorship surrounding the display of the Confederate flag and certain Civil War generals and other historical figures, I have one question to ask..... Why don't the good people of Louisiana demand that this offensive statue of Andrew Jackson be torn down. It reads: "The Union MUST and SHALL BE preserved."

    My daughter took a pic of it while she was in New Orleans recently.

    This statue honors Jackson, who apparently was a hero of the Battle of New Orleans. During the Civil War, when Union soldiers occupied New Orleans, the phrase, "The Union must and shall be preserved" was inscribed into the monument's base. At the time, the Union often used this phrase, referring to Jackson's support of federal supremacy over state sovereignty.

    I would demand the statue be taken down as an offensive reminder of the government's violent attempt to destroy state's rights, neuter state sovereignty, and shred the Declaration of Independence. The statue is a constant reminder of government coercion and indoctrination, all for the purpose of maintaining the all-powerful federal government.

    Enough about racism. There are far bigger issues and principles at play. A "Perpetual Union" means a perpetual government. Our Founders never subscribed to that notion. There is a reason the government supports the position that the union was intended to be perpetual, and there is a reason presidents added justices to the federal courts who believe the same way -- because then the government has longevity and nothing to fear from the sovereigns that were supposed to be able to hold its future in their hands.

    Publisher's note: Contributor Diane Rufino also serves of co-publisher for Pitt County NOW.