- Jun 19, 2013
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With all the hoopla over the Confederate flag, its easy to forget that there are plenty of other racist symbols in America.
Mount Rushmore for instance was built on top of a Sioux holy site, by a sculptor who also carved figures of Confederate leaders into a Georgia mountain. The United States forcefully stole the Black Hills from the Sioux, kidnapped and "educated" Sioux children, confined Native Americans to reservations, and then carved up their holy mountain with half done portraits of white men. Hmmmm....that seems pretty hateful and racist.
Yet where is the outrage over this monument? As we speak there are probably tens of thousands of U.S. citizens flocking to Mount Rushmore for a 4th of July fireworks show. Mount Rushmore clearly is a symbol of "national pride" to many people, and they are willing to look past the fact that it has imperialistic qualities left over from manifest destiny. Is this not what the CSA flag is to many Southerners? A symbol of "pride" that has many negative connotations?
As Catholics we need to evaluate whether it is proper to be venerating national symbols, like flags or monuments, at all.
Mount Rushmore for instance was built on top of a Sioux holy site, by a sculptor who also carved figures of Confederate leaders into a Georgia mountain. The United States forcefully stole the Black Hills from the Sioux, kidnapped and "educated" Sioux children, confined Native Americans to reservations, and then carved up their holy mountain with half done portraits of white men. Hmmmm....that seems pretty hateful and racist.
Yet where is the outrage over this monument? As we speak there are probably tens of thousands of U.S. citizens flocking to Mount Rushmore for a 4th of July fireworks show. Mount Rushmore clearly is a symbol of "national pride" to many people, and they are willing to look past the fact that it has imperialistic qualities left over from manifest destiny. Is this not what the CSA flag is to many Southerners? A symbol of "pride" that has many negative connotations?
As Catholics we need to evaluate whether it is proper to be venerating national symbols, like flags or monuments, at all.
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