Elizabeth Druschel
21 September 2017
RCL 1 Section 009

Civic Artifact Speech Outline

Introduction: A statue of Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederacy, stands in Charlottesville, Virginia. Embedded in this artifact is the deeply held American commonplace that all people have the right to fight for their freedoms, but over time people have begun to disagree as to whether this statue actually memorializes fighting for our rights or fighting for the opposite—slavery. A recent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville has created a kairotic moment where people are discussing whether keeping or removing the statue is the civic thing to do.

Who Made It: The artifact was erected in the early 20th century.
– 50 years after the war had ended
– Enough time for the real cost of the war to fade away

Why Make It: To commemorate Robert E. Lee and the Confederacy
– Pride

Change Over Time : As time has passed, how the general public views the statue has shifted from positive to negative.
– One can imagine that not all members of the community were happy about the statue when it was erected
– Most people in favor, members of the community saw a great leader
– Post-reconstruction feelings of pride in Southern heritage were at a high
– The way Americans view the Civil War has changed, people now condemn Confederate actions
– What the statue means has changed
– This past winter the City Council voted to take it down, but a lawsuit is pending

Kairos: On August 12th there was a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, VA where one person was killed and dozens were injured. This kairotic moment makes the statue more relevant than ever.
– Is rally evidence that statue embodies white nationalist views?

Commonplaces: American culture is built on the fierce defense of personal freedoms.
– founding fathers to today
– For many people, Lee and the Confederacy embodied that right to defend yourself. They rebelled against a government that they believed was infringing on their rights to life, liberty, and happiness.
– However, their way of life relied on the bondage of 4 million people.

Ideologies: Opinion on the statue depends on how groups think that the civil war should be dealt with.
– Do confederate monuments pay tribute to men who fought for their rights?
– Do confederate monuments glorify the side of the war that fought for slavery?
– I think that they do both
– We have to decide if that is acceptable

Civic: What makes this artifact civic is that as citizens, we have the responsibility to create a culture that respects everyone’s rights.
– does statue enable hate
– our job as citizens to try to understand other’s views

Conclusion: The differing ideologies surrounding the statue and the kairos of the situation has drawn the attention of many over the last month. This statue is especially civic because it is forcing Americans to decide how to best remember history in a way that does not perpetuate hate.