Museums can tell the full story of Confederate symbols
By Maria Anglin
12:00 am, Saturday, November 14, 2015
... We look back and see mistakes and injustices sharing the rearview panorama with close calls and hard-fought victories. Sometimes, the same images hit distinctly different nerves; a bygone era can simultaneously spark nostalgia and disgust.
It really depends on who is looking back. And since we have many different vantage points, it gets complicated.
This has proven especially painful regarding images that look back and salute the Confederacy. Confederate flags, statues glorifying the Old South and all things Dixie stir those who would like to see those things erased from the landscape, as well as those who want to protect such symbols from being tossed into oblivion.
And for many, it’s not even an issue of taking sides as much as it is of not wanting to see history reshaped by the politics of modern times. It can be argued that taking down a historical marker meant to salute ideas that were on the wrong side of history is a little too close to burning an unpopular book that once resonated with a great deal of people. As ugly as such symbols might be, sanitizing the story seems worse.
But there is a right way to tell such stories. By adding context, research, personal accounts and much more, complete stories can be passed on to future generations that could benefit from really understanding our past. That’s what happens in museums ...
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/columnists/maria_anglin/article/Museums-can-tell-the-full-story-of-Confederate-6630599.php