White supremacists and counter protesters clash in Charlottesville

[KevinM1]

I think it's important to note that the various statues in the South celebrating Confederate 'heroes' were constructed, in part, to be an ever present reminder to the blacks about what their station in life was. That, despite slavery being officially ended, that they weren't actually considered to be equal in any sense to Southern whites (an attitude that obviously persists today). Also, the Confederate flag was widely forgotten until the Civil Rights movement, where it became the symbol for those against the movement.

I think it's interesting that we gleefully tear down or otherwise destroy statues and imagery of oppressors in other countries, yet somehow feel like it violates something when the time comes to do it here.