John Kelly's recent remark about how "failure to compromise" caused the Civil War actually gave me a really good idea about how to deal with the controversial Confederate monuments issue.
On the one hand we have "social justice warriors" who want to tear down the statues of Robert E. Lee and his ilk. On the other hand we have proud Southerners who want to preserve their cultural heritage. So by all means let’s compromise.
Most of these statues were put up in the 20th century as a reactionary response to attempts by black people to be treated like human beings. This history is clearly reflected in the plaques and inscriptions on the pedestals, which typically contain some sentiment about “the defense of the honor of the white race” or words to that effect.
The compromise is simple. The statues stay where they are. The plaques/inscriptions are removed and replaced with plaques that say "Traitor to His Country."
There. Now the statues accurately reflect the history they're supposed to commemorate.
Problem solved.
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