Restoring the Reconciliation Monument: Respecting History, Not Erasing It

Rob Maness – Liberals are devolving into a fit of hysteria over Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s decision to re-install a memorial known as the “Reconciliation Monument” in Arlington National Cemetery that was removed in 2023. Once again, however, the leftist outrage mob misses the critical importance of respecting and remembering American history – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

A recent MSNBC opinion article from “The Rachel Maddow Show” producer Steven Benen is indicative of the misinformed and misguided protest on the left. After confusing the Reconciliation Monument with a statue of Albert Pike, Benen accuses Hegseth and the Trump administration of being “eager in recent months to restore symbols related to Confederate forces.” Benen also notes that the removal of the monument was endorsed by retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Ty Seidule, who calls it “a pro-slavery, pro-segregation, anti-United States monument.” Seidule also says “it’s the will of the American people that Secretary Hegseth is going against” by re-installing it. Continue reading →