This Ain’t No Washington Monument

Flirting with Politics

In my humble, often flawed, opinion, it’s regrettable that statues/memorials were dedicated to Civil War Confederates who turned on our nation. However, I am not really convinced that tearing them all down is the right move in all instances. On one hand, I tend to be more tolerant of the statues of the generals and other soldiers. These were fighting men called upon to defend their state. The reasons for the war were above their pay grade. On the other hand, I am much more intolerant of the politicians and other leaders that shaped the philosophy, dictated the states’ path, and justified slavery. Case in point, while wandering in far western Kentucky, I found what I consider to the worst example of Confederate memorials. The memorial is for Jefferson F. Davis, the first and only President of the Confederacy. Despite appearances, this ain’t no Washington Monument…

Should we honor Jefferson Davis?

Jefferson F. Davis was born on June 3, 1808, in the extremely small town of Fairview, Kentucky. He was a West Point graduate, the Secretary of War, and a Senator from Mississippi prior to the Civil War. But, as you know, his real career pinnacle was being the first and only President of the Confederate States…

Diving right in…while I understand the position of some that the Civil War was not about slavery, it was about a state’s right to govern themselves. While there may be a trace of truth in that thinking, let’s be real. The Confederates wanted to be independent in order to maintain their society which was based on slave labor. I do not think the issues of independence and slavery can be separated. For some good insights on the mind of President Davis, here are a few choice quotes…

“My own convictions as to negro slavery are strong. It has its evils and abuses…We recognize the negro as God and God’s Book and God’s Laws, in nature, tell us to recognize him – our inferior, fitted expressly for servitude…You cannot transform the negro into anything one-tenth as useful or as good as what slavery enables them to be.”

“African slavery, as it exists in the United States, is a moral, a social, and a political blessing.”

“The Slave must be made fit for his freedom by education and discipline, and thus made unfit for slavery. And as soon as he becomes unfit for slavery, the master will no longer desire to hold him as a slave.”

Enough said, these quotes are endless. Jefferson Davis is the poster child for who should not be honored or memorialized. He was the philosopher, the architect, and the leader most responsible for the rise of the Confederacy. As one of the most gifted orators of his time, his speeches and writings on slavery shaped the minds of millions. For those reasons, I can not see any good reason to honor a man that tried to split a nation in order to govern themselves in an economic system based on slavery. End of rant…

Back to the Big Ass Obelisk

Putting aside the JD worship stuff, I have to admit that this memorial is a pretty awesome obelisk. The thing is roughly two-thirds the size of the actual Washington monument. Thus, it achieves the status as the second biggest obelisk in the USA. Actually, it also achieves the status as the tallest poured concrete structure in the USA. By contrast, the Washington Monument is made of large marble blocks. The massive poured concrete walls extend up to 351 feet. Although they claim to have built it here because Fairview, KY, is the birthplace of JD. I really think they put it so far out in western Kentucky that no yankee is likely to ever find it. My good friend, Goosebuster, and I initially spotted the beast over 5 miles away.

Not only is the monument awesome to look at, you can ride the elevator to the top…for a nominal fee of course. There are viewing windows at the top to provide a a great view of the western Kentucky countryside. Goosebuster and I had the tour guide to ourselves as we rode the 100+ year old elevator to the top.

NOTE: It should be made clear that the views in this post are my own. My good friend, Goosebuster, does not necessarily buy into anything that I believe. But, I thank him for joining me and providing crack navigation, designated driving, and local translation.

So…what do we do about this thing?

Now, to contradict myself, I absolutely do not want to tear down this obelisk. This obelisk is way too cool. Instead, let’s start by boxing up all the JD stuff in the museum. We can dump the boxes in a dark, remote basement at some Smithsonian. As for the obelisk, I think we should rededicate it. Pick some worthy soul that deserves a 351 foot, poured concrete obelisk far more than JD. Here are my top 3 choices so far…

1. Pete Rose – Since they cheated out of the Hall of Fame, let’s give him the obelisk
2. Balto – Sure, he’s a dog. But, he had a tough life even after leading the sled dog team to deliver the life saving diphtheria serum. Balto is worthy of the obelisk
3. Raquel Welch – She was the greatest actress of the 20th century. Further, she was brilliant in “One Million Years B.C.” Obviously, a deserving soul for an obelisk.

There you go. That is my top 3 suggestions. If you think you have better candidates, please provide them in the COMMENTS section below.

Wrap It Up

In summary, this ain’t no Washington Monument. But, it’s a great obelisk with a regrettable memorial dedication. Six months ago, I had no idea that it even existed. I am glad Goosebuster and I drove the long, lonely path out to Fairview, KY, to see it for ourselves. I put in the miles so that you don’t have to. Don’t be in any hurry to get out there. Rather, I recommend that you wait for the rededication to Pete Rose, Balto, or Raquel Welch. Have a wonderful day. PT

I hope you have enjoyed reading “This Ain’t No Washington Monument” on Traveling with PugsleyTonks.

If you want to read about a memorial that I much preferred, here you go https://travelingwithpt.com/just-a-great-fishing-town/

If you insist on visiting here before the rededication, here’s the info https://parks.ky.gov/fairview/parks/historic/jefferson-davis-state-historic-site

P.S. Saying something nice

OK, I realize my views are probably not shared by all my redneck leaning readers. To show that I was not entirely one sided, I will say 2 positive statements about the JD State Historic Site. Here goes…

1. I liked the collectable stamps display
2. At least they did not fly the Confederate flag on one of the available poles