Respectful show of history right, not revising it

History is messy. It’s full of things that, once widely accepted, are now viewed as grievously shameful.

Fortunately, for the most part, we put such realizations to good use and attempt to steer clear of repeating the worst parts of our collective past. But acknowledging the darker chapters of our history is not tantamount to honoring them.

What, then, do we do about reminders of our nation’s horrific Civil War, particularly those our predecessors placed in Old Town? Like it or not, our beloved Old Town had a role in that war, albeit a decidedly minor one. For six weeks in 1862, Texas Confederates had control of Old Town and hoisted aloft an early version of the Confederate national flag known as the “Stars and Bars.” The flag bears little resemblance to the more famous — or infamous — Confederate Army of Northern Virginia battle flag that in modern times has become a banner for white supremacist groups.

The “Stars and Bars” is part of a display in Old Town that includes the five flags that have flown over Albuquerque since the city’s founding in 1706, according to the city’s Cultural Service Department. The other flags represent Spain, Mexico, the United States and New Mexico.

On Sunday — in an action sparked by South Carolina’s correct decision to remove the Confederate battle flag from its statehouse in reaction to the killings of nine black church members in Charleston by a white supremacist — members of the local black community and a trio of politicians called for removal of the stars and bars flag, along with historical plaques and replicas of Confederate cannons, from Old Town.

The city’s Cultural Services Department has clearly stated that the flag, plaques and cannons are meant as historical exhibits — and not an expression of support for the Confederacy.

It is right that South Carolina removed from its state capitol the flag that remains a current symbol for racist groups. But if only the worst parts of any historical era are to be the determining factors for public displays, it should be remembered slavery was legal in New Spain and then in Mexico until 1829. And slavery was legal under “Old Glory” — the U.S. flag — until 1863. And the reprehensible practices tolerated under Jim Crow continued in parts of the United States until the 1960s. And Zia Pueblo — and other Native American tribes — has never liked the state’s appropriation of its sacred sun symbol on the state flag.

It should be remembered that Indians were slaughtered and repressed under “Old Glory,” too. And even the Buffalo Soldiers, who are honored every year at the local Martin Luther King Day parade for serving their country, came here to kill Indians, among their duties. Should their tribute be banned as well?

Mayor Richard Berry says he will convene a meeting of community leaders and others interested in discussing the most appropriate way of “marking our history” in Old Town. And composed and respectful reflection is the appropriate way to ensure that our city’s history is presented fairly and accurately, rather than revised to placate those offended by humanity’s less-than-perfect past.

— The Albuquerque Journal