Before our main story tonight,
I'd like to do something a little different
and just quickly tell you about a beloved icon
of my childhood, and it's this man...
WOMAN: For 20 years he made the dreams of young people
come true,
with his hugely popular Jim'll Fix It program.
Best known for his trademark jewelry,
track suits, tinted glasses, and Havana cigar.
Now, I know it's hard to believe,
but that bizarre looking man, Jimmy Savile,
was a national hero.
We named places for him, we gave him a knighthood,
we even put up this statue of him,
even though it clearly looks more like
a cheese sculpture of George Carlin
-that someone left in the sun. -(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
Now, he had a show called Jim'll Fix It,
where he basically granted wishes.
And like many British kids, I actually wrote to him.
I asked him
to make me the mascot for Liverpool football club,
and he never wrote back.
Which I'm actually glad about, because after he died,
Britain began to find out who he really was.
And the truth was horrific.
He's gone from a much loved entertainer,
and respected charity fundraiser,
to a man described by Scotland Yard
as a predatory sex offender.
Jimmy Savile's headstone was here
for less than three weeks.
His epitaph read, "It was good while it lasted."
Oh!
That is an unsettling thing
to have written on his gravestone.
Although to be fair, nearly every famous epitaph
would sound horrifying written on a sex offender's gravestone.
From Dean Martin's "Everybody loves somebody sometime,"
to Rodney Dangerfield's "There goes the neighborhood."
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING) -You know, funny, funny.
But if he'd been a sex offender,
not so much.
The point is, Savile's headstone was taken down,
as was that sign, and that creepy statue,
because once we found out that he was a monster,
we accepted it was no longer appropriate
to publicly glorify him.
Which actually brings us to our main story tonight...
the Confederacy.
America's tracksuit sex offender.
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING) -Now, in recent years,
there has been a robust debate over Confederate symbols.
From flags being taken down, to statues being removed,
to the white nationalist rallies in Charlottesville.
Both the one that ended in violence in August,
and another that happened just last night.
So as this debate is clearly not going away,
we wanted to take a look at some of the arguments.
Because you don't have to look hard
to find people very upset
at the idea of Confederate statues being taken away.
You can't change history.
You can't pick and choose what you decide is history.
I think they oughta just leave 'em alone
and leave 'em where they are, you know.
They're part of history.
I just don't think we can erase our history.
It may not represent the best idea...
that anybody ever came up with.
But nevertheless, it's part of our history.
And, uh, I think it should stay there.
You know what, I'll give him this, he is right
that the Confederacy and everything that came with it
is, to put it mildly, "not the best idea...
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING) -anybody ever came up with."
Because that of course is making grilled cheese
on a toaster turned sideways.
That is a billion-dollar idea
that is also completely worthless.
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING) -But they're also right
about one thing.
We should remember our history,
so tonight, let's do that.
And let's look at the unique heritage of these symbols.
Starting with the fact that there are a lot more
than you might expect.
REPORTER: The Southern Poverty Law Center
found some 1,500 Confederate memorials across the country.
More than 700 of them are statues and monuments,
and ten U.S. military bases
are named for Confederate officers.
Think about that.
There are U.S. military bases named for Confederate officers.
And they were the enemy. They killed U.S. soldiers.
That's like finding out that Nancy Kerrigan
-named her child Tonya Harding. -(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
Why would you do that? That's a weird choice.
And tributes to the Confederacy are everywhere in the South,
and notably some in the North too.
And that map doesn't include kitschy ways
that the Civil War is presented, like at this family restaurant:
ANNOUNCER: Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede
brings a rip roaring taste of America to life.
Dixie's Stampede is a musical extravaganza
of sight and sound.
Centered around a friendly North-South rivalry,
friendly servers bring the delicious four course feast
right to you.
Including a whole rotisserie chicken,
and all the Pepsi, iced tea, or coffee you like.
Yes. That is a Confederate soldier
serving a small child all the Pepsi she likes.
Which is still remarkably
only Pepsi's second worst ad campaign.
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING AND CHEERING)
And the thing is if you grew up with experiences like that,
it can seem like the Civil War is just a friendly rivalry.
A fun, colorful part of U.S. history.
But that omits the key fact about the Civil War.
The Confederacy was fighting for the preservation of slavery.
And that's not my opinion, that is just a fact.
There are many ways that we know this.
Slavery is mentioned in multiple state's
declarations of secession
with Mississippi saying,
"Our position is thoroughly identified
with the institution of slavery."
The Confederate Constitution contains a clause
enshrining slavery forever.
And then there's the speech Alexander Stephens,
the Confederate vice president gave in 1861,
in which he articulated the basic principles
for the Confederate nation.
ALEXANDER STEPHENS: Its foundations are laid.
Its cornerstone rests upon the great truth
that the Negro is not equal to the white man.
That slavery, subordination to the superior race,
is his natural and normal condition.
Wow. Subordination to the superior race.
That is explicit.
If the Confederacy was not about slavery,
somebody should really go back in time
and tell the fucking Confederacy that.
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING) -And yet, remarkably,
many people think the Civil War was over something else.
REPORTER 2: When people were asked, "What do they think
the main cause of the Civil War is?"
48% said, "Mainly about states' rights."
Only 38% said, "Mainly about slavery."
Nine percent said "both."
And that is amazing.
Only 38% thought the Civil War was mainly about slavery.
In other words, look to your left,
now look to your right,
statistically all three of you live in a country
where only 38% percent of people
-think the Civil War was mainly about slavery. -(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
And on that "states' rights" argument, for the record,
the Southern states were ardently pro-states' rights.
But with some glaring exceptions.
Notably, when Northern states
passed laws to help protect runaway slaves,
the South wanted the federal government
to override those states laws.
So, they loved states' rights,
as long as they were the right states' rights.
The wrong states' rights would be states' wrongs,
wrongs which would need to be righted
by the right states' rights-- look, to put it really simply,
they just wanted to own black people,
-and they didn't much care how. -(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
That's a fact!
But that's a very hard fact for some people to accept.
Especially if a member of your family
fought for the Confederacy.
And sometimes, the understandable desire
to want to distance your relative from that cause
can lead to people distorting the cause itself.
Just watch as one man
at a community meeting in North Carolina
defended a Confederate statue
by talking about his family history.
My great grandfather was a Confederate soldier.
And I was proud of that.
Because my opinion of his fight
was for his rights.
I don't know what his rights were.
I wasn't there.
He was dead long before I came along.
But I'm really concerned about our monument.
I want it to stay.
It reminds me that I got a little rebel in me.
You know, we all want to kind of be independent.
We all have a little rebel in us, even the ladies.
-Ooh! Even the ladies! -(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
Hashtag feminism, hashtag confedera-she.
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING, APPLAUDING) -And look, look.
I don't know, I don't know
why his great grandfather fought.
It is hard to know the motivations
of any individual soldier.
What we do know is that again, collectively,
they were fighting to preserve the institution of slavery.
And I do get, honestly, I honestly get
wanting a more comfortable history for your family.
But in doing so, you can't invent
a more comfortable history for your country.
Because you would be erasing the actual painful experiences
of many Americans.
As a fellow North Carolinian explains.
When I walk by this statue, I-- it becomes very painful
when I think of the suffering that my ancestors went through.
They enslaved people.
Abused people for their own economic impact.
And it should not be celebrated by these statues.
Right. And that is the harsh reality
of what was done by those Confederate men.
And yes, even the ladies,
-hashtag confedera-she. -(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
If you want to see a perfect crystallization
of what happens when two people have
wildly different views of the same symbol,
just watch this local news clip.
Why do you carry that flag?
Because this is my heritage.
My family fought to save their farm
under this flag.
Who was working that farm?
Ooh!
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING IN DISBELIEF)
That is a good, tough question.
And the news clip actually cut out there,
but we were so intrigued to find out what his response was
we tracked it down.
And whatever you are expecting, you're going to be surprised.
-MAN: Who was working that farm? -My family was!
-Who was working the farm? -They were poor,
Do you know how much a slave cost back then?!
-(AUDIENCE SHOUTING) -Oh! Whoa, whoa, whoa!
You know you are in the wrong
when you decide your best argument
is screaming at a black man,
"Do you know how expensive you used to be?!"
It is--
It is comments like that one
that landed this guy on the cover of
Holy Shit That Is Not Remotely The Point magazine.
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
And look, that-- that is clearly an intense example.
But denial of this painful part of history
can take many forms.
Look at PBS's Finding Your Roots,
where Henry Louis Gates explores
celebrities' family histories,
and he often finds some shit.
Famously, Ben Affleck pulled strings
to get the show to remove all references
to his slave-owning ancestors.
And though he later apologized,
that impulse right there is not good.
Because it sanitizes history.
And while there is no easy way to respond
to learning that kind of horrible information,
it is worth watching Anderson Cooper find out
how one relative of his died.
Boykin was murdered by a rebellious slave.
Wow.
Your ancestor was beaten to death
with a farm hoe.
(LAUGHS) Oh my God.
That's amazing. This is incredible.
(LAUGHS)
I am blown away.
-You think he deserved it? -ANDERSON COOPER: Yeah.
-Wow. You know what? -(AUDIENCE CLAPPING)
You know what, as a general rule,
just try not to live a life
...that could lead a descendant of yours to one day say,
"A guy smashed grand-poppy's head in
with a garden hoe?
That's amazing. Great job 'That Guy!'"
(LAUGHING)
But, my absolute favorite response
to a nasty surprise,
undoubtedly comes from Larry David,
who received a real one-two punch.
Are you telling me that my great-grandfather
fought for the South?
In the Civil War?
(LAUGHS) What? Are you kidding?
Oh, my goodness...
I hope no slaves show up on this--
Please turn the page.
(MALE AUDIENCE MEMBER HOLLERS)
Now, Larry, this is another part of the 18th--
Oh-- oh, you did it! You did it!
-I knew it! I knew it! -(GATES LAUGHING)
-Unbelievable! -Unbelievable.
Boy.
HENRY LOUIS GATES JR: That's b-- unbelievable.
Oh boy, oh boy.
-Yeah. Prettay, prettay, -(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
pretty bad!
Pretty bad!
And look!
Larry David is not responsible
for what his ancestors did.
None of us are.
I have to believe that, because I'm English.
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING) -And I would like to go
to an Indian restaurant again at some point in my life.
(LAUGHING CONTINUES)
But-- but we do have to reckon personally, and as a country
with what our heritage means.
You can't ignore it like Batman,
you can't say it's something else
like town meeting Santa,
you've got to actively, painfully,
come to grips with slavery,
and the lasting benefits and disadvantages
that if conferred.
In ways that, frankly, we haven't yet.
And that actually brings us back to Confederate monuments,
because there is something about them that
that symbolizes our reluctance to have that conversation
and that is the dates that they went up.
Because while some initial memorials
were built mainly in cemeteries, shortly after the Civil War,
the real surge came much, much later.
MALE REPORTER 1: The Southern Poverty Law Center
says a majority
of the more than 700 Confederate monuments
in public spaces across the country,
were erected decades after General Lee's surrender.
It's true, as this chart
of the years that they were dedicated shows,
there was a big spike from 1900 to 1920
as white southerners were re-asserting their dominance
through things like Jim Crow laws,
uh, with another spike in the 50s and 60s
as the Civil Rights Movement was gaining steam,
so those statues weren't so much
commemorating recently fallen dead,
as sending a pretty hostile message
to African-Americans.
And sending messages is kind of what statues are often for.
This one says, "We love freedom."
This one says,
"The most notable thing about our city
-is a fictional character." -(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
(STAMMERS) And this one says, "About yay big."
-(LAUGHING CONTINUES) -We still don't know...
what he was trying to measure, but whatever it was,
-it was... "About yay big." -(LAUGHING CONTINUES)
But... look, for some Confederate statues though,
for some Confederate statues the intent is crystal clear.
In that town meeting from before,
the statue that they were debating
was this one, which went up in 1914
and a leader of that county's chapter of the KKK
gave a speech at its dedication,
calling the occasion an opportunity
"To recall the achievements of the great and good
of our own race and blood."
Which, again, is pretty on-the-nose right there.
And the largest Confederate memorial,
the carving on Stone Mountain in Georgia,
is located where the 20th century KKK was born.
It depicts three Confederate leaders
on horseback, and it was completed in 1972,
so that means there is color footage
of the dedication.
After nearly half a century of work, the memorial carving
here at Stone Mountain is finally finished.
And officials are calling it the eighth wonder of the world.
We must recall those principals of loyalty, dignity and honor
that shine through the lives of men
we commemorate today.
Yes. That was Vice President Spiro Agnew
commemorating the loyalty of literal traitors.
But, what can you really expect from a man whose name,
rearranged, spells "Grow a Penis."
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING) -And...
and some-- here's the thing.
Some monuments went up even more recently.
I-- I wanna show you one
that was erected on private lands,
but very much for public consumption.
Because once you see it, you will not forget it.
MALE REPORTER 2: The statue was erected in 1998.
It portrays Nathan Bedford Forrest
on his horse.
Gun in one hand, and sword in the other.
Surrounded by Confederate state battle flags,
visible for all to see on the side of I-65.
(CARS DRIVING BY)
MALE REPORTER 2: Forrest was a Confederate general
-and an early leader of the KKK. -(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
That is just objectively terrifying
regardless of context.
He looks like if a nickel did cocaine.
-(LAUGHING CONTINUES) -So-- so some of these statues
commemorate people who thought a war to preserve slavery,
were erected to preserve white supremacy
and were dedicated by Klan members and yet,
there is a blanket defense
that tends to get authored by people
and not just people, also, this guy.
They're trying to take away... our culture.
They're trying to take away our history.
Okay, that argument is taking these statues down
obliterates history, which is clearly just ridiculous.
First, monuments are not how we record history,
books are.
Museums are.
Ken Burns 12-part mini-series are.
Statues are how we glorify people.
Or, in the case of one in Tokyo, how we glorify
giant radioactive lizards.
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING) -And yet,
the President's concern seems to be
that tearing down statues leads to a slippery slope.
This week it's Robert E. Lee.
I noticed that
Stonewall Jackson's coming down,
I wonder, is it George Washington next week?
And is it Thomas Jefferson the week after?
You know, you all--
you really do have to ask yourself,
"Where does it stop?"
Okay, well, I'll tell you where it stops.
Somewhere.
Anytime someone asks, "Where does it stop?"
The answer is always, "Fucking somewhere!"
You might let your kid have Twizzlers,
but not inject black-tar heroin.
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING) -You d-- you don't just go,
"Well, after the Twizzlers, where does it stop?"
-(LAUGHING CONTINUES) -And the same is true
of Confederate monuments.
Think of it this way, all people, living and dead,
exist on what I'm gonna call The Hitler-Hanks spectrum,
from bad to good.
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING, CHEERING) -And at some point
on the spectrum,
monuments to honor people are going to be inappropriate.
Although it-- to be fair,
it does get tricky around the middle,
where, of course, you'll fine Adolf Hankler.
-(LAUGHING CONTINUES) -And-- and look,
there are clearly people deserving of statues
who were imperfect humans.
And sometimes our standards change over time,
which can then get tricky,
because you're judging historical figures
by modern standards.
But for many Confederate monuments,
especially those erected well after the Civil War,
valorizing the cause
or leadership of the Confederacy,
this really isn't a close call.
This is your babysitter showing up
in a Jimmy Savile t-shirt.
I don't care what you think that represents,
you're not staying home with my fucking kid tonight.
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
And for Robert E. Lee in particular,
it's actually even easier because of this.
MALE REPORTER 1: Interestingly, Robert E. Lee was once asked
about placing memorials at Gettysburg in 1869.
The former general replied,
"I think it wiser... not to keep open the sores of war,
but to follow the examples of those nations
who endeavored to obliterate the marks of civil strife,
to commit to oblivion the feelings engendered."
It's true. Robert E. Lee was opposed to statues
of people like Robert E. Lee.
So, any city that decides to keep a statue of him
should at the very least add a speech bubble saying,
"You know, I told you all specifically, not to do this."
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
So-- so what do we do now?
Well-- well, I would argue that nothing is not acceptable,
and-- and trying to paper over the cracks
can actually make things worse.
In the 1990s, Richmond tried to fix its Monument Avenue,
a street lined with statues of Confederate leaders
by adding African-American tennis legend,
Arthur Ashe to it.
And you can't just give Confederates a black friend
and say, "We're good, right?"
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING) -We're good! Arthur's up there!
You love Arthur!
So-- so, if we really want to learn from,
and honor our history, perhaps the first step
might be to put most of these statues
somewhere more appropriate,
surrounded by ample historical context,
like in a museum.
Where people go to proactively learn about history,
and also to punish their children.
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING) -And please,
try not to think of this as a loss,
because it's actually a real opportunity,
and I'll show you, please.
Come with me.
-♪ (PATRIOTIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ -Because if and when
a pleat becomes empty,
that is a chance for your area to honor someone
who really deserves it.
A-- And I have some-- some ideas for replacements
that I would love to run by you.
First, Beaufort County, South Carolina,
how about a giant statue of...
Robert Smalls here?
He was born into slavery.
He stole a Confederate boat, and he sailed it to freedom,
and later served five terms in Congress.
This guy is amazing.
Atlanta, Texas.
You are the birthplace to...
Bessie Coleman.
The first African-American woman pilot.
-(AUDIENCE CHEERING) -Why would you not want this in your town? She's incredible!
Now, Florida.
You might not want an individual,
but how 'bout something that honors
what your state represents?
Something that says,
"You've got a little rebel in you."
So, I give you this statue
of your official state reptile...
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING) -an alligator
giving everyone the finger.
He's called Herman,
and he definitely says Florida,
while also having nothing to do with slavery.
And finally, finally, there is Charleston,
and to you, I say this.
Why have a divisive, Confederate statue when instead,
that pedestal can be filled by your favorite son,
-(AUDIENCE CHEERING) -the actual Stephen Colbert,
who will stand up there all day
telling you fun facts about your wonderful town.
-JOHN OLIVER: Right? -Yes.
-OLIVER: Really? -Yes.
Charleston. Charleston.
Charleston is the site of the first free public library
-in America. -That's fascinating, Stephen.
Every year, we host Zugunruhefest,
the Southeast's most comprehensive
migration-focused birding festival.
That sounds incredible, I'll google it!
See Charleston?
You can have this 24 hours a day,
seven days a week.
I-- I actually need to do my show five days a week.
Five! How?
(AUDIENCE CHUCKLING)
(WHISPERS) I don't know. I don't know.
Ooh! We're also Travel and Leisure's
number one U.S. destination for the last five years running.
-(AUDIENCE CHEERING) -Come on Charleston, you can have this in your life!
That's our show, thank you so much for watching.
See you next week. Goodnight!
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