The infestation of the United States by statues of Confederate generals is finally being dealt with at a proper pace. Pest control workers, volunteer and state-paid alike, are coming together to root out all the old stone men, and whether the sneaky fellas hide in public parks or in front of government buildings, they’re being dealt with. To help those at home follow the progress of this grand undertaking, The New York Times has published a continually updating map of the Confederate monuments that have recently been taken down or are currently being considered for removal.
The map is accompanied by a list with further details and photos of the removal process. In New Orleans, for example, four of the nasty critters have been toppled so far by city workers protected by police. In Annapolis, Maryland, Jacksonville, Florida, and Lexington, Kentucky, local authorities have been working through proposals to follow suit. When these processes are stalled, as in Durham, North Carolina, DIY-ers tired of waiting for official pest control to get its paperwork in order, have undertaken the process themselves.
The Times’ map shows just how massive the infestation has become, its introductory paragraph mentioning that “there are likely hundreds of such monuments in the United States.” Still, the black and red dots showing which cities have removed, or are working to remove, the monuments is a pretty clear indication that work continues apace.
Despite the best efforts of young racists to protect stone images of old ones, the country seems to be gaining awareness of the problem’s depth. Each of the dots on The Times’ map demonstrates one step on the way to fumigating the most obvious symptom of a national issue left untreated too long. The damage they’ve done to the country’s fabric won’t be as easy to solve, but, for now at least, there’s gratification in seeing something being done.