Volume 68, Issue 4 | Page 36

DOCTORS' LOUNGE (continued from page 33) Then when the destruction of statues started, many felt we possibly shouldn’t celebrate Confederate Civil War heroes. Therefore, some essentially approved of the desecration of America’s historical monuments. Unfortunately, city after American city saw statues of Christopher Columbus torn down as well as those of our great presidents from George Washington to Thomas Jefferson to Abraham Lincoln being defaced or destroyed. Radicals in Portland tore down the statute of President George Washington that had been standing for almost 100 years. Then they draped good ole’ George in an American flag and set it aflame. The statue of Francis Scott Key (author of America’s national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner) was torn down and the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. was defaced. Still, some thought these historical figures did own slaves, and some began to somewhat understand the thoughts of the rioters. But, this somewhat of a “consensus” came to a halt when the rioters began to destroy Abraham Lincoln statues, the president who freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation, and statues of General and President Ulysses S. Grant, who led the Union to victory during the Civil War. The Shaw Memorial in Boston was destroyed by rioters, a monument which honors the first all-volunteer Black regiment of the Union Army in the Civil War. And the kicker of them all is they tore down a statue of Hans Christian Heg, an abolitionist who died trying to end slavery. Why in the world would an American destroy monuments which honor anti-slavery heroes? Finally, Shaun King, co-founder of Real Justice PAC, has called for the destruction of the statues of Jesus Christ and murals and stained-glass windows with Jesus at all churches. In light of what was said above, it is even more important to recognize that millions of young Americans have been indoctrinated in our nation's colleges and universities and now even in our high schools. Higher education has been “fundamentally” transformed which has produced an angry, arrogant, historically ignorant and morally confused generation. Is it not important to allow both sides of a controversial subject to be told? Does truth matter? Dr. Simon is double boarded. He is certified in internal medicine and in allergy & immunology. He is president of Frank G. Simon, PSC. He has been practicing in Jefferson County for 50 years. He is a fellow in the American College of Physicians and in the American College of Allergy. 34 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE