“The Most Mentally Unwell Person in Congress”: Marjorie Taylor Greene Forgets Who the Founding Fathers Were and Claims “Communist” Democrats Are Erasing History

Jo ShawNov 7, 2023

Minute Read

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene found herself in an enlightening history lesson this week during a discussion about allocating funds to remove specific statues. Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree clarified to Greene that Robert E. Lee was not one of the Founding Fathers, addressing any potential confusion.

Communist Democrats Attempting to Erase History

In her defense of an amendment aimed at safeguarding monuments portraying the Founding Fathers on federal property, Greene made a notable connection by including the removal of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville as an illustration of what she perceived as “Communist Democrats” attempting to erase American history.

No Reason to Remove Any Monument

Greene spoke out during the debate and said, “Actually, there should be no funds allocated to remove any monument, and there’s no necessary reason to remove the monuments,”

Removing Robert E. Lee Is an “Outrage”

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“This is the Democrats’ and the Biden administration’s effort to erase our history, just as they have done to the statue of Robert E. Lee. This is an outrage,” she said.

Greene Attempts to Protect History

“This is exactly what they do in communist countries, and the Democrats want to accuse us of book burning while we try to get pornography books out of our children’s schools? The Democrats will do nothing to stop their attempts to destroy our nation’s history, and we must protect it,” Greene went on to argue.

Robert E. Lee Was Not One of the Founding Fathers

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However, Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree called out Republican Rep. Greene on her confusion over the facts. Pingree stated, “Just to clear up a couple of things, my colleague mentioned the Founding Fathers. Robert E. Lee was not actually one of the Founding Fathers. He was a General of the Confederacy.”

Republicans Want to Keep “Painful” Monuments

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Pingree also said that the Republican party focused on “book banning in our libraries, rewriting curriculum, not talking about our history over and over again, is the very one that is saying that we have to often keep painful monuments in places where they do damage, where they interfere with people’s ability to enjoy the particular area that they’re in.”

Statues Represent a System of Racial Apartheid

The majority of Confederate monuments were constructed during the period spanning from 1890 to 1940, long after the Civil War had concluded, and occurred during the period that Southern states established legalized racial segregation, effectively implementing a system of racial apartheid.

UDC Formed to Protect the Confederate Memory

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The (UDC) United Daughters of the Confederacy was formed in 1894 to preserve and honor the Confederate memory after the Civil War. Mainly made up of Confederate veterans’ descendants and supporters, they focused on fundraising for monuments, promoting their view of Confederate history, running Confederate museums, and assisting Confederate widows.

A Lost Cause Interpretation of the Civil War

In 1898, an auxiliary organization called the Children of the Confederacy was established. These initiatives were shaped by the Lost Cause interpretation of the Civil War, which prioritized states’ rights and secession as the primary causes of the war, downplaying slavery. White supremacists frequently exploited this interpretation in the twentieth century to advance their objectives.

Mass Murder in South Carolina Sparked Debate Over Confederate Statues

The organization persists in its memorial and charitable activities, yet the 21st century has brought controversy. In 2015, a mass shooting in South Carolina, linked to a neo-Confederate and white supremacist ideology, sparked national debates about Confederate memory and calls for the removal of monuments, including those by the Daughters. The UDC has since sought to distance itself from hate groups.

Robert E. Lee Statue Removed in 2021

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In 2021, Virginia removed the prominent statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, which was the final Confederate statue on Richmond’s historic Monument Avenue. A series of decisions from the state Supreme Court paved the way for its removal following a heated national debate.

Statue Removed After Killing of George Floyd

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The statue of the Confederate General was taken down in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, which ignited nationwide reflection on issues of police brutality and racism.

Ex-police Office Sentenced to Over 22 Years in Prison

In April 2021, Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes, was found guilty of both murder and manslaughter in connection to Floyd’s death. He received a prison sentence of 22 1/2 years.

Lawmakers Have Been Debating Police Reform

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Since then, national and local legislators have engaged in discussions about police reform and the need for law enforcement to adapt their practices. Teachers and students have initiated conversations on race and equity in educational settings, occasionally leading to controversy.

Removal of Statue “A Real Challenge”

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A CNN article written by Chandelis Duster detailed the response of Monument Avenue residents when the Robert E. Statue was removed. “Marland Buckner, a business owner who lived on Monument Avenue since 2015 and is one of the neighbors who supported the statue’s removal, told CNN it has been ‘very difficult, frustrating’ and at times ‘exhilarating’ watching what has unfolded on his street over the past year and generally ‘a real challenge.’”

Confederate Statues a “Flashpoint for Violence and Conflict”

Buckner also told CNN that the confederate statues were “flashpoints for violence and conflict,” and further added, “There is a certain amount of broad-based social urgency to removing these statues and other symbols of White supremacy…”

Marjorie Taylor Greene Cannot Be Schooled

People reacted online to Greene’s lack of knowledge. One user posted, “You cannot school that which refuses to learn. Marjorie needs serious help. Based on what she’s shown, I’d argue she’s the most emotionally and mentally unwell person in Congress. She should be expelled for her own good as much as for the good of the country.”