Here’s a question I suggest to my conservative friends and associates whenever they are amazed by some bizarre project emanating from the Left. Always ask….What’s Next?

There’s always a next. I began to see this clearly in 2015. Having delivered a speech at the Lincoln Day Dinner traditional among Republican state and local parties, I was moved to compare our tradition with the Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson DayDinner tradition.

Since Hillary Clinton was addressing the Virginia Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner that same week I thought it appropriate to point out that Thomas Jefferson owned 600 slaves over his lifetime and may have personally added to the total with the help of Sally Hemmings. Andrew Jackson started with nine slaves on his plantation and expanded his servile workforce to 150 by the time he died. The Central Maine Papers published my column on the subject on June 29.

The Democrats have long honored Presidents Jackson and Jefferson as the de facto founders of their party. The Jefferson–Jackson Day Dinner has been a long-standing celebration held annually by Democratic Party organizations throughout the United States. It was, a prime occasion for raising money and introducing candidates. I did not suggest that it was wrong for Democrats to raise money and introduce their candidates, but I did suggest that they might reconsider the name of their annual party celebration.

The very next month word reached me that the Connecticut Democratic Party had dropped Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson from their traditional Jefferson-Jackson-Bailey annual fund-raising dinner. They kept Bailey. I used to know what Bailey did to earn their continued devotion, but I no longer remember. Readers who need to know can do an Internet search. The Connecticut Chairmammal, Nick Balletto said he hoped that all the state parties would follow the Nutmeg state’s example. Nick didn’t mention my name.

On August 5, Christopher Cousins reported “The Maine Democratic Party is in the process of choosing a new name for its annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.” Maine’s Democratic executive director, Jeremy Kennedy, pretended that the change had been “discussed informally since last year.” Sure. I suppose these “discussions” were down a well out in the woods. No one had ever heard of them before June 29, 2015. I’m far too humble a man to claim credit. The chronology speaks for itself. I have nothing to add. Georgia, Missouri, and New Hampshire soon followed Maine. Virginia replaced their J and J Day Dinner with “The Blue Commonwealth Gala” starting June 16, 2018—almost exactly three years after I pointed the downside to celebrating the memory of two slave-owners.

Virginia party spokesmammal, Jake Rubenstein said the decision that came as a result of much discussion involving “a wide swath of Democratic stakeholders.” Discussion—what was there to discuss? Don’t they read the Waterville Sentinel and Kennebec Journal in Virginia?

The Disappearance of Jefferson and Jackson from the Democratic Party hagiography turned out to be the beginning of a process of historical purification which has recently accelerated. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is even open to a “dialogue” about toppling statues of George Washington when we can turn our attention away from the virus emergency. Three things to remember about her response. First, it’s a crude and obvious evasion., so far no one has accused Washington of spreading any known virus. Second, the statue-smashers aren’t interested in dialogues, and are clearly too ignorant and frantic to participate. Third, there is no obvious limit to this work of destruction and erasure. If we can’t honor the man with statues, what’s his face doing on the dollar bills in Tammy’s purse? What should we re-name our national capital—Sharptonburg? Obamagrad? Wait a minute….Washington, District of ….Oh my god! Columbia. How long can we endure such a national disgrace? Baltimore’s StalinJugend has torn down the city’s Christopher Columbus and thrown it into the harbor.

Newark’s mayor Ras Baraka announced in a series of tweets that his city has removed a statue of Christopher Columbus from Washington Park. “In keeping with the movement to remove symbols of oppression and white supremacy,” Ras tells his citizens, “we have decided to remove the statue of Christopher Columbus from Washington Park. We took it down with city work crews in a safe and orderly manner, to avoid the potential danger of people taking it upon themselves to topple it.” Will Washington Park remain Washington Park? Too early to say.

Down South in Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, after a week of vandalism on his city’s Columbus, expressed a desire to not destroy it. He favors having it boxed up and removed to a safe place until Camden has had a chance for a community discussion. “Right now,” he babbled, “we are going through a lot of social unrest and Americans are insisting that history be accurate.”

I wonder if Reed really believes that Americans are deeply dedicated to historical accuracy. I taught Jersey men and women history for 32 years and saw little evidence of such dedication.

Do your own quick review of Maine’s statues and place names. Do you see a prompt resolution of our historical purification process?

John Frary of Farmington, the GOP candidate for U.S. Congress in 2008, is a retired history professor, an emeritus Board Member of Maine Taxpayers United, a Maine Citizen’s Coalition Board member, and publisher of FraryHomeCompanion.com. He can be reached at jfrary8070@aol.com.

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