Written In Stone & Paradise Lost?

Author Sanford Levinson offers a survey of selected commemorative monuments in his book Written in Stone: Public Monuments in Changing Societies. He focuses on monuments and historical symbols in the United States and offers European examples as a background to his argument. Levinson presents a complex analysis of the erection and interpretation of these historical memories encapsulated in stone, and ultimately leaves the reader with no solid conclusion. This is because the world of controversial monuments is very gray, and will always be debated by the public.

Levinson makes a good point that the controversy of many monuments stems from the inability of people to embrace their history as a whole. History is not a neat, pretty subject, and undesirable things have occurred since the beginning of time. As part of human nature, we reject any undesirable happenings and attempt to erase them from our remembered history. When this remembered history is displayed on a monument, at a historical site, or symbolized by a flag, it is easy to destroy.

The question Levinson raises is should this destruction of history take place? Does one single entity have the right to decide what is remembered, such as the government or private organization? Of course it is impossible to please everyone involved when it comes to a controversial monument. Levinson notes that there will never be one united point of view on any subject, controversial or not. However, compromise is possible when it comes to preserving history. Even if the object or symbol to be preserved is undesired by some, in the proper historical context it can serve as an educational tool for all. This is why Levinson states cases of museums preserving publicly undesired monuments and the establishment of statue parks. While these instances do not solve the issue of historical monuments, they can provide a compromise and a premise for dialogue.


Chapter 6: The Everglades and the Florida Dream

The history of the Everglades since man has inhabited Florida is largely one of destruction. Greed and power have led to the demise of the state's most unique natural habitat. While the Everglades is now a protected National Park, the struggle for this to occur has been a long and hard one. The area will never return to its original expansive size, and can not ever fully recover to its once untouched state.

Since the 1800s, the Everglades has been studied and explored by scientists and entrepreneurs alike. In the early twentieth century, the first efforts were made to "reclaim" the area and make it suitable for human inhabitation. This reclamation consisted of draining the wetlands and forming plots to sell to farmers. While numerous survey reports had been conducted on the Everglades throughout the 1900s, most were politically sponsored and produced incorrect and dangerous information. This information was used to justify the draining of the wetlands, and eventually backfired when none of the efforts worked. It even led to the loss of thousands of lives in the 1920s when hurricanes destroyed man made dikes and re-flooded the area.

Today, conservationists have taken a strong stand against further destruction of the Everglades. Governmental attempts to preserve the area have also been active in the form of the Comprehensive Review Study, which aims to "restore the environmental health of the beleaguered Everglades." Even with these good intentions, the government will never fully restore the wetlands, and may eventually cause more damage with their newly planted artificial saw grass marshes.

Though preservation attempts are being made, the Everglades will never fully recover. This serves as an important lesson to man about trying to fight nature. It is our duty to respect nature and try to live with it, rather than to tame or destroy it all together. Hopefully others will learn from the Everglades and preserve our country's natural beauty for future generations to enjoy.


Chapter 10: Alligators and Plume Birds: The Despoliation of Florida's Living Aesthetic

Alligators and plume birds have long been iconic symbols of Florida. They represent the exotic elements of the state, and have attracted tourists and new residents for over a century. Before Florida was widely settled, these animals numbered in the multi-millions. Today alligators have undergone a recovery from near extinction, while many plume birds have not been so fortunate.

These animals have suffered a parallel to the nearly extinct bison of the midwest. All were hunted for sport, fashion, or simply out of boredom. As bison were shot out of moving trains and their carcases left to rot, so too were the alligators and birds of Florida. However, Florida's animals suffered an even greater blow when they were found to be highly marketable in the early 1900s. Alligator hides created a lucrative trade that employed many Seminole Indians, and plume birds became highly valuable when their feathers became high fashion for ladies hats.

The only good thing to result from the devastation of these animal populations was the conservation movement became very active in Florida. The Audubon Society raised awareness, lobbied legislation, and established sanctuaries for birds. Alligator activists also helped by adding them to the endangered species list in the 1970s. While the devastation of these animals was so great that they will never return to their original numbers, the movement of conservation and activism has had a positive effect on the animals and Florida as a whole. The state is fighting hard to return to the natural paradise it was once noted to be, and with the continued efforts of these naturalists, hopefully it will succeed.