A simmering debate exploded after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017. The left is demanding the removal of all Civil War related statues and monuments as images if racism. The cries have even begun to reach back to the founding fathers, the Jefferson Memorial for example, as Jefferson was a slave owner and fathered children with one of his slaves. The right is vehemently opposed to the destruction of history and culture. Prior to this, attacks on religious monuments had been the focus, with many religious monuments of war heroes being vandalized and or forced down over separation of church and state. Again, the right is vehemently opposed to this attack on American culture.