Conservative Republican Corey Stewart had a few choice tweets about the removal of Confederate monuments in New Orleans, prompting the public to give the Virginia gubernatorial hopeful a swift history lesson.
Stewart voiced opposition to the Monday, April 24, removal of the Liberty Place monument, which commemorates white people who attempted to overthrow an integrated Reconstruction government and displayed a white supremacist inscription. Stewart also was upset about the scheduled removal of the statues of Confederate Generals Robert E.Lee and P.G.T. Beauregard and Confederate States of America President Jefferson Davis.
Politicians who are for destroying the statues, monuments and other artifacts of history are exactly like ISIS. pic.twitter.com/XW8wbvw93k
— Corey Stewart (@CoreyStewartVA) April 26, 2017
Several commenters promptly schooled Stewart.
@CoreyStewartVA con·fed·er·ate
noun
kənˈfed(ə)rət/
1. a person one works with, especially in something secret or illegal; an accomplice.— Steve Culbertson (@Culbs) April 26, 2017
@CoreyStewartVA You know the monument taken down in NOLA celebrated the phrase “white supremacy” & terrorism in the actual, monument inscription?
— Deep State Jim (@JimnBL) April 26, 2017
@CoreyStewartVA You do realize we tore down virtually all of the monuments erected by the Axis Powers, right? Does this make us “like ISIS?”
— K. Raj Dayalan (@KRajDayalan) April 26, 2017
@CoreyStewartVA Tearing down a monument made for white supremacists isn’t similar to a terrorist group that kills innocent people. Put your phone down pal
— lesbian mom (@pastalememe) April 26, 2017
Many more took issue with Stewarts’ later tweet, including John Legend.
Nothing is worse than a Yankee telling a Southerner that his monuments don't matter.
— Corey Stewart (@CoreyStewartVA) April 25, 2017
@CoreyStewartVA Like, literally, nothing? Nothing is worse?
— John Legend (@johnlegend) April 25, 2017
Nothing except lynchings, forced separation of families, mass kidnappings across oceans and selling human beings on the open market https://t.co/WVk1SNXLVM
— Ragnarok Lobster (@eclecticbrotha) April 25, 2017
1. Slavery
2. Lynchings
3. Black women raped + their rapists set free
4. Jim Crow
5. Workplace discrimination
6. Housing discrimination https://t.co/aTgOxwXEqd— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) April 25, 2017
The only things I can think of that is worse is:
– slavery.
– Living your life as noted moron Corey Stewart. https://t.co/aTBywEdPpb— Anchorage DSA 🌹 (@AnchorageDSA) April 25, 2017
Others called out the politician, who is a Minnesota native, for not being a true Southerner.
Speaking of your home state Minnesota, which was a Union state. A state that was critical to the Confederates defeat at Gettysburg.
— Donté Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) April 25, 2017
Wait, are you the Yankee in this scenario? pic.twitter.com/zpzEDbtXrW
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) April 25, 2017
@CoreyStewartVA You were born in Minnesota, so let’s amend: there’s many things worse than a Yankee pretending to be a Southerner but it’s still pretty dumb
— Matthew Kory (@mattymatty2000) April 25, 2017
Stewart didn’t ignore the criticism. He addressed it head-on in a series of tweets.
I want to thank all the liberal celebrities, musicians, & media personalities who are now all of a sudden experts on historical monuments.
— Corey Stewart (@CoreyStewartVA) April 25, 2017
Virginia's historical monuments are being attacked. I will fight to preserve our historical monuments. Share the word! pic.twitter.com/576gLLkE2f
— Corey Stewart (@CoreyStewartVA) April 26, 2017
Snowflakes are so upset that we aren't backing down to the bullying & trying to force political correctness on us. Safespaces don't work!
— Corey Stewart (@CoreyStewartVA) April 26, 2017
Liberals & snowflakes by your standard, you're not a Virginian unless you were born in Virginia? Is that how you feel about Americans, too?
— Corey Stewart (@CoreyStewartVA) April 26, 2017
All of the unemployed @BarackObama & @HillaryClinton staffers who were kicked out of DC by @POTUS are trolling me about Virginia heritage.
— Corey Stewart (@CoreyStewartVA) April 26, 2017
But Twitter users didn’t back down.
Some called out his use of the term “snowflake.”
I've read a few different things on it today. Seems it was most emphatically used by pro-slavery types. So, the shoe still fits Corey!
— Adrian Todd Zuniga (@atzuniga) April 26, 2017
And they also lost. BADLY. #CincodeMayo
— Jack Zullo (@JackZullo) April 26, 2017
Others educated Stewart once again.
@CoreyStewartVA Can you believe all those historical monuments other countries have torn down? Lenin, Stalin, Saddam Hussein… all gone. unbelievable.
— Josh G (@fortnightlylist) April 26, 2017
@CoreyStewartVA Why would you idolize monuments that represent the exploitation of slaves? They should’ve been removed the moment the confederacy lost.
— Cecilia (@Ceecilia94) April 26, 2017