all to curry favor and maintain power.rnThese taetics, I should add, had nothingrnto do with whether a statue of ArthurrnAslie eventually ended up somewhere onrnMonument Avenue, or whether he meritedrna plaee there. For most partisans,rnthat objeetive and that eonsiderationrnwere secondary or irrelevant, a mere pretextrnthat enabled them to exploit the situationrnfor their own ends, to provoke arnconfrontation with their antagonists, orrnto enhance their own visibility and statusrnwithin the community.rnNor did these schemes convey anvthingrnabout Ashe himself. For althoughrnthcv were allegedly implemented in hisrnname, Ashe, whatever his vulnerabilitiesrnand foibles, was by all accounts affable,rndiffident, refined, contemplative, andrnbrave—just the sort of fellow for whomrnpolitics holds no attraction. But thisrnscrambling for political crumbs had everythingrnto do with the corruption ofrnAmerican civilization, which in microcosmrnit exhibited.rnA4odern democracy has failed so spectacularlyrnbecause, among other things, itrnencourages self-indulgence, hi this case,rnthe politicians were not even concernedrnto appease the will of the majority, forrnwhich they showed a callous disregard.rnInstead, they pandered to a narrow stratarnof opinion among a determined, vocal,rnand powerful minoritv—in other words,rna faction—and represented it as democracy,rnlb justify their decision thcv thenrnspoke of its “moral correctness,” and in-rn’oked “symbolic” rather than “popular”rnreasons for supporting the placement ofrnthe statue along Monument Avenue.rnBut the final choice of location rightfullyrnbelonged to all the citizens of Richmond,rnnot to a select few, and certainlyrnnot to a City Council accustomed tornsettling disputes and solving problems b)’rnlegislative fiat. So much for democracy.rnSo much for government by consent.rnThose who wanted the statue ofrnArthur Ashe on Monument Avenuerncomplained that their opponents, menrnand women who stubbornly continuedrnto admire the Confederac’, could not orrnwould not let go of the past. But it is insecurityrnand hatred, not love, that makernpeople obsessive about getting their ownrnway, pressing their particular worldview,rnand assailing, discrediting, silencing,rnpunishing, or eliminating their enemies.rnThose who wanted the statue of ArthurrnAshe on Monument Avenue got it. Torntheir delight and satisfaction, 130 yearsrnafter the fact, the last Confederaternstronghold in Virginia has been broken.rnBut in their zeal to accomplish thisrnpurpose, they unwittingly disclosed whyrnremembering the Confederate dead isrnso important, and why we forget themrnat our peril.rnMark G. Malvasi teaches history atrnRandolph-Macon College in Ashland,rnVirginia.rnTHE WISDOM OF THE PLANNED GIFTrnThere are many ways to give to educational and charitable organizations such as The Rockford Institute,rnpublisher of Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture. Most people make direct gifts, which result in arn”charitable deduction” from their taxable incomes.rnAnother option is to estabhsh a Charitable Remainder Trust. Assume, for example, that a person boughtrnstock years ago at a cost of $20,000 that is now worth $50,000 and pays 3 percent in dividends. One way tornlock in the current value, avoid capital gains tax, and derive more income would be to create a CharitablernRemainder Unitrust. Pay-out percentages could be set at from 5 percent to 8 percent, and the funds placed inrnsecure income-producing investments. If the trust earns more than the agreed pay-out, the additional money isrnadded to the trust so that its size increases. Upon the death of the donor or his beneficiary, the trust wouldrnbecome the property of the Institute or other charities of the donor’s choice. Estate taxes are eliminated andrnthere is a sizable charitable deduction in the year the trust is established. The amount of the charitablerndeduction depends on the age of the donor and the income retained.rnLegacy Program, The Rockford Institute, 934 North Main Street, Rocltford, IL 61103rnI 1 Please send me generul information on “Planned Giving” options.rnI I Please send me information on the Institute’s Charitable Remainder Trust Fund.rnNAME_rnC1TY_ STATE^rnADDRESS.rnZIP PHONE_rnIf you have a specific asset, such as stocks, that you are considering for a contribution, and if you would like the Institute to evaluate the financial taxrnimplications for your gift, plea.se include Ihc following information:rnSS#_ . SS # (SPOUSELrnCOST OF ASSET_ ESTIMATED MARKET VALUE__rn42/CHRONICLESrnrnrn