Comments on: Notes on an Imagined Plaque

By: h

Sat, 22 Oct 2016 13:55:51 +0000

He didn’t order the massacre. Do some fact checking.

By: Tom Bremer

Tom Bremer — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 01:16:28 +0000

One correction to this otherwise outstanding commentary: the statue that stands in Memphis’s renamed Health Sciences Park actually faces south, not north as this story repeatedly insists.

By: Elizabeth Rosenberg

Elizabeth Rosenberg — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 03:09:05 +0000

Gave me head-to-toe goosebumps at the end. Inspirational and incredibly important message. Thanks, Nate!

By: rob hamdy

rob hamdy — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 15:53:25 +0000

deez nuts

By: Rory

Rory — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 17:30:45 +0000

Such blatant and false revisionism. I won’t waste my time with your entire drivel, but will at least take one.

“Why don’t you pick on General Grant who had slaves himself.”

General US Grant inherited one slave, which he promptly granted his freedom to (even though Grant was living in poverty and desperately needed the money he could have got for him, or got by making the man buy his freedom). The rest of your post is about as factual as this claim, or the quote you invented.

By: C Fortson

C Fortson — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 23:35:01 +0000

I had really enjoyed your podcast up to this episode where you chose to generalize and paint everyone from the South as racist slave owners, not true or accurate, but the usual strategy of liberal/progressives. Making claims that anyone who fought for the South by default agreed with slavery is slanted and straight out of the Oprah Winfrey school of edited history. Slavery wasn’t even an issue at the beginning of the war, it started over states rights. Now having said that I’d like to say, I do NOT believe in slavery and no one in my family has ever owned a slave, but we did fight and die for the south. If such a time arises as it did in 1776 and we find ourselves in need of new guards we won’t hesitate to through off the oppressive one. I believe, even to this day that every state has the right to secede from this union if it finds itself being oppressed and bullied by corruption. Government over reach happens even unto this day, taking private property for example.

By: Tyler’s 2015 American Radio Roundup | Tyler Kent Hill

Tyler’s 2015 American Radio Roundup | Tyler Kent Hill — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 00:20:42 +0000

[…] “Notes on an Imagined Plaque to be Added to the Statue of General Nathan Bedford Forrest, Upon He… I guess the lengthy title of this episode speaks for itself. It’s about Confederate Monuments. […]

By: MWJ

MWJ — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 22:23:23 +0000

I love you. I LOVE you. I LOVE YOU. Thank you.

By: JE Sides

JE Sides — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 00:55:52 +0000

Oh my. Superb. Absolutely superb.

By: Slash Intercept | 2015: 022 Knowledge Drop

Slash Intercept | 2015: 022 Knowledge Drop — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 02:41:26 +0000

[…] Episode 73: Notes on an Imagined Plaque to be Added to the Statue of General Nathan Bedford Forrest,… […]

By: Nancy

Nancy — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 17:38:22 +0000

Thank you for this thoughtful, passionate, well-researched piece. Professor James Loewen points out in “Lies Across America” and his lectures “Rethinking our Past”, our historical markers and sites say more about when they went up then about the history they are supposed to represent. He also writes and edits and surveys textbooks and uses original sources. The person…discussing… reconstruction anecdotally might find his work enlightening, if read with an open mind.

By: Tom Bremer

Tom Bremer — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 02:38:29 +0000

This is a wonderfully eloquent and forceful commentary on the Forrest monument, perhaps the best that I have heard. As a historian living and working in Memphis, I have had several opportunities to engage with students and colleagues in difficult and provocative discussions of Forrest and his legacy at the site of the monument, wrestling with the painful past literally on the base of the arrogantly regal statue. This commentary gets to the heart of so many of the issues that never seem to go away, and connects them in ways both poetic and powerful. The Memory Palace has ascended to the heights of the historical sublime. Thank you for the wonderful work that you do.

By: Anshu Sharma

Anshu Sharma — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 22:00:22 +0000

This is beautifully melancholy of the confederate. This is both a testament, and condemnation of a country that will never be.

By: History Revisited, Heritage Reshaped | GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION

History Revisited, Heritage Reshaped | GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 11:10:20 +0000

[…] Source: thememorypalace.us […]

By: admin

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 04:14:08 +0000

In reply to Dave Fankhanel. Hi. Thanks so much for writing in. At this time, there are no plans to release text versions or transcripts.

By: Dave Fankhanel

Dave Fankhanel — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 03:45:11 +0000

Thank you for your work. Its beautiful. And though I prefer listening to your pieces they are published as audio on your site, I was wondering if you have text versions of your pieces. If would be useful to me in a few ways. Thanks.

By: Peter McDowell

Peter McDowell — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 21:13:28 +0000

I appreciate this episode and the title, as well.

P.S. The “L” is missing from City Council.

By: MB

MB — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 04:09:56 +0000

Wow! I am ever amazed by the lack of knowledge and self righteous finger pointing. Why was Forrest in the KKK? What was the original purpose of the KKK? If you want to know, research what the Union League did in the south during so called “Reconstruction.” You were never taught this as was I in the revisionist dumbed down propaganda that was passed to us as history in school. Why don’t you read some accounts such as Nelson Winbush’s grandfather, a black man who rode with Forrest and get his take on things? Did you know that Confederate Veterans, considered as U.S. veterans by the House of Representatives, were not allowed to have firearms at the end of the war, leaving them and their families vulnerable to gangs that were manipulated by the Union League? What would you do if your neighborhoods were infested by gangs? Forrest had his faults, and at least he admitted them. Why don’t you pick on General Grant who had slaves himself. When asked why he had them, he said, “Good help is hard to find.” Read some period documents and the Official Documents of the War of the Rebellion from the U.S. Congress. And what do the lost lives in the church shooting, which grieves me also, have to do with the Confederacy?

By: It's Time to Separate the South From the Confederacy - GreenEnergy4.us

It's Time to Separate the South From the Confederacy - GreenEnergy4.us — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 15:07:27 +0000

[…] Monument Association spoke of his chivalry, and of heritage and honor. As Nate DiMeo notes in a recent episode of his podcast, The Memory Palace, the statue was unveiled “at a specific moment in […]

By: Andrew Ryder

Andrew Ryder — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 21:22:47 +0000

Wow. Powerful, thoughtful, emotional storytelling at its best. Have listened twice already and can’t listen to anything else until I’ve heard it a few more times. BEST. EPISODE. EVER.

By: Cindy Flores

Cindy Flores — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 18:09:15 +0000

As a southerner, living in Richmond, VA, home Monument Avenue, the Confederate Museum and Jefferson Davis Highway, this changes the way I view all of our confederate monuments. This podcast gave me goosebumps. Thank you, this was profound. Also, thank you for the dedication to the lost lives in the church shooting, may they rest in peace.

By: Shawn

Shawn — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 01:15:15 +0000

this was, without a doubt, your best episode ever and quiete possibly the best podcast I ever heard.

Great story and research and storytelling. It’s been said already, put you avoided being PC and just laid it out there the way it is—and the way it should be.

You followed it up with another great episode on the the Apollo XI launch…and put it out exactly as it probably was. Dare I say Nate, you probably have found your voice in the best way possible.

Expect my donation soo.

By: Jenna

Jenna — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 20:12:46 +0000

This is my new favorite treat. This podcast is comprised of lyrical, poetic, short story’s. Each one beautifully magical. And this particular episode gave me more goosebumps than most of his episodes. Every time I listen to one I stop whatever I am doing and savor every word. They’re all so amazing that for a few brief moments I go wherever his story is, and live there, for just a moment.

By: Postmortem XXXV: Best Podcasts August 10-16 - The Timbre

Postmortem XXXV: Best Podcasts August 10-16 - The Timbre — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 16:50:47 +0000

[…] The Memory Palace: “Notes on an Imagined Plaque to be Added to the Statue of General Nathan Be… […]

By: Tom Karches

Tom Karches — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 14:24:05 +0000

Words escape me. This was amazing and heartbreaking all at the same time.

By: Paul K

Paul K — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 13:01:54 +0000

Really nice. Drives home the hypocrisy of “southern heritage and culture” since those are completely synonymous with racism and slavery.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 12:10:31 +0000

1st, I LOVE the podcast every episode.

Bejay, while I appreciate how Forrest turned his life around, being the first grand wizard started an evil tradition costing thousands of lives ever since. Tho is similar to the slaveship captain that saw the errors of his way and wrote “Amazing Grace”. He will always be known as both a slaveship captain and a repentant priest.

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 16 Aug 2015 18:55:23 +0000

Powerful, well told, essential to tell. Thank you. This is the Memory Palace and podcasting at its very best.

By: Mark Allender

Mark Allender — Sun, 16 Aug 2015 18:23:28 +0000

This was profound.

By: Giese

Giese — Sun, 16 Aug 2015 03:15:17 +0000

This was your finest work yet. The first episode to literally send chills through my body upon the end. Seriously, great work. Thanks, Nate.

By: Ken Pimple

Ken Pimple — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 20:37:43 +0000

This might be the high point of the memory palace so far, and that’s saying something. I hope hundreds of thousands of people hear this, perhaps in history class.

By: Bobbi

Bobbi — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 14:39:05 +0000

I’ve been a listener for a very long time, but I had to pull over and comment on the most recent episode. First let me say, thank you. Thank you for not choosing to be PC and choosing honesty. What an excellent commentary on exactly what the discussion about the Confederacy is actually about.

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 13:50:46 +0000

Just wonderful.

By: Bejay

Bejay — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:53:36 +0000

Here’s a speech Forrest delivered to an African American society in 1875, where he was presented with a bouquet on mounting the platform: “Ladies and Gentlemen I accept the flowers as a memento of reconciliation between the white and colored races of the southern states. I accept it more particularly as it comes from a colored lady, for if there is any one on God’s earth who loves the ladies I believe it is myself. ( Immense applause and laughter.) I came here with the jeers of some white people, who think that I am doing wrong. I believe I can exert some influence, and do much to assist the people in strengthening fraternal relations, and shall do all in my power to elevate every man to depress none. (Applause.) I want to elevate you to take positions in law offices, in stores, on farms, and wherever you are capable of going. I have not said anything about politics today. I don’t propose to say anything about politics. You have a right to elect whom you please; vote for the man you think best, and I think, when that is done, you and I are freemen. Do as you consider right and honest in electing men for office. I did not come here to make you a long speech, although invited to do so by you. I am not much of a speaker, and my business prevented me from preparing myself. I came to meet you as friends, and welcome you to the white people. I want you to come nearer to us. When I can serve you I will do so. We have but one flag, one country; let us stand together. We may differ in color, but not in sentiment Many things have been said about me which are wrong, and which white and black persons here, who stood by me through the war, can contradict. Go to work, be industrious, live honestly and act truly, and when you are oppressed I’ll come to your relief. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for this opportunity you have afforded me to be with you, and to assure you that I am with you in heart and in hand. (Prolonged applause.)” http://tennessee-scv.org/ForrestHistS…/forrest_speech.html

By: Bejay

Bejay — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:37:39 +0000

Forrest fought to preserve the slave power, looked on while surrendering black soldiers were murdered at Fort Pillow. When he surrendered declared that, “any man who [like Jefferson Davis] is in favor of a further prosecution of this war is a fit subject for a lunatic asylum.” After the war, in he came to lead the KKK in order to “restore order.” He grew disgusted at the Klan’s actions however. In 1869 he ordered it disbanded and all it robes etc. destroyed. He made speeches telling blacks that he welcomed them as his fellow citizens. He publicly worked to eliminate the last vestiges of the Klan he once lead. In 1874,’after the murder of four blacks by a lynch mob after they were arrested for defending themselves at a BBQ, Forrest wrote to Tennessee Governor Brown, offering “to exterminate the white marauders who disgrace their race by this cowardly murder of Negroes.”‘ He urged the admission of blacks into colleges and law schools. It was not on his death bed that he repented. Forrest was no saint, he fought for wicked cause, but we wasn’t all bad either. —- The suggested plaque would not out of place, and the narrator correctly draws our attention no to Forrest himself, but to the people who put up the monument.

By: Jake

Jake — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 03:10:52 +0000

Powerful episode Nate! Thank you for doing what you do.

By: Arian Rana

Arian Rana — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 02:01:29 +0000

Thank you. I’d love to say more, but you’ve said it perfectly, so… thank you.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 20:32:44 +0000

Outstanding.

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 18:21:05 +0000

I was brought up in the south and listened to confederate apologia for most of my youth. I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m so glad that some people are finally relegating these relics of glorified treason and slavery to the past, where they belong.

By: Kenn Neher

Kenn Neher — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 13:31:40 +0000

I listened to your most recent podcast on Forrest today. I appreciate your making clear that the basic tenant of the Confederacy was that people should be able to be kept as slaves. To paraphrase a living “politician”, no matter how much lipstick you put on that pig, it is still a pig.