That’s the real fight taking place every time Americans argue about monuments, museums, school curriculum, or the Smithsonian. AdvertisementAs a black conservative, I find this entire debate strangely familiar because I’ve spent years listening to people insist that I must choose between two versions of America. The danger of editing history isn’t simply that people become uninformed. As someone who grew up in Memphis, I understand that history isn’t abstract. A philosophy rooted in truth shouldn’t fear historical complexity, but should welcome it.