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“So what is “virtue signaling” and is it a bad thing?
Well, in the military they use codes call “I.F.F.” — Identify Friend or Foe. From simple pass words (challenge: “Halt! Who goes there, Davy”response: “Crockett, it's me Charlie”) to sophisticated radio codes between aircraft, they all say basically the same thing: “don't shoot, I'm your friend”.Now in wide-ranging internet debates over many subjects from different perspectives it can get hard to tell whose opinions we support, and whose we don't. So, some IFF might be necessary just to prevent debate friendlyfire “fratricide”.”

Time for a process check.

This thread is titled “Will Attacks on Monuments Include Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan?”

Brother Joe, your last, on target, post to me was #204. You gallantly, but wrongheadedly, defended Sherman's genocidal aspirations.

Since, you have leveled a personal attack and folded in some references to Shakespeare and roses. Now IFF to add distraction to diversion.

Yes, I did participate (post 225) by taking downtown the hanging meatball you served. It was a whim on my part.

To the point: have you resigned? It looked like you were headed to checkmate before the board got bumped.

If you are still in the discussion and have a hankering to defend extermination talk, start with this:

“Damn any man who sympathizes with Indians! ... I have come to kill Indians, and believe it is right and honorable to use any means under God’s heaven to kill Indians. ... Kill and scalp all, big and little; nits make lice.”

jeffersondem: "Brother Joe, your last, on target, post to me was #204. You gallantly, but wrongheadedly, defended Sherman's genocidal aspirations."

As always, a gross mischaracterization from jeffersondem.
Much to your disappointment, I'm sure, nobody defends either "genocide" or "genocidal aspirations".
But what do those words mean, and is that really what Sherman expressed?
So let's consider some examples:
Clearly, Auschwitz was genocide, no dispute over definitions there.
But, on the other extreme, suppose now that when Cain murdered Abel, he cried out, "Take that, you Jew", do those words make it "genocide"?
No, let's not be silly.

Sherman is here talking to Grant about how to defeat the Sioux who knowingly invaded our Crow ally treaty lands.
Sherman's recommendation clearly implies using as much force as is necessary, but Grant rejected Sherman's advice and the results, as Sherman could have predicted, was Sioux victory, US & Crow defeat.

So I don't see "genocidal aspirations" in Sherman's words, only a recommendation on how win Red Cloud's War.
And since Sherman's recommendation was rejected, and the war lost, "genocide" or "extermination" are not part of that picture.

jeffersondem: "Since, you have leveled a personal attack and folded in some references to Shakespeare and roses.
IFF to add distraction to diversion."

All and only in response to jeffersondem's off-topic diversions.

jeffersondem: "have you resigned?"

I never "resign", but am often occupied elsewhere.
And I do occasionally miss responding to a post needing one.
Based on your comments above, though, seems maybe I don't miss enough, right?

jeffersondem: "If you are still in the discussion and have a hankering to defend extermination talk, start with this:"

By some counts the US fought 40 wars, by my count it was 52, against various Indian tribes over ~100 years.
In those wars, thousands of settlers/soldiers and Native Americans died at each others' hands.
So one can imagine that on occasion some of their tempers & words got rather hot.

But the American plan was always reservations, not genocide or extermination.
And census numbers from the time do not show either genocide or extermination.