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Who Will History Call Heroes?

   Written by on September 15, 2021 at 3:34 pm

Dear Editor,

On September 8th, the Robert E. Lee monument left public display.  To some a tragedy, to others a joyous event.   Removal of the monument came about largely due to demonstrations by groups decrying racism.  Instead, it demonstrates gross misunderstanding.  The War Between the States, the Civil War, the War of Northern Aggression, whatever you care to call it, if understood, should inspire those groups demanding societal change.

As the first American citizen in my family (Canadian), I have no dog in this hunt.  Personally, that monument represented a group of citizens who rose up against fascism, just as the modern day demonstrators did.  They rose up to affect change.  The ideals of the Confederacy did not coincide with today’s Black Lives Matter or the “Antifa” movement.  However, the two sides shared the same purpose: making a stand for principles in the face of institutional opposition.   You may not agree with what they stood for, but they stood and made their voices heard.  Don’t we have those same struggles today?  Should we erase the valiant stand people took against what they believed was tyranny?  Did not the South consider themselves oppressed?  If you believe their cause came on the backs of enslaved people, then that monument should not only honor their cause, but their defeat as well.  

Coincidentally, two hundred and forty seven years ago, on September 8, 1774, the First Continental Congress was in session to pursue agreement on how to deal with the oppressive taxation and lack of representation forced onto the colonies.   War would soon follow when those voices went unheard.  At least twenty-five thousand patriots paid the price with their lives.  Rising up against tyrannical rule forms the basis of this country.   However one may feel about the Confederacy, they rose up.  Two hundred and fifty-eight thousand southerners died defending their right to be heard.  This country, your country, no matter how flawed you envision it, stands today as a result of continued struggle against oppression.   If for no other reason, that monument should stand as a reminder.

Once again, a growing number of Americans feel the stifling of their voices by the institutions of government.  Try buying ammunition or food with long shelf life.   History can and will repeat itself if our government institutions fail to hear the drumbeat.  Who will our monuments honor 100 years from now?

Patrick L. Williams, Lunenburg County, Va.

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