Monuments and plaques of confederate notables like Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson have been taken down in Brooklyn.
Also streets are being asked to be removed. Mayor De Blasio said,” New York City will conduct a 90-day review of all symbols of hate on city property. “
Now in my opinion plaques and monuments tells a story of American history and not so much to honor some. That includes the bad and the good which have troubled and anger and divided America.
If we deny history we are doomed to repeat it and future generations will truly suffer.
In the book by George Orwell titled “1984,” history was rewritten and not what actual had happen.
Added to that President Washington and Jefferson held slaves does that mean their monuments should be torn down and that includes Mount Rushmore and to take that further that could mean removal of their images on our currency. Let’s be real!
You fight racism and hate of people different than ourselves with love and understanding.
History cannot be changed but we can learn to live in peace and in harmony with one another and teach our children to do the same.
Now on a personal note my grand-father who had died before I was born had fought in the Union Army during the Civil War.
He served under General Sherman in the march all the way to Georgia to eradicate slavery and to unite our great nation.
It’s time to use commonsense.
Let me also mention these facts I discover through other letter writers and the internet through Wikipedia. General Robert E. Lee was married to Georgia Washington’s grand daughter.
He worked with Ulysses Grant during the Mexican- American War and was a decorated war hero defending our country.
He believed slavery was evil. Also his wife broke the law by teaching slaves how to read and write.
After the Civil War he worked with President Andrew Johnson’ program of Reconstruction.
Here was a American veteran who is being treated with such disrespect. So sad.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Mineola
