Dear Editor:
Reading Wednesday's News Tribune, I found a couple of very interesting articles about the Confederate monument issue. Columnist Cal Thomas says, "The place to make their case is before elected representatives, or peacefully in the public square. They might ask how far those who want to abolish history want to go. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson owned slaves Should the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial be destroyed or renamed?"
And a law professor and director of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Jeffrey F. Addicott, called removal of statues a "slippery slope," saying judging historical figures through a modern lens can be difficult. "A healthy democracy and people within that democracy should be able to say, 'This is our history.' And history is made up of actions of human beings, and human beings aren't perfect." Statues, he added, can be moved, but he is opposed to them being put in a warehouse, never to be seen again, because then you're kind of erasing or rewriting history."
Where will it stop? Will they soon be ripping pages out of history books or tearing off the wall in museums the framed pictures of those deemed evil in some way? It is history. I agree with Cal Thomas. Can a compromise be met in some way, by peaceful discussion instead of violent, radical outbursts of anger and destruction?
Issue-oriented letters to [email protected] are welcome. All letters should be limited to 400 words in length; longer letters may be edited to conform to the specified length. The author's name must appear with the letter, and the name, address and phone number provided for verification. Letters that cannot be verified by telephone will not be published.