Charles Hughes
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
So all these Confederate statues coming down, even in Jeff City for a General who did not invade Jeff City. Such limited knowledge by groups today, in that war over 450,000 southerners lost their lives, most of them never, ever had a slave, probably were shoeless until joining the cause.
The cause at the time in the south, to these men who would join the Army was about states rights, not slavery. They wanted the right to live out of submission to "rulers from afar" much as did the freedom fighters of the revolution. When watching the movie "Gettysburg," the southerner explaining to a European person just before Pickets charge who the fighters are, and their heritage, to the USA, most coming from a family line dating back to the Revolutionary War and their fight for freedom from England. Many southerners saw the war the same way, take away slavery and I would be right there with them. Washington get the h--- out of my life! The same stand today, big government get out of my life!
So we tear down statues that are supposed to connect with slavery, but what is overlooked is the freedom fighter just wanting to live out his/her life with limited federal government controls, who died for that belief, hardly any of the dead or wounded had slaves. Like I said "take out slavery and I am right there fighting for my right to self determine."