Q & Q September 15, 2017
Lincoln Q & A September 15, 2017
Only a few of my more than 60 blogs and articles generated more questions, comments and criticisms than did my response to a question (really a challenge) from a reader about the removal of Confederate monuments and symbols. The reader wrote: “Where do you stand on the growing public movement to remove statues and other memorials of Confederate officials and commemorations of important Confederate events? Your answer will define your respect for our history. What is it, whitewash history or preserve it?”
The responses, questions and comments which I received could be divided into three broad political viewpoints. (A) Those likely more “progressive” who believe that I am a Confederate sympathizer and a racist; one even said “_____” Neo-Nazi. (you fill in the word.) OR , (B) those likely more “conservative” who believe I am naïve and politically correct or a “_____” Liberal (same word as before). OR, (C) I provided a reasonable, fair, and balanced opinion (I liked the last category best and, fortunately, it was the most prevalent).
Sadly, for me, I did have two readers, one with viewpoint (A), who may lean to the left, and one with viewpoint (B), who may lean more to the right, who both disagreed so strongly with my comments that they asked to be removed from my blog lists. While civil, both readers explained their reasons; which remarkably were very similar except they used polar opposite terminology to explain their disappointment in my remarks. While one said that I “obviously supported the removal of memorials” the other reader said that I was “too willing to listen to those who defended Confederate memorials.” And, while one said my “continuing defense of the motives of Robert E. Lee in blogs and books was misplaced because he was a traitor,” the other said he could no longer tolerate my “ongoing disrespectful comments toward Robert E. Lee.” Finally, one said that my “continuing adulation of Lincoln blinded me to his unacceptable racial biases” the other said that my “ongoing commentary about the negative racial attitudes of Whites toward Blacks in the 1800s, including Abraham Lincoln, is helping fuel these protests against Southern heroes and even the Founding Fathers.” These two acquaintances, with whom I have had some dialogue over the past few years, each have a fairly well-founded knowledge of history (as they each see it). I sent them the other’s letter (with names redacted) so that they might see the differences in their historical perspectives. Maybe I can facilitate a conversation between the two.
I know that readers of all opinions forwarded my comments to their friends and associates because some of the replies were from those with whom I had no earlier contact and were not on my mailing lists. As always, however, I replied personally to everyone.
First, for clarification, here is a brief re-cap of my initial response. (My full response “LincolnQ&Aconfederate memorial “is also attached to the cover e-mail). In part, I replied as follows:
That most of these memorials were funded by chapters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which was formed in the 1890s with the express purpose of raising funds to help preserve their southern heritage by honoring individuals and events from Confederate history. I want to preserve historically significant monuments, but it might be more fair to all citizens if some were placed in a museum setting rather than in the middle of a town square. I believe some who want to protect and preserve all of these memorials, fail to recognize, or simply disregard, the negative symbolism some monuments project. Unfortunately, the Confederate Battle flag (stars and bars), which is often depicted in memorials, has been confiscated by some white supremacists, exacerbating the tensions. …On the other hand, those honored by Confederate memorials, and many of our noble founding fathers (George Washington and Thomas Jefferson), were born in an era when slavery was legal and their position on slavery should not be the overriding definition of their lives. If we demonize historical figures who lived at that time, based only on their racial views, hardly any founder of our country nor any successful political figure from that era could have a memorial that survives the ages. I wonder if our current generations are doing something, or failing to do something, which one-hundred years from now, will cause us to be seen as unworthy of respect. If history is any indication, there will be something!
So, here are a few of the follow-up comments by readers to my initial response.
Several thought I was too simplistic when I wrote that some are willing to erase history replying, “History can’t be erased by the removal of a few hundred monuments.” Others, in effect, said, “You should have added that we must learn from the nation’s history of slavery and never forget the absurdity of one human owning another.”
Some asked me if I had any examples to support my comment that: “I sometimes wonder if we are doing something, or failing to do something, which one-hundred years from now, will cause us to be seen as unworthy of respect. If history is any indication, there will be something!” Actually, I believe there are several. (1) I fear my grandchildren’s grandchildren, will ask why we did not address the impossible burdens on their generations of the crippling national debt and the debts and budget deficits in most states. (2) They may ask why we let the country’s infrastructure deteriorate until the costs to repair were beyond the nation’s capacity, leaving their generations to live with third world bridges, roads, airports, dams, and electric grids. (3) They might ask why we allowed the failure of a 200 – year - old system of quality public education for all. (4) I hope, they do not have to ask, why we let race relations and political posturing become so divisive in this country that they are left to deal with the corrosive consequences. Or, (5) will they look back on our generations as too eager for war? They could rightly disrespect our generation for any of these failures as much as today’s society is “offended” by actions of leaders who lived over 150 years ago. Will they want to tear down our monuments, if we have any to start with?
Several writers commented that I am either (A) a Robert E. Lee apologist or, conversely, (B) I failed to recognize his long service to the United States Army. Actually, neither is correct. As to Robert E. Lee, the person, I respect his years of service in the U.S. Army. I believe that he is still the only cadet at the U.S. Military Academy to ever finish four years with no demerits (none!). He served heroically in the Mexican War and his accomplishments, before the Civil war, for the Corps of Engineers along the Mississippi River were outstanding feats. I believe if the state of Virginia had chosen to remain in the Union as a border state (like Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri) Lee would have likely sat out the Civil War, as he indicated he would in a series of letters. But, he made a monumental, and, in my mind, a flawed decision to resign his commission in the U.S. Army and pledge his loyalty to Virginia, and subsequently to the Confederacy. This, despite his belief that secession was anarchy and slavery was evil. We must recognize that almost all of the monuments erected to Lee by the United Daughters of the Confederacy commemorated his service to the Confederacy, not his service to the U.S. Army. I do not want any destroyed, but do not object if (1) they remain in place but become part of a broad educational experience explaining his personal conflicts and the history of slavery or (2) are carefully removed from a public area (such as a town square) and placed in another area (a museum perhaps) where interested individuals can seek out the memorial.
Then there were a few charges that I am a racist (one even said neo-Nazi) sympathizer. I hope I have lived my 75 years on this earth in such a manner that every-one who knows me, even those who do not like some of my other, less serious, but still annoying traits and habits, would vehemently disagree that I am a racist. On the opposite spectrum, to those who stated that I must be a Liberal, I believe my more progressive friends would laughingly disagree. Both of these diametrically opposed characterizations of me are absolutely wrong and are based on an extremist’s viewpoint of a moderate position that I have taken on one controversial topic. (Actually, the racist and Nazi accusations are not only very wrong but are personally disgusting to me). I hope this type of rhetoric, and labeling, does not creep into the vocabulary of the majority of Americans; for if it does, I fear our country may face disastrous, and, potentially unbridgeable, racial and political divisions. I will do my small part to prevent that from happening.
Finally, I was taken to task by both opposing factions for not condemning “the other sides” violence. To be very clear, I believe there is no place for attacks on individuals or property as an expression of protest or advocacy. None! Ever! I do believe there is a cherished place for peaceful protest and advocacy. Further, I do not believe that “shouting down” a speaker, or otherwise preventing free speech, is “peaceful protest” but is closer to anarchy. However, I do realize that such tactics garner attention from a media sometimes too lazy to research and report more broadly on the issues, so groups (on both sides) believe that those images of confrontation re-enforce their message. Maybe so, but I also believe that those images further harden the opposition, and never help bring resolution.
Friends, I just hope for a more tranquil, rational, and civil discussion of important topics so that we can begin to find solutions, instead of identifying enemies.
Contact the author at gadorris2@gmail.com.