(06-26-2024, 09:46 AM)Lucky2Last Wrote:

(06-25-2024, 07:16 PM)mikesez Wrote: Trump recognized that there were many white supremacists there and said they should be "condemned totally." Then he said he believed some of the people with the white supremacists were "very fine people." 

Perhaps Trump was right.  Perhaps it's possible to want a statue of Robert E Lee that was erected in 1920 to remain in place, without also being a white supremacist.  But such a person would be naive and ignorant, not "very fine".

We've been down this road a number of times. Why do you keep yourself so ignorant? 

At the unveiling of his first statue in Richmond, the keynote address focused on his work as an "apostle of reunification," and an "honorable man of character" who could bridge the gap between the north and the south. That was in 1890. By the early 1900's, he was considered a national hero, because he was a person that loved the idea of America and NOT BECAUSE HE HATED BLACK PEOPLE. People honored him because he lost the battle for states' rights, completely surrendered, and agreed with the federal law that people could not be enslaved, and spent the remaining days of his life encouraging his countrymen to reconcile for the good of the nation.

Robert E. Lee was instrumental in rebuilding the nation. He didn't condone slavery. He was completely conciliatory and encouraged southerners to put down their hate and reconcile with the north. People all over the country honored him and considered him the model to follow for the love of their country. 1920 was not during the height of the civil rights movement, so it follows that any statue built during that time was not doing it to attack blacks. Anyone who wants to remove Robert E. Lee statues that were built prior to the civil rights movement is naive and ignorant. Who better to denigrate when you want a nation divided?

Robert E Lee is admired by many people for many good reasons.  But I personally would not want to have a statue of a person who fought on the side of slavery and white supremacy.   And I understand why some people would be very offended by such a statue in a public place.  You say Robert E Lee did not condone slavery, but the fact is, the South seceded to defend slavery, and Robert E Lee made a choice to fight for the South.  So he did condone slavery.

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