Should we ignore our history because of the injury it may have caused at the time? I am not offended by General Lee. Are you?

2016-08-23T03:15:28-04:00

http://www.news-press.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/08/20/general-lee-portrait-needs-removed/32085673/

You cannot erase history by taking down a photo or denying deeply felt affiliation. You can also admire the dignity of a leader without believing in their cause. There are truly exceptions to this, but General Lee died as a patriot! Right?

Response by ENS Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2016 3:46 AM

2016-08-23T03:46:13-04:00

General Lee played a major role in the History of the Untied States. We should not ignore or blacken out this part of history just because someone might feel "offended" by it.

Response by CPT Tom Monahan made Aug 23 at 2016 4:41 AM

2016-08-23T04:41:42-04:00

"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." History is our story, warts and all. Everything was not pretty and right; however, we use it to learn from and grow.

Response by Maj Marty Hogan made Aug 23 at 2016 5:56 AM

2016-08-23T05:56:14-04:00

Each followed what the believed. Was not as much about the Union in that time and more about State rights.

Response by Maj William W. 'Bill' Price made Aug 23 at 2016 6:21 AM

2016-08-23T06:21:49-04:00

Thank you for the post, COL Lee Flemming. I agree with you: taking down a photo or denying an affiliation does not erase history. The writer of the article you shared attempts to short-circuit objections to his misguided proposal by focusing on a "uniform." Will all uniforms be next? Regardless of one's opinion on an event in history, General Robert E. Lee remains an example that all citizens would do well to follow. He indeed left this world as a patriot, and in my opinion, remains so.

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Aug 23 at 2016 6:34 AM

2016-08-23T06:34:48-04:00

General Lee, like all of us, lived in real time and space. He lived when the nation split down the middle. He loved his state of Virginia and where Virginia went, he followed. He graduated from West Point and had the nation not split would have likely served in the US Army his entire career.

Keep in mind, an act of Congress essentially made all Confederate soldiers the equal of any Veteran of the US Armed Forces.

One of my favorite quote is one of Lee's.

"Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less."

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Aug 23 at 2016 7:03 AM

2016-08-23T07:03:59-04:00

Some time ago I had something happen that see!ed relevant here. I'd gone to attend something and was staying over at a place that has a library. One of the two owners of the place had given in a collection to the library, she was apparently a really serious southern historian evidently. Amongst all of the various books she had on the antebellum South was a biography of Lee, with an inscription in the flyleaf that, when I'd read it, pretty much floored me and still does: "In loving memory of Robert E Lee, from his people who still miss him." I might not have it word for word, however, that was pretty much the essential part. Now, having said that, I might obviously not agree entirely with the sentiment, purely as a matter of personal opinion, of course. However, that being said, I still found the sentiment of remark quite telling, in any event, you know? I just figured you might all find that story at least ofmsome interest, I promise, it's entirely true, I didn't invent a word, honest. Actually, I couldn't believe the remark when I'd first stumbled across it in the book; in fact, I distinctly remember my jaw dropping, and my eyeballs practically falling out of my head. I also chatted with the woman and her co-owner, the co-owner was a Northerner, I'd gathered, he had no such material in the library. From what I remember, the female owner whose book I'd looked at was markedly pro-Confederacy, as I expect all of you can well imagine. Needless to say, her viewpoint during my chats with her tended to be rather one-sided, pretty much...as I said, I just figured you might all find that story of interest, if nothing else. I've always loved mil history, ever since I was army ROTC before going USAF OTS instead, and just always found that pretty much one of the most interesting historical sentiments I'd ever read, if only to illustrate the apparent longevity of such viewpoints, even so long after the civil war ended..some such sentiments just persist, apparently, for a really, really long time. My wife and I both went to see Gettysburg some time ago, my mom and dad did also, some time before that. My dad would always say, later on ,after seeing the field of Pickett's charge, that Lee must've been a lunatic to have ordered it, he really did say that to me a few times, also honestly. I don't know if he was or wasn't, honest; sometimes, it's hard to place oneself in the mind or perspective of those who'd lived so long ago. I do know I always preferred Grant over Lee, militarily, for the simple reason that Grant knew and understood failure, whereas Lee, until Gettysburg, had never really failed at pretty much anything his entire life. And, when one's existence is an unbroken series and succession of triumphs and successes, inevitably, failure, I'd expect, must be a pretty major shock to his psyche, I'd expect, you know? Just some observations, I'd be most eager for any thoughts, many thamks.

Response by Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen made Aug 23 at 2016 7:11 AM

2016-08-23T07:11:05-04:00

Absolutely crazy to ignore history. You use Gen. Lee as an example but there are many more examples. All were doing what they thought was right based on their beliefs at the time. For this they should be commended, not ripped out of history. In every issue there are going to be winners and losers, just because you happen to come out on the losing side does not make your efforts any less significant. History is history and any attempts to rewrite it somewhere down the road because current beliefs don't mesh with that history is the ultimate form of censorship.

Response by TSgt Joe C. made Aug 23 at 2016 8:11 AM

2016-08-23T08:11:55-04:00

Definitely shouldn't ignore history ever COL Lee Flemming.

Response by SGT David T. made Aug 23 at 2016 8:12 AM

2016-08-23T08:12:36-04:00

Lee was always a patriot even when he joined the Confederacy. We need to remember that the notion of a national identity as wee understand it did not exist at the beginning of the Civil War. When referring to the nation they would use statements like: "the United States are" (plural). After the war it became: "the United States is" (singular). Lee struggled with the decision to join the Confederacy because he believed in the Union and opposed secession. However, he could not bear the thought of fighting his family or his "country". If you asked someone from that era what country they were from, they would give their state name. So he always a patriot.

We shouldn't white wash history or engage in a damnatio memoriae of the Confederate leaders or the Confederacy as a whole. The nation needed them. Ok, before anyone grabs the torches and pitchforks let me explain this. Had the CSA not formed and the war never happened, we would not have a national identity. Second, the war was the climax of many unresolved issues dating back to the founding of the nation. The war resolved those issues. Finally, without the formation of the CSA and the war, the chances of the 13th amendment getting passed at that time was effectively 0.

As a nation, we need to learn from the mistakes of the past. If we eliminate all traces and references to the Confederacy, we run the risk of such atrocities happening in the future. We need to recognize and learn from our past: the good, the bad, and the ugly if we are to remain free and move forward as a nation.

Disclaimer: I was born and raised in New England and my ancestors wore blue during this era :)

Response by SGT Edward Wilcox made Aug 23 at 2016 8:42 AM

2016-08-23T08:42:22-04:00

We should definitely not forget, or try to whitewash, our country's history. However, I think it is about time we stop glorifying this particular part of our history. Anyone who put on a Confederate uniform and took up arms against the United States in an armed insurrection, was a traitor, not a patriot. If General Lee had such a long and successful career in the US Army, then, surely, we can memorialize him for that. Hang a picture of him in a Union uniform, I'm sure one exists, somewhere. Same goes for the other Leaders of the Confederacy who started as officers in the Union Army.

I think most of you are missing the point of the article. The author is not suggesting that we erase history, simply that we stop honoring and memorializing traitors.

Response by CPO Ronnie Townes made Aug 23 at 2016 8:46 AM

2016-08-23T08:46:29-04:00

We must be educated on all parts of history. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. We have to learn from all those parts.

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Aug 23 at 2016 9:22 AM

2016-08-23T09:22:16-04:00

Some may consider him a traitor, some may consider him a patriot. I see him as a patriot in his eyes, just on a different side from my beliefs.

Response by SSgt Dan Montague made Aug 23 at 2016 9:26 AM

2016-08-23T09:26:31-04:00

we cant ignore history. It is both good and bad. We must teach about the bad as well. If we and our children are not aware of the bad side of history, we will be doomed to repeat it.

Response by LTC Mo Vanderslice made Aug 23 at 2016 9:50 AM

2016-08-23T09:50:02-04:00

Yes, I am offended mostly by his treason. If he could not stomach fighting his home state like several other southern-borne officers did do, then he should have retired and sat out the war. Several of my ancestors died fighting this traitor in the ranks of the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry, they deserved better.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2016 9:51 AM

2016-08-23T09:51:28-04:00

From the "Lion King"

Adult Simba: I know what I have to do. But going back means I'll have to face my past. I've been running from it for so long.
[Rafiki hits Simba on the head with his stick]
Adult Simba: Ow! Jeez, what was that for?
Rafiki: It doesn't matter. It's in the past.
[laughs]
Adult Simba: Yeah, but it still hurts.
Rafiki: Oh yes, the past can hurt. But from the way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it.

This has to be one of the most profound lines I had ever heard in a Disney movie.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Aug 23 at 2016 10:35 AM

2016-08-23T10:35:28-04:00

History is history. If it did actually hurt someone, all the more reason for it to be properly recorded and known? My problem is that so many try rewrite our history and to twist it to fit their current agenda.

Response by CAPT Randy Bailey made Aug 23 at 2016 10:37 AM

2016-08-23T10:37:11-04:00

Currently I have been fighting with Portsmouth Va city council as one black member has decided that a monument to Confederate dead is racists. It was erected as a tombstone by the families of the fallin men but this councilman says it was done by KKK. Funny they erected the same monument in Bloomberg Pa were the Union troops groom the battle were from. They honored each other in 1876.

Response by 1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2016 10:54 AM

2016-08-23T10:54:39-04:00

I am not. He was a man who stood by his principles, was honest with himself and his men.

Response by LCpl Ferdinand Hughes made Aug 23 at 2016 11:08 AM

2016-08-23T11:08:36-04:00

I get that people are offended by anything Civil War and began to push the state governments to remove statues and memorials, especially in the South. A person can't erase or ingnore history no matter how bad it was. History is suppose to teach us and remind us not to make the same mistakes twice and progress from it.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2016 11:15 AM

2016-08-23T11:15:29-04:00

There is a difference between honoring someone and erasing history. To use the inevitable nazi Germany comparison (and no, I'm not saying Lee equals Hitler) , there is no denying that Hitler at one time was the leader of Germany, and that NAZI soldiers fought bravely. But that doesn't mean it is appropriate to fly a swastika flag on the grounds of the German capitol today or have statues to Hitler or his portrait in prominent places.

So I believe equating the removal of those fixtures honoring confederate leaders from public spaces is a far cry from erasing history. History lives on in books and museums, and should be studied in schools. But that doesn't mean we need to honor those who fought for the right to allow certain human beings to own other human beings as property, and buy and sell them, no different from the way they owned a horse.

Response by SMSgt Thor Merich made Aug 23 at 2016 11:47 AM

2016-08-23T11:47:52-04:00

I hate those folks that want to ignore or rewrite history because what occurred years ago offends them today. Times will always change and what is considered acceptable and respectable today maybe immoral 200 years from now.

In the case of General Lee, he was a West Point graduate and a highly respected general. He fought for what he thought was correct at the time.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2016 12:08 PM

2016-08-23T12:08:34-04:00

LTC Private RallyPoint Member said it best. As in what I was going to say but not as eloquently lol

Response by PO2 David Ball made Aug 23 at 2016 1:58 PM

2016-08-23T13:58:40-04:00

He renounced his oath as an Officer in the United States Army ! He was a traitor ! Anything else? Look just take the time to understand that #1 States do not have a right to leave the Union without an act of Congress! Why because except for the original 13 state all states were created by Congress on lands that are still owned by the United States! Yes that includes Texas, California etc..#2 States do not have a sovereignty that equals that of nations for example states can not coin money, have standing armies or have international trade agreements with out Congress approval! Read the Constitution, Article One Section Ten for more information and some real American history first!

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2016 2:22 PM

2016-08-23T14:22:16-04:00

It all boils down to this:

When we try to forget, wipe out, or ignore history, it repeats itself. The Fates have a nasty way of reminding you of your mistakes when you try to move past them. They make it all happen again. Look at WWI. We repeated it. Look at the Civil War. We're on the verge of another already. Look at Desert Storm: looks familiar, don't it?

When you make a mistake as a child, it is almost a guarantee that you will make it again in your life at some point. Because we forget it, we ignore it or we try to deny it. However, this is what we are SUPPOSED to do with history:

LEARN FROM IT!!!!!!!!!!!

We cannot EVER be successful until we watch, learn and change. We take the lessons history teaches us, we learn what to change, what not to do, and what to do again to be successful. We learn. We adapt. We grow. And we get better.

General Lee was a patriot for what he believed in. And he believed in his seceded nation because it was what the majority believed best at the time. He led his men with honor in the war that ensued. He carried a sense of honor, pride, dignity and respect with him and his forces everywhere. He is a model example of the type of leader we should have today.

Jefferson Davis was much the same in the Confederate Presidency. Both as a man, a leader, a politician, and a soldier, he set a high example for others to follow. And he is one that I am proud to say I am a descendant of.

So should we forget? Should we try to erase? Should we try to ignore it? NEVER! there are far too many valuable lessons to be learned from the past. There is a reason that Germany didn't tear Auschwitz down. They know the value in remembering.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Aug 23 at 2016 2:36 PM

2016-08-23T14:36:51-04:00

No. To deny our history is to accept that you have learned nothing from the mistakes of the past. The biggest problem with the Civil War is that both sides thought their cause was the right one for this Country. But the fact remains that regardless of which side you stood, you were both Americans.

I am not offended by General Lee. I have no personal attachment to him, but I can recognize that he was a great military leader to have so many rallied behind him. Should we start erasing the history of all Presidents prior to the end of slavery??? Should we white-out the names of the Founding Fathers from the US Constitution because more than one of them may or may not have been a slave owner in a time period where slavery was commonplace.

You ask a valid question. Too many people are willing to bury their heads in the sand and pretend the bad things never happened and in doing so are missing the valuable learning experiences that can be derived from them.

To add on to your post, think about Adolf Hitler. He was a man who did great things, yes they were evil, but the magnitude of what he did was indeed great. Now I don't know a person alive who approves of what he did, but if we deny what he did, what is preventing history from repeating itself???

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Aug 23 at 2016 3:14 PM

2016-08-23T15:14:57-04:00

The issue with history is that it is not fully told, case in point General Lee, many schools were named after him during the beginning of the Civil Rights era, which was an attempt by whites rebelling at the changes to their society. Ironic..

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2016 3:26 PM

2016-08-23T15:26:41-04:00

Absolutely not. To ignore the past is to ignore the contributions history has made to the present - both positive *and* negative.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Aug 23 at 2016 3:51 PM

2016-08-23T15:51:43-04:00

COL Lee Flemming Sir,we need to remember our history and learn from our mistakes or we will do them again. On a side note, IMO GEN Lee was over rated. He was great on the defense but not so much on the offense. OK I am ready for the mean replies. :-)

Response by PO1 Robert Johnson made Aug 23 at 2016 4:10 PM

2016-08-23T16:10:26-04:00

I am so very sick and tired of all of the PC trash talking, ignorance of the left who demand that history is to be destroyed because of thin skinned, entitled people who look for and find offence with everything and anything. Our history as a nation has entirely too many dark areas that diminish us but if we erase those areas, those people and those events, we will never learn from them and we will repeat them.
We can not make change for the sake of making change. We have to study our mistakes, learn our lessons and apply the knowledge we have gained. Only then will we move forward again!

Response by SP5 Mark Kuzinski made Aug 23 at 2016 4:52 PM

2016-08-23T16:52:40-04:00

Offended - Not in the least!

Response by Capt Michael Greene made Aug 23 at 2016 7:09 PM

2016-08-23T19:09:50-04:00

Robert E. Lee, the Gentlemen. A tactical genius. Much respect. But I always have to ask questions.
1. Patriot? He was sworn to the US of A, but chose to defend the CS of A.
2. Strategist? All he had to do was keep the CSA alive, defend it, help it to grow. He should have quietly established a defendable border while building a viable army. But instead, he initiated hostilities, then immediately invaded the North, ensuring that his unprepared and ill-equipped army would be immediately subjected to the full fury of the US he had betrayed.
So no. He was not a patriot and he failed as a strategic thinker. In short, we are NOT respecting history with his memory, we are maintaining a myth.

Response by SFC Russell Shaw made Aug 23 at 2016 7:41 PM

2016-08-23T19:41:04-04:00

If you are offended by something you cannot change then you have bigger problems. To put yourself in the mind of those men who believed they were do the right thing would be hard to do. I believe that if they were alive today they would have a very different view point. When we live in the past we continually make mistakes based on the past. If you live for the now and for the future you can make it what you want it to be. Too many men and women are concerned about where there parents were and carry it with them. My dad was a share cropper I really would not want to do that today and praise God I made choices so I don't have to. We are a product of our choices look at the men and women of all races and you will find the ones that really wanted to make a difference or make a change, did.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2016 7:53 PM

2016-08-23T19:53:02-04:00

I have read many of the posts with great interest. I would like to tell some of my own family's history to make my point.

My family was from Virginia and came here in the early 1640's. My family owned slaves as revealed in the 1850 US Census. This I am not proud of, but it is a fact that I cannot change about my family history. However, there is one part of that history of which I am proud. My great, great grandfather made a choice which I find important to this conversation. He chose not to fight or rebel against the flag, as he was quoted. He joined the Union Army and served as Captain of Scouts under General Sweeney. His brother served as a Colonel in the Confederate Army. If I may, let me speak on General Lee.

General Lee was one of the finest officers to ever graduate West Point. He was a slave owner. He chose to fight against the Union. This made him a traitor to the United States of America. This is a fact that seems lost to the Southern revisionists of history. Confederate soldiers, although accepted back into the Union as citizens through oaths of loyalty, were never recognized by our government as veterans in the strict sense of the term. They did not receive Civil War pensions as Union soldiers did. They were considered traitors, and as a history professor of mine once told me, we do not reward traitors in this country.

Let me now speak about Robert E. Lee and why he is considered a great American. When he surrendered, he did several things that helped heal the wounds of the war. He accepted the terms of surrender honorably. Here are a few of his quotes that seem relevant here:

"Madam, don't bring up your sons to detest the United States government. Recollect that we form one country now. Abandon all these local animosities, and make your sons Americans."

"I think it is the duty of every citizen, in the present condition of the Country, to do all in his power to aid in the restoration of peace and harmony. It is particularly incumbent upon those charged with the instruction of the young to set them an example."

"The duty of its citizens, then, appears to me too plain to admit of doubt. All should unite in honest efforts to obilterate the effects of the war and to restore the blessing of peace. They should remain, if possible, in the country; promote harmony and good feeling, qualify themselves to vote and elect to the State and general legislatures wise and patriotic men, who will devote their abilities to the interests of the country and the healing of all dissensions. I have invariably recommended this course since the cessation of hostilities, and have endeavoured to practise it myself."

"I, Robert E. Lee of Lexington, Virginia do solemn, in the presence of Almighty God, that I will henceforth faithfully support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Union of the States thereafter, and that I will, in like manner, abide by and faithful support all laws and proclamations which have been made during the existing rebellion with reference to the emancipation of slaves, so help me God."

"I am of the opinion that all who can should vote for the most intelligent, honest, and conscientious men eligible to office, irrespective of former party opinions, who will endeavour to make the new constitutions and the laws passed under them as beneficial as possible to the true interests, prosperity, and liberty of all classes and conditions of the people."

In closing let me say this. The Civil War was an American tragedy. Let us not sugar coat it and praise Lee as a great general who made a honorable mistake in simply choosing the wrong side. He willingly rebelled against the United States and that made him a traitor to our country. If we praise him, let it not be for the glorification of the Civil War and the benediction of the antebellum South, but the healing of our country that he himself sought as he reconciled himself once again to be an American citizen.

Response by SGT Christopher Clarke made Aug 23 at 2016 8:44 PM

2016-08-23T20:44:26-04:00

Not at all.....!! I may not have liked his decisions but casting stones on Gen Lee for his position 140 years ago doesn't make sense. Our Country has evolved and continues to be he greatest Country in the world.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2016 9:42 PM

2016-08-23T21:42:15-04:00

Be offended for someone standing up against a government who at the time was overstepping its bounds(like it still does today). In my mind we should have had another civil war. Like Thomas Jefferson said "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants". That was the whole reason for the 2nd amendment. To slaughter those of an oppressive government. If you are offend by Civil War generals then you should be offended by our four fathers and civil rights leaders of the 50s and 60s. All fought for what they believed was a oppressive government whether you believe in their cause or not. History is told by the victors. Their truth becomes ours. History is full of liars.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2016 9:56 PM

2016-08-23T21:56:34-04:00

While I am a yankee at heart and am quite glad that the civil war turned out like it did . . . Am I offended? The only people offended by history are either ignoring most of it or are feigning so for their own ulterior motives. General Lee was both an honorable man and a great military commander. The civil war was a dirty business on both the north and the south sides, but it has been over for 151 years. Can we just look back on our history, acknowledge a thing happened, and rather than turn it into a controversy . . . . I don't know, maybe . . . LEARN from it?

Response by SGT Damaso V Santana made Aug 23 at 2016 10:01 PM

2016-08-23T22:01:28-04:00

Col. Fleming, I could not agree with you more. To remove this man's portrait would be to forget (or try to) history, those who do are bound to repeat it.
General Lee died a Patriot and contributed greatly to the reunification of our country, let him be recognized as such.

Response by SSG Brian Kresge made Aug 23 at 2016 10:23 PM

2016-08-23T22:23:08-04:00

Such an interesting question, sir.

My wife for the last several years has taught Holocaust studies at our synagogue. We learn the intricacies of the Holocaust; the motivations, the key figures, the mechanics of it all. It's all absorbed and laid bare before our kids starting early on. Perhaps too early, as I've questioned myself the efficacy of inculcating a sense of victim identity over religious identity.

But then, even if you visit Germany, there aren't any monuments to Nazi generals. There's no celebration of a Lost Cause. There is respectful treatment of German war dead, but no attempt to make the effort anything but what it was.

Here, a whole class of people must live in the presence of monuments and a measure of solemn pride in an effort to maintain slavery. I'm not interested in engaging on debate on this; it's in the secession documents. And I'd have mixed feelings about it. Even with the emancipation proclamation, the motivations of the North shape the reality as much as why the South seceded. The Union didn't want to lose states. The ending of slavery was an afterthought and a compromise with a block of northern politicians.

It's all so horribly compromised, that I really don't know if there's moral clarity to be found on venerating the gentleman officer of the Civil War. It must always depend on the context, I suppose.

I guess I'd ask the question out loud...do we really need a concrete resolution to this debate? A free society has to endure the inelegant dichotomies of plural views. One can admire General Lee for his tenacity and service, and still abhor that he fought to preserve his state's right to have slaves. The monuments have been there for so long...I'm afraid removing them from the public sphere is merely indulging a means for a side to decisively gain the intellectual and moral upper hand.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2016 11:11 PM

2016-08-23T23:11:37-04:00

I AM INCENSED by those who think by removing or tearing down statues or removing flags or renaming streets or buildings, ad nauseum, that these "alterations" to our modern landscape will somehow also ALTER history. Well, here's a big surprise to all of them who do: IT DON'T!!! And General Robert E. Lee was the consummate gentleman and an honorable soldier.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Aug 24 at 2016 12:01 AM

2016-08-24T00:01:01-04:00

Ignore your history at your own peril. It will be repeated.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2016 8:02 PM

2016-08-24T20:02:29-04:00

Ignore it? No. There are people and events throughout history that have been deemed atrocious or offensive to some group at some time, but I don't feel a need to completely bypass a portion of history(American or International) just because the main character(s) or storyline of events is "unpleasant". *don't have to like everything ya learn*

Response by PO1 Jack Howell made Aug 24 at 2016 8:40 PM

2016-08-24T20:40:33-04:00

Robert E. Lee fought for the Confederacy, not because of slavery or states' rights, but because he wanted to defend his home state of Virginia (that was his only cause). There is nothing wrong with keeping pictures of him on display.

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Aug 25 at 2016 3:42 AM

2016-08-25T03:42:42-04:00

If you are offended by history then you're very thin skinned. History can't be changed, I'm sorry. What needs to be is: accept history for what it is, learn from history not to make the same stupid mistakes, see how others have handled situations and drive on. If you can't let history be history then you have serious problems - you can't blame history for your situation now. If you try this, then you need to look at yourself first!

Response by SPC Terry Martin made Aug 25 at 2016 8:42 AM

2016-08-25T08:42:50-04:00

I'm not offended by anyone in History. What offends me is the "Re-Writing" of History and the political correctness added to it. As long as the History is taught factually in our schools I have no problem with it either. History is History, it happened, learn by it, adjust laws, regulations and minds to prevent what we all agree was bad to never happen again.

Response by SPC Daniel Joslin made Aug 25 at 2016 8:57 AM

2016-08-25T08:57:17-04:00

There is a proverb that says," Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." By ignoring our history because it hurts your feelings, or leaving those parts out of our schools curriculums will end up doing just that. If, as an individual, you choose not to learn about your country's history that is your decision, but to have the powers that be decide for everyone what will be taught/ignored is asinine. Ignoring history does not change it.

Response by SSG Gerhard S. made Aug 26 at 2016 3:26 PM

2016-08-26T15:26:55-04:00

We should not ignore, or try to erase our history. We should embrace our history as the vehicle that delivered us to our world today. Like our Constitution that does not allow for any deletions, only amendments, our history should retain, and display our victories, as well as our blemishes, so we may learn from the things we've done right, and can avoid repeating the errors we've made in the past.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Mar 18 at 2017 11:15 AM

2017-03-18T11:15:01-04:00

He was educated at Government Expense, he took a Loyalty Oath, he participated in the hanging of traitors in the Mexican War. He then betrayed his country and caused the deaths of American soldiers. The he surrendered after assuring that he and his officers had amnesty from the same fate as he dished out to the San Patricios

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Mar 18 at 2017 2:32 PM

2017-03-18T14:32:19-04:00

Remember that General Meade was relieved for not pursuing Lee and destroying him after Gettysburg. He wasted lives in a war of attrition