To the Editor:

Polk Culpepper seems to think that memorials to southern soldiers in the War Between the States should not be in “public spaces” but he apparently has no problem with those for northern soldiers being in such places. How is that not discriminatory?

He also claims that there is a ”consensus” behind that opinion. He is wrong. In fact, the polls show that most of the American public agrees that southern war memorials should stay where they are. National Public Radio commissioned a professional poll on that subject soon after the Charlottesville clash and not only did they find a large majority supporting leaving the monuments where they are, but the breakdown showed that a majority in all regions of the country and all age groups supported leaving the monuments up. A plurality of black Americans also favored leaving the southern war memorials in place. Two thirds of self-described moderates believed the monuments should stay. Only among the hard left was there a majority for removing them.

University professors are a notoriously leftwing bunch and not reflective of American opinion.

A large percentage of the monuments to southern soldiers were commissioned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, who were family members of soldiers who wanted to honor the sacrifices of their family members. The politicians or aspiring politicians who typically speak at dedications were not UDC members and, like all politicians, dwelt on subjects they thought would benefit them politically at the time.

Unfortunately, America is now subject to a “War on History” that started with Confederate monuments and then moved on to attacking monuments for our founding fathers like Washington and Jefferson, great explorers like Columbus and even Joan of Arc. A church in Rev. Culpepper’s own denomination, of which George Washington was a founding member and contributed to its construction, is even removing a memorial to our first president, saying it is “unwelcoming” and they could not provide “context.” How sad! The war on history has also moved on to memorials for other wars, with a lawsuit by leftists in Maryland the first to demand removal of a World War I soldiers’ memorial.

Those behind the war on history want to divide America by manufacturing outrage and turning groups in our society against each other. Americans need to stay strong to resist it.

I remember standing on the street corner in Sarajevo where the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand instigated World War I. There was once a large memorial there to the Archduke and his wife erected by Sarajevo residents soon after the assassination. There was also once a smaller monument on the other side of the street erected later by the Yugoslavs at the spot where the assassin fired, honoring the assassin. Sadly, both are now gone, due to politics, and this very historic spot is barren of monuments. I do not want to see that happen in our country. We are better than that. We need to protect our history.

 

Steven Rader

Washington