The Watchdog — March 2018 — Craig Barry

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L etters T o T he E ditor TO THE EDITOR: Harold Holzer’s oration on the 154th anniversary of the

Gettysburg Address (January 2018 CWN issue) was timely and informative. His focus on the uproar in recent months over

whether Civil War monuments should stay or go poses difficul questions that require ans from elected officials in country. The controversy related to these monuments stems to a great extent from changes in society over the years. Demographic shifts in cities and towns have brought about calls for removal of the monuments by the racial o ethnic groups that replaced prio inhabitants who either favored these memorials or were neutral regarding their existence. Given this state of affairs, the curre predominant group or voting bloc should have a say in whethe these monuments continue to have a rightful place in their communities. What should not happen, however, is the destruction or defacing of these images. Those who are guilty of such activity should be prosecuted. At the sam time, an effort should be made, as Mr. Holzer suggested, to have the now unwanted memorials removed to a park or museum

While Harold’s overall premise is commendable, his dismissal

of his heroes, others undoubtedl think differently; the comment about Davis comes across as a form of political correctness.

thereby encouraging the defacing or destruction of any one monument, the door is open for many more exceptions to follow. It will indeed become the rule. The U.S. Congress should pass a law protecting all historical monuments, without exception, from being defaced or damaged. At the same time, the law should delegate the disposition of thes

monuments to state and municipal authorities, thereby allowing lo residents to have a say in wheth to keep them in their particular areas. However, it should be

mandatory that arrangements be made for a public or private group to take ownership of the

no longer wanted monuments so they can serve to inform future generations about the history of this country.

Tom Rya Bethany Beach, DE Former presiden Central Delaware CWRT

TO THE EDITOR: It’s a shame what’s happening to the Confederate monuments

throughout the South. One wonders if the offended citizens possess any knowledge of World War II much less the in

tricacies of the Civil War or re care. Perhaps the next lesson would be self-reliance rat self pity. Michael D’Antonio Metairie,

TO THE EDITOR: I have been reading CWN and really liked the great article a Nathan Bedford Forrest that appears in the February issue. I h a half dozen books pertaining to Forrest, he deserves a better pl in the history of the Confederac John A. Puno Madison, N.

TO THE EDITOR: Confederate monuments will continue to be removed as long as people, like yourself, write and say, that the Civil War was fought, “over whether to abolish slavery.” Most everyone who reads your article knows the complexities and many causes for which that war was fought bu you chose to simplify it. Larry Koval

ate monument at Fort Warren, George’s Island. The monument

had been made during the Civil War Centennial, by the then Bos-

ters of the Confederacy, in memory of the Confederates who died at Fort Warren as Prisoners of War. Their remains had been moved elsewhere years before the Civil War Centennial. Now, the famous historical Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston may be re-named, because the origina

donor, Peter Faneuil (1700-43), owned slaves, even though slav-

ery was legal in Massachusetts until the Revolutionary War. One possibility would be to re-name

the Martin Luther King Hall, as he had strong ties to Boston.

It appears to me that many descendants of slaves, their elect officials, and their political s

porters, nation-wide, are having Confederate monuments and statues removed for two reasons: (1) to PUNISH the names and

remembrance of Confederates and slave-owners, and possibly to also punish the descendants of Confederates by removing the

monuments and statues of their beloved ancestors; and (2), to at tempt to ERASE rather than re-

member the historical institution of slavery. They are able to do so, particularly in bigger cities that now have large populations

of slave descendants. It is their right, with the help of their ele ed officials and political n ers, and it cannot be stopp believe Confederate descendants, like myself, have to live with it and must adjust to the new norm. Hopefully, it will always remain legal to have Confederate books and pictures in your home. Leon Basil Woburn, Mass.

TO THE EDITOR: Received the February issue of is, as usual, a great read. I was especially struck by your “From The Low Country” editorial as well as the front page article by Steve Davis. The editorial was, a far as I’m concerned, spot-on. It’s sad that there are citize this country who are completely lost when it comes to American history; almost blind to it. They would seem to want the rest of us to celebrate their history/her itage, but do not want us to remember ours. Indeed, there are those whose idea of “history” is

what they had for lunch. One has to wonder if city council people,

county supervisors, and the like, are more worried about their re-

cisco, has officially been rename “Indigenous Peoples Day;” I kid

disturbing to hear that reenactment events might become possible targets of violence. Every reenactment I have participated in has had education as its very foundation, so much so that historical education of the public i written into club by-laws. I hope we’re not fighting a

Letters to the Editor: Please email your letter to the editor to