I’m writing in response to Vince Young’s opinion (Herald, Aug. 23), stating that the country is rewriting history and censoring people by removing unpopular statues.
I have not seen any rewriting of history, but rather the maturing views and values of our country. We state the Civil War generals’ actions as we did 100 years ago. It is a desire to quit honoring those actions that has changed.
The Civil War was fought to continue slavery. That isn’t something to be proud of. Our country lost 620,000 young men in that war, gutting our nation and depleting our resources.
There was a reason the Confederates were called Rebels. They attacked the country that we all stand on. Should Germany honor Hitler because he’s part of their history, or learn from those horrors?
That the KKK, anti-Semites, and White Supremacists came across our country to fight for keeping a statue explains why Charlottesville decided to take it down.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson kept slaves. That is nothing to be proud of. But at that time it was legal, and they performed in a large capacity to create and shape our country.
The writer feared that our Constitution will be ripped to bits as well. Unlikely. The Constitution and the Amendments are a living part of our country. That was where we abolished slavery. Where we outlawed liquor. And then made it legal again.
History is not being rewritten. It’s being examined with a more mature conscience.
Debby Malcolm
Durango
