Confederate memorials may have unintended meaning to some while others feel deeply attached to them.
They remind me of my grandmother. A gracious and loving Christian woman born in a small town in Arkansas, whose social activities were limited to The Methodist Church and The Masonic Order of the Eastern Star. After moving to Georgia along with my grandfather at a ripe age, they raised my sister, my brother and I and preached southern virtues to us.
“Practice the Golden Rule with all people. Kindness and gentility are good manners which are nothing more than a series of petty sacrifices and a sign of a good upbringing. Be proud of your southern heritage and mind your manners.”
Robert E. Lee was the example of how boys should conduct themselves to become men; respect, honor and humility. Lee finished second in his class as the only cadet ever to graduate from West Point without receiving a demerit. He was a devout Christian with moral standards firmly based in the Holy Bible. For more than 150 years, his name inspired favorable commentary from many prominent national and international leaders. President John F. Kennedy once said, “I recognize that the South is still the land of Washington, who made our Nation, of Jefferson, who shaped its direction, and of Robert E. Lee, who, after gallant failure, urged those who had followed him in bravery to reunite America in purpose and courage.”
My grandmother's father, F.E. Murphy, served in the Confederate Army during the Vicksburg Campaign, Company F., Jones Battalion Arkansas Infantry, along with four of his brothers. Like most soldiers throughout the south, they were farmers who answered the call to arms. It was commonly perceived that their homes were being threatened by an invading army. The Murphy family owned no slaves, as did neither of the vast majority of Confederate soldiers. They felt duty calling to defend their homeland, not an ideology.
As to slavery, General Lee said it best in a letter he wrote shortly before the war. In his letter, Lee declared, “In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will not acknowledge, that slavery as an institution, is a moral and political evil in any country.”
My grandmother did not believe in slavery and reminded us of the perils of war. She said that her father survived the longest siege in American warfare while defending Port Hudson, La. (48 days) and witnessed many unspeakable deeds, including Union soldiers removing pews from churches to make them into coffins for their dead while Confederates were buried in corker sacks. She admonished us to recognize all memorials and monuments as solemn reminders of the tragedy of war and the bravery and sacrifices of the soldiers and their families.
By sharing this personal story, I seek no gain and hopefully establish no offense. Perhaps it will serve to help others understand how southerners can have malice toward none and still develop deep emotions about monuments that address our heritage. Time can bring new meaning to what happened so long ago, but does not change history or the pride of being a southerner.
Today it appears a bounty is out on all monuments and memorials that reflect the development of America's culture and our history. National news has reported the removal and/or destruction of not just Confederate monuments, but also those representing Christopher Columbus, U.S. Grant, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment of Black Union Soldiers, Francis Key Scott, The Honorable Frederick Douglas, George Washington and other legendary Americans. It has even been suggested that the names “Jefferson” and “Monticello” are blasphemous and should be deleted from the public. Lately, religious facilities and statues have been attacked. Such acts of disrespect and rebellion are a front to our freedom and the stability of our republic.
It will be wise to heed General Lee's advice and Unite America in Purpose and Courage, not against each other, traditions and history – but against an old foe that is among us with a mission to replace our form of constitutional government.
Become familiar with the Karl Marx Manifest for creating revolution and one will recognize the foundation of this activity. The promotion of racial disharmony, dismissal of law enforcement and the removal or defacing of memorials and monuments to America's culture are described in their play book. For this and reason stated, I am opposed to the removal of the marble memorial monument on the north side of the courthouse lawn in Monticello and respectfully request the responsible Jefferson County officials allow it to stand in its current place of honor.
Our country's motto is still “In God We Trust.” If we seek Him in earnest prayer for the preservation of our republic and prove ourselves worthy of His grace, He will empower us against this evil. If we leave Him out and ignore this threat for what it is, then we risk losing our country.
Respectfully submitted,
Gary Wright