Removal of Confederate Monuments

[Gene C]

This has in some way become a bit more of a personal issue to me than I originally thought it might. I have been corresponding with a friend who sees this issue differently than I do. We have agreed to disagree and be respectful of each others opinion.

If I should be called upon to help fight for my country,
and I don't support Abortions, which are legal
and I don't support Gay Marriage, which is legal
am I supporting those issues because I fight for my country?
Maybe there are other issues I feel are more important to me and worth protecting and fighting for.

In a time of war lets not ignore the fact that I might be drafted, or shot if I deserted.
I might be fighting because my friends, family and community leaders are fighting. It's something I am expected to do.
Lets not forget I might be fighting to protect my family from the atrocities we have heard about and know occurred by both sides to the civilian population.

Just so you know, my father served in the military for 23 years and was a pilot whose plane was shot down. Injured, he was shot and almost killed while surrendering to a German soldier and was also a POW in Germany during WWII for over two years. He was the only member of his crew that survived the war. This was a time when the casualty rate for bomber crews was higher than for the infantry. He had been married for less than a year when he experienced this.

I have seem him confronted and asked how he felt about dropping bombs and murdering defenseless women and children during the war. He didn't drop his head or lower his eyes. He wasn't going to let this person's prejudice against the military affect him.

I would erect a monument to his memory in a minute. And I wouldn't really care what the political or social views of the VFW or members of the 8th Air Force Group were if they erected a memorial in his memory.
So my perspective on monuments and memorials is slightly different.

And I imagine the family of southern veterans of the Civil War felt the same, with no racist intent.

There are no perfect countries, very few perfect causes.
We don't pick where we are born, seldom which country we want to fight for.
Most just fought for their communities, their homes, and mainly their families. Nothing more, because nothing more was needed.

there were southern families that never knew what happened to their brothers, sons and husbands. They just never came home.
So to remove monuments erected to the common soldier's sacrifice, to their determination to protect their families and friends, the hardships they endured what ever the cost and put a racist reason behind it, in my opinion, is a great dishonor to these men and their families.