Winston-Salem Journal LTE WE 02/08/12

Finish the Thought

Last Saturday we asked readers to complete the sentence, "The Confederate statue in front of the old courthouse in downtown Winston-Salem should be ..."

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"… preserved. I am requesting that the Board of Commissioners separate the property on which the monument stands and provide an individual deed for it. This would prevent the monument from being sold with the building or being moved. This monument marks a time in history of Winston-Salem when brave men fought for what they believed in and families sacrificed much. We should never want to forget that, and we should never destroy the memory of such bravery. Please keep this monument in place for the sake of the truth of our history. When we believe and act on truth rather than our desires, we will discover we can overpower whatever holds us captive."

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ROBERT BRAWLEY

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"… left alone. Those who would tear down Confederate statues don't understand history, not of the Civil War but of Reconstruction. Lee, Davis and other Confederate political and military leaders were not tried and hung as traitors after the Civil War because it was more important to give the South dignity and start healing the country. Lincoln and Grant understood this.

"Likewise, these statues are just a token to our fallen ancestors, not a declaration of their cause. Please allow us this small dignity, or do those who want the statue removed know more than Lincoln, Grant and even North Carolina's own Andrew Johnson?"

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KAM BENFIELD

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"President Teddy Roosevelt reminded us of the value of honoring American soldiers who fought each other during the Civil War. He reminded us of the valor shown by both sides and noted the honor they each demonstrated by fighting for what they believed. Winston-Salem has a history of remembering that kind of service and has named our convention center for Lawrence Joel, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during a bitter battle fought in Vietnam.

"Deed the monument and the land it sets upon to the United Daughters of the Confederacy and allow that monument to North Carolinians continue to stand. To remove that statue is to deny history and the gallantry of our fellow North Carolinians. That we see their cause today as a 'lost cause' does not make their service any less noble.

"Unless we remember history, we are doomed to repeat it at some point."

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RALPH CHAPPELL

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"… kept in the spot it has been since dedication by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in the early 1900s.

"This includes the Confederate statue, Spanenburg bust, Babcock bust, R.J.Reynolds, the police memorial, the Lawrence Joel coliseum memorials, the arrowhead that marks the old wagon road, all of which represent the history and foundation of Winston Salem and Forsyth County.

"I was a volunteer representative for Save Outdoor Sculpture in the 1990s and listed, photographed and researched numerous outdoor sculptures in Forsyth County for the Smithsonian's database, phase one of which was to save and preserve for future generations."

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INAZE LOPEZ

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"… protected for future generations.

"The best solution for this problem is for the county commissioners to separate the property on which the monument stands and provide an individual deed for it. This would prevent the monument from being sold with the building and moved."

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SHARON STEPHENS

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"… preserved. I have ancestors who fought for both the North and the South. Both histories should be preserved. That time in history is part of the United States, whether we like it or not. It would be nice if teachers and students actually studied the Civil War the way they study other wars. They would find more to the Civil War than slavery, like Forsyth County Commissioner Walter Marshall only sees. The Confederate statue should stay as part of our Southern history. If we do away with everything in history that offends thin-skinned people, it's no longer history, just a one-sided story."

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STACY McGEE

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"… left where it is or moved to another location, but not destroyed. It is a part of our history and as such should be maintained so that we don't forget."

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BARBARA ALFORD

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"… left to stand and face a new statue honoring the Salem Moravian abolitionists, a number of whom were publicly martyred here by pro-slavers, for their Christian beliefs. Let our regional history be mirrored in the cruel moral context of those times."

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JERE CUNNINGHAM

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"… preserved, as well as all of the factional history of our nation. The Civil War was a fact, and it aided in setting the slaves free, what more needs to be said?"

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JANE MABE

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"… left where it is. It has stood there for over 100 years — now a controversy has started over it. It is an historical marker, so let the old boy stand. The statue is part of history — whether good or bad — we (all races) should learn from it."

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REID JOYCE

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"… moved to a more prominent place so that all will be reminded of the valor and sacrifice of the citizens of Forsyth County who came to the defense of North Carolina during the War to Prevent Southern Independence."

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ALEX AND ANGELA CHEEK

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"… moved to stand in front of the downtown Central Library. By placing it in front of the library, perhaps it would encourage people to go inside and read about the War Between the States, and learn that the Civil War was not just about slavery, but the unification of the United States."

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LINDA DIORIO

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"… preserved in its location as a historic landmark and memorial to area veterans who fought to defend the state of North Carolina during the War Between the States. The proud history of our state should not be left vulnerable to shifting political winds and whims; the brave North Carolinians of that era depend upon present and future generations to preserve their history, sacrifices and suffering.

"The soldiers who fought and died for North Carolina in any conflict, and monuments to them, should not be the target of politically-motivated abuse. This is our heritage, and we are charged today with preserving North Carolina history for our children and their children. We must not allow those future generations to question our commitment to the preservation of our history and monuments to our veterans."

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BERNHARD THUERSAM

CHAIRMAN, NORTH CAROLINA

WAR BETWEEN THE STATES

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