by Steve Roberts
Pittsboro, NC – I have a few thoughts on our Confederate statue that has stood here since August 23 of 1907. It honors the lives of 1900 soldiers who left this county to fight for the South. I say the South because hundreds of thousands of soldiers who fought for the Confederacy were fighting for their South not slavery. The Confederate States of America lasted from 1861 until 1865. Slavery had its roots in the North in the early 1700’s. Slavery lasted a lot longer under the Northern rule than it ever did under a Confederate one.
Now I find it ridiculous that a war that lasted four years can still be called the source of everything that is going on today. We have become a people that are offended by anything and everything. How in the world can a statue that has stood for a hundred and twelve years, now make people shiver with fear and bring on such outrage? If the statue is removed, does that mean we will have peace and everyone will be happy? I think not. I believe removing statues is the beginning and not the end. It is already happening. Schools names are being changed, road names are being changed . Can it be possible that they may try to change our accent? Good luck with that one. You see, I was born in the South and have lived within about 30 miles of this place for almost 62 years. I have traveled many places in and out of this country. I always felt different until I was back on Southern soil. I love the South and all it has to offer. I love the people of the South and all who consider themselves Southerners. I have never once thought that the South represented slavery in any form or fashion. I can see why people would have taken up arms against an invading army. They loved their South.
How long will it be before this imaginary threat will be resolved and the people are offended by something else, like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial ( after all it was he who stated in a letter to Horace Greeley in August 22, 1862 – that said “My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery.”
How long will it be before people are offended by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the lwo Jima Memorial? You can’t say it will not happen. Surely we have hurt many people who fought on the other side of the issue that feel uncomfortable when they see them. Just around the corner there is a piece of steel from 911 that we have made into a memorial. How long is it going to take before people feel uncomfortable and want it removed also?History is a great thing if you study it, reflect on it and learn from it. I’m afraid too many people who claim to be enlightened are actually living in the dark and are bound to repeat these same mistakes again.