The Statue Of Robert E. Lee and The Confederate Flag. There Is No Comparsion

When bad things happen there is usually a reaction that is not directly related to the subject matter and as a result bad decisions are made.  A good example is comparing the tragic event in South Carolina concerning the killings of 9 innocent black people in church during bible study by a white young man.  That resulted in the removal of the confederate flag from a state building because the shooter used that flag in racial terms.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu then expressed concerns about the statue of Robert E. Lee which has stood at Lee Circle for many years as a possible future source of racial agitation and the possibility of removing the statue.  This writer believes it is a comparison of apples and oranges and there fore should not be used in comparison.

Landrieu ran on a platform of ONE CITY, ONE FIGHT, ONE VOICE, ONE TEAM and anyone who knows the Mayor surely knows he is no racist nor has his administration promoted any racist policies.  He is an elected official who believes in inclusiveness.  One can understand the Mayor's desire to prevent someone from using the statue as an excuse to inflame violence.  After all, we should know by now there are people out there who look for any excuse to start a violent reaction.  

But this writer does not believe the statue should be removed.  Unlike the confederate flag which has been used for many years by various groups and individuals in a racial way, the statue of Robert E. Lee has not.  The Union wanted General Lee to serve with them during the Civil War but Lee said he could not fight against his own people.  When Lee surrendered to end the war he urged the people of the confederacy to accept the union of the U.S. without bitterness and to help the new union work.  Lee was not about promoting the confederacy after the war ended.

In this writers judgement anyone who would use the statue in a racial way to promote its removal is an excuse for promoting trouble.  The WWII museum in New Orleans recently opened a new section that tells the story how blacks were treated in the military during WWII. Are we supposed to tear down the WWII museum because it is telling the story of history? I think not. There is nothing to compare when one tries to relate the confederate flag to the statue of Robert E. Lee at Lee Circle.  

This commentary written by Joe Lorio