A question of honour and decency

■ Michael Leahy (Letters, Irish

Independent, August 21) praises Robert E Lee for his honourable support of his native state, Virginia, in the American civil war and claims that Lee was neither a supporter of slavery nor a secessionist.

This is the most abject affront to reason and to those who suffered and died, both before that war as slaves in the south, those that died during the civil war and those who are still suffering due to historical, inherent racism.

Lee was not an unintelligent person. By the very act of accepting the military leadership of the south he knew that he was fighting for both the continuation of slavery and for secession.

If he had an ounce of honour, decency or morality, he would not have accepted the position offered to him; he would, actually, have been offered the military leadership of the forces of the elected government of the United States and would have brought the war to an end much earlier than 1865.

Enough romanticising. Let us face facts and comment accordingly, and use our voices to tell the shocking truth of past and present exploitation and suffering.

The fascist racists of Charlottesville are indeed the fruits of the seeds of the Confederacy.

Let us not also hide the fact that what we call the American civil war is still referred to today by the south as “the war of northern aggression”. This speaks for itself. Ciarán Clarke Co Fermanagh