Goes beyond slavery

What seems lost in the controversy over Confederate memorials goes well beyond the issue of slavery.

From Robert E. Lee to the last of his soldiers to die, once war broke out, the motivation for Southern men to join the army was the survival of their homes, property and families.

Many never owned slaves nor expected to, and would not have risked life and limb to fight for it. “States’ rights” might have resonated with some, but again, not what would motivate a son or husband to leave home, perhaps forever. They were fighting an invading army (e.g., Sherman’s March to the Sea).

Also lost is the contextual view at the time of nation versus state. Citizens held a much stronger bond with their state relative to the nation than we do today. As a result, the notion of “homeland” and associated loyalties was more state-centered. The Confederate army was a collection of fighting units which often marched behind the flag of their own state. “The War Between the States” is well-named.

Further, as soldiers have perennially done, they revered their leaders and took personal pride in having fought with them. So, the statues of Confederate leaders were memorials not to ideologies, but to individuals and the thousands of sons and husbands who marched and died for the purpose of saving their families and homes.

Keep the statues and use them to teach about the lives of those they memorialize and the context of the times in which they were erected.

KEITH GARRISON Little Rock