There is one important element missing from the controversy over tearing down the statue of Robert E. Lee. After graduating from West Point, Lee took an oath to protect and defend the United States.
Instead, he took arms against the nation he pledged to defend, and was largely responsible for prolonging the Civil War and the death of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
My dictionary defines treason as “the betrayal of one’s country, especially by aiding the enemy.” According to this definition, Lee was a traitor and should be vilified (as was Benedict Arnold), rather than have statues built in his honor.
The fact that President Trump equates Lee with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson says as much of Trump’s ignorance as it does of Trump’s bigotry.
Hill Boss
Northampton