I appreciated this and it was helpful. In a recent interview Lee's latest biographer, Allen Guelzo, said it was a challenge to write a biography of someone who had committed treason. I'm still thinking about this.
What bothers me is that Lee did not do what Benedict Arnold did. Lee resigned his commission and detached himself from the United States. He made it clear he wasn't part of the Union anymore. Additionally, that was before the fighting started. We can argue about his decision and whether it was right or not, wise or not, or even contemptible or not, but it doesn't seem to me that it was treasonous.
Today, if an American gave up their U.S. citizenship and became a citizen of, say, Germany, and we were to go to war with Germany for some reason, it doesn't seem to me that that person is a traitor. Your thoughts?
Another thought-provoking post, Bill. What are your ultimate thoughts about the removal of Lee's statue, though? Should it have been left there, or are there cases (like the removal of Confederate monuments) when removal is ok? You mention here (https://hwbrands.substack.com/p/a-simple-solution-to-americas-statue) that you think that statues should be left alone, but do you feel the same in the case of Lee's statue in Richmond?
Since I don't live and vote in Virginia, what Virginia does with its statues is strictly none of my business. But I'll reiterate, first, that once you start taking statues down, it's very hard to stop; and second, that old statues provide context for new statues. Arthur Ashe is lonely now on Monument Avenue, and without Lee and the others, Ashe's accomplishment will be mystifying to most visitors.
Spot on. Yes. Our memorial landscape should be used to educate our citizens about the past. We should add more monuments and more interpretive signage.
I appreciated this and it was helpful. In a recent interview Lee's latest biographer, Allen Guelzo, said it was a challenge to write a biography of someone who had committed treason. I'm still thinking about this.
What bothers me is that Lee did not do what Benedict Arnold did. Lee resigned his commission and detached himself from the United States. He made it clear he wasn't part of the Union anymore. Additionally, that was before the fighting started. We can argue about his decision and whether it was right or not, wise or not, or even contemptible or not, but it doesn't seem to me that it was treasonous.
Today, if an American gave up their U.S. citizenship and became a citizen of, say, Germany, and we were to go to war with Germany for some reason, it doesn't seem to me that that person is a traitor. Your thoughts?
Another thought-provoking post, Bill. What are your ultimate thoughts about the removal of Lee's statue, though? Should it have been left there, or are there cases (like the removal of Confederate monuments) when removal is ok? You mention here (https://hwbrands.substack.com/p/a-simple-solution-to-americas-statue) that you think that statues should be left alone, but do you feel the same in the case of Lee's statue in Richmond?
Since I don't live and vote in Virginia, what Virginia does with its statues is strictly none of my business. But I'll reiterate, first, that once you start taking statues down, it's very hard to stop; and second, that old statues provide context for new statues. Arthur Ashe is lonely now on Monument Avenue, and without Lee and the others, Ashe's accomplishment will be mystifying to most visitors.
Spot on. Yes. Our memorial landscape should be used to educate our citizens about the past. We should add more monuments and more interpretive signage.