This Confederate monument should remain

There has been a lot of controversy over Civil War monuments since the riots in Charlottesville. Many other states are in process discussing the legal and social ramifications of removing commemorative statues that were placed to honor vets. In many cases, the statues are seen as a symbol of hatred and prejudice but in many others, the statues are felt to honor relatives, ancestors and history, which should not be forgotten.

Key Takeaways:

• There is a statue of an unknown Confederate soldier atop a monument in the Oak Woods Cemetery, in Illinois.
• One Chicago Tribune letter writer suggests the statue is symbolic of many soldiers, who died far from home, and as such a reminder deserves to continue standing.
• The writer was also reminded of his grandfathers poor and not slave-owners, one of whom walked from North Carolina to Indiana to wait out the war, on principals.

“I suggest that the cemetery memorial remain, standing over the graves of men who died miserable deaths far from home and family.”