Let sleeping dogs lie
Confederate Memorial Day is for the descendants of Confederate soldiers to remember and honor their ancestors who fought and died fighting gallantly for a cause in which they deeply believed. Whether that cause was right or wrong is irrelevant now. This isn’t the 1860s any more, but the bitterness from that war still lingers in the hearts and minds of many.
If the Confederate Memorial Day needs to be forgotten, why not “Juneteenth”? It, too, is a celebration, a remembrance, of that same war. We once celebrated the birthday of General Robert E. Lee with a federal holiday. That was changed to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, birthday.
I believe that if Lincoln had lived, he would have been remembered as the president who reunited a country he tore asunder. When he heard the news of the surrender at Gettysburg, legend has it that he requested the band play “Dixie” in honor of the Rebels who had fought, and those who had died.
Don’t try to erase any more Southern memories. The North won and the Union prevailed. “Fergit, HELL!” It will be impossible to forget as long as some try to continue to erase the parts of history they don’t like. Leave well enough alone, and let sleeping dogs lie.
Cameron Triplett
Brooksville
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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