General Lee is a famous name from the American Civil War. He was a general in the Confederate Army and is a part of history. Much as many would like, this fact cannot be wished away. This is also true that he was a defender of slavery and maintained a big slave farm. The statue of the General was installed in 1924 in Charlottesville and it has stood there for close to a hundred years. The trouble began when a decision was taken to remove the statue on the ground that it did not represent American culture today. This infuriated the extremist groups like that Neo-Nazis, KKK and white supremacists who descended on Charlottesville and a lot of rioting took place.
There were counter demonstrations and clashes and at least one person is killed. Newsweek has reported this news.
Opinion of descendant of Jefferson
The great-great grandson of Jefferson Davis who was the president of the South at that time has opined that the statue needs to be removed but not destroyed. He feels it would be a good idea to ensconce it in a museum or any place where scholars study history. There is no doubt that removing the statue of General Lee is not going to change history. This is an event long past and to try and defend or denigrate his actions 150 years back is not reasonable. Thomas Jefferson's great-great grandson is right that in case people find it offensive it should be removed but installed in a place which scholars can reach it.
The civil war is still a fascinating piece of history and Lee's statue is part of that history.
General Lee
Lee led the Confederate army but he could never have won, as his resources were limited and he faced a superior general in Grant. To say he was wrong or right is immaterial, as he lived by his own ideas which were deeply embedded in the psyche of the South at that time.
Once the union army had blockaded the Atlantic ports the fate of Lee and the Confederate army was sealed.
Future
All over America, a deep division on partisan lines has emerged and matters are not helped by the approach of President Trump who kept silent for 3 days and then blamed both groups equally. His sitting on the fencing cost the American nation dearly
Most of the strife is in the deep south and symbols of the civil war and Confederates ignite passions.
This is natural as the South was the bastion of the Confederate army.
The deep division in America has racial and color overtones. One had a feeling that these divisions would die away but the rise of trump has accentuated these divisions and I don't see them fading away.
