Editor, The Smithfield Times:

In the 1600s, English law stated that if “any of Her Majesty’s subjects deny the Queen’s ecclesiastical supremacy … they shall be committed to prison without bail.” Isn’t it odd that, 400 years later, we have nearly the same conditions in America?

“How dare he question me or not agree with me! Fire him!” Such is the recent attitude towards Albert Burckard over the Confederate monument. Never mind history, and never mind facts, because in America today people are expected and demanded to surrender their opinions and think like the “anointed ones” who claim superiority. Think Germany, circa 1940.

Let’s not forget that Confederate dead have no real cemeteries. Confederate soldiers under the law are still considered Americans, still considered American dead. But of course, nobody thinks about the fact that most of those who died in battles were buried where they died. There were no funerals, no church services and no hearses.

Those who fought for the Union were luckier, since the government had better resources, though many of them also were just buried in mass graves as well. This is the reason we have Confederate monuments. This is the reason it is important to remember history.

Today’s society is little more than knee-jerk overreactions based on out-of-control emotions. If someone thinks differently, call them racist. If your computer doesn’t work right, it’s probably racist. Demonize everything, demonize everyone, refuse to listen to them or hear them out, because the attitude of “me, myself and I” isn’t about interacting; it’s about reacting.

History teaches us that attacking others in the streets has been tried before. History teaches us that socialist and communist ideas were tried before. History teaches us that the liberal-left political party has a very racist, oppressive and awful past. Does nobody listen?

Maybe finding those mass graves from years of battle will be a wakeup call.

 

David R. Lyons

Chesapeake