John P. Hart (Murray) - July 10, 2020

To the editor:

Heritage is a person’s sense of inherited identity. History is the study of the facts of past events. I have as much claim as anyone in this county to a Confederate family background. My Hart/Finney/Coleman/Hamlin/Jetton/Rhea/Yarborough roots cover six generations of life in Calloway and Graves counties. My ancestors were confederate in uniform or sympathy. That’s my family history. The heritage I was taught to respect was not the historical actions of those who took up arms against the United States to defend the institution of slavery. My heritage is the value passed down by generations of people of deep faith who worked for the good and betterment of our community.

As an actively practicing Christian, I am bound by Christ’s second great commandment that I am to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” At St. John’s Episcopal Church, we renew our baptismal covenant at least once each year. We promise to “strive for justice and peace among all people and to respect the dignity of every human being.” The Confederate memorial is an affront to justice and to the dignity of many of our citizens.

Heritage shouldn’t hurt. The statue should be removed to a cemetery or national battlefield where memorials to historical war dead belong.

John P. Hart

Murray

The foregoing was a "Letter to the Editor" submitted to and printed by the Murray Ledger & Times. The entry has not been edited and is presented as it was printed on the date listed with the entry.

From June 5, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2021, the Murray Ledger & Times printed 50 "Letters to the Editor" related to Murray's Confederate monument. Those 50 letters were written by 38 different people; and of those individuals, 22 were in favor of relocating the monument, 11 wrote in support of it remaining in its present location and five did not take a clear stance on either side. The letter above is part of a collection curated by The Sentinel to provide an overview of the sentiments expressed.