Larry D. McKenzie (Murray) - June 17, 2020

To the editor:

The first thing that occurred, some hate groups had Confederate flags removed from public displays because they found them offensive. Now there are groups that want Confederate statues removed because of the same reason or they simply don’t like whatever they represent. These statues should be a reminder to future generations of our past history, lest we forget. Our children could make the same mistake again. These statues are history and we can not change history.

We need to treasure these symbols as a reminder to future generations of the mistakes we made in the past as a nation. If we do succeed getting rid of flags, statues and symbols, where does it stop? I say, “What is next?” Do we remove the cross, a reminder of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, from our churches because it is distasteful to some one of us? God forbid! Do we remove our history from the textbooks because some group doesn’t like or approve of our history? History is history, it’s a fact, and it cannot be changed! We rather need to take it and learn from it. It happened whether we like it or not and we can use it to become wiser. What do we do next, allow our American flag, the symbol of freedom for this country we love that Americans have fought and died to protect to be destroyed by hate groups who finds our flag, our dear American flag offensive and remove it from public display? God forbid!

I am sure when we get to this point, we will have forgotten the statues that reminded us of our past and things that should have been remembered will have been lost to future generations who will make the same mistakes again. Imagine another Civil War. I pray to God we never get to this point in our future. I remember great minds that have said our nation, this nation will never be destroyed by a foreign nation but it will fall from within. Let us pray it never comes to this. But only we can prevent this from happening by treasuring our statues and flags and supporting freedom.

Larry D. McKenzie

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.