Richard D. Hurt (Rochester, MN) - August 21, 2020

To the editor:

The monument to Confederate soldiers and Robert E. Lee is a symbol of white supremacy and has no place on public display in 21st century Murray. Alexander H. Stevens vice president of the Confederate States of America, on March 21, 1861 spoke about the “foundations” of the new government, and said “.. its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition.”

Despite the deaths of over 700,000 soldiers and untold suffering by millions of Americans both North and South Jefferson Davis was unrepentant in his belief of white supremacy and slavery of Black people, stating in his farewell to the Mississippi legislature in 1884, “… if it were to do over again, I would again do just as I did in April 1861. I cannot believe that the cause for which our sacrifices were made can ever be lost but rather hope that those who deny the justice of our asserted claims will learn from experience….” The Lost Cause “culture” he defended was not a benevolent genteel culture rather a culture based on white supremacy. Unfortunately Davis’ Lost Cause legacy continues into the 21st century and it is time to let his cause be lost permanently.

Any doubters of the cause of the Civil War should read the constitution of the Confederacy which would have institutionalized slavery in perpetuity. The statue on Murray’s court square is a constant reminder of that painful ideology, a symbol of that racist system and an idol to a white supremacist mindset. Monuments should be reserved to honor those who fought and sacrificed for honorable causes not those who led men to their deaths in defense of the supposed right for one human to own and enslave another.

Richard D. Hurt, Murray High School Class of 1962

Rochester, Minnesota

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.