It has been 40 years since my last letter to a newspaper. As I am approaching 90 years of age, I must write again.

Let me start by saying I do not want to offend anyone. All my life I have close friends of all races, colors and faiths. My mother and dad taught me early in life the great values in all things and people.

But what’s going on with destroying and removing historical monuments is a disaster. The leader who claims they should be removed is going down the wrong road.

If you believe what these clowns are telling people, then we should also do the following.

The first president, George Washington, had slaves. Let’s take down his monument and destroy Mount Vernon. Another president, Thomas Jefferson, had slaves and even had children by one. Let’s take down his memorial and Monticello, his home in Virginia.

We might also tear down the Alamo in Texas. I’m sure it offends someone.

Did you know part of Arlington National Cemetery’s land was once owned by Robert E. Lee? Should that be destroyed?

By the way, states’ rights were the key issue for the Civil War.

One of the most horrible things in modern history were the concentration camps and ovens in Germany, where six million Jewish people were murdered. Were they destroyed? No. They were to remind us not to let it happen again.

Let us respect our historical monuments of the past, good or bad, for they are our history.

No matter how hard we try, we cannot erase the past. Rather, we can work for a better future so some day future people can check our history and say it was good.

— Richard Lapham

Salisbury