As I drove into Salisbury from a girl’s softball game late last night, I saw red and blue lights everywhere and I wondered what on Earth had happened. Then, I knew. The statue was being moved.

When I moved to Salisbury 14 years ago, I saw the statue and was taken by the beauty of the angel holding someone who had died from the ravages of war. I didn’t inspect to see the ethnicity or race of the person who had died, but rather I was stricken that a town would acknowledge that angels are near to those in times of desperation. I do know this though, that there were white soldiers and black soldiers and many other victims of a cruel war. I’m thankful that angels were there whether there is a statue or not.

— Jo Anne Mullis

Salisbury