Silence not golden when it comes to destruction of history

We just celebrated the Fourth of July. It was great our local fireworks show in Imperial went on as planned, but some areas had to curtail activities, even professionally conducted fireworks shows, thanks to the pandemic—or should I say China?
    And on top of what some call a subdued Fourth of July this summer, we also had to withstand and watch the continued tearing down of historical statues by protesters.
    There have even been calls to remove statues of Abraham Lincoln in Boston, Wisconsin and other areas because he’s a “symbol of white supremacy.” So say angry students, Black Lives Matter spokesmen and others.
    It evidently doesn’t matter that Lincoln, whose face is on our currency and for whom so many cities are named, led this country through a Civil War, after which black lives were freed from slavery.
    Good or bad, tearing down statues removes our history—history from which generations following us can learn. Leaving reminders of our country’s struggles, particularly those from the Civil War, helps us remember that the right side won. Slavery was and still is wrong.
    I’ve asked myself how do you respond when this type of destruction and disregard for public (and private) property is filmed and broadcast almost daily?
    The response certainly should not be silence.
    We need to do more than just shake our heads and turn off the television. We need to speak out against it.
    Of course, you may be called names—maybe even the “R” word. But, it’s not wrong or racist to love your country and its history. It’s not wrong or racist to oppose destruction of our historic markers which tell of our history.
    And, freedom of speech is not only for those who are politically correct.
    No one opposes peaceful protesting. But when it turns violent and destructive, tearing at the very heart of our history, we need to speak up. Thankfully, we don’t have to deal with it directly here, but I’d guess most of you have talked about it with others.
    The ones who support the destruction, or are doing it themselves, are counting on your silence so it can continue without going through the proper channels—you know, things like hearings and discussion of “why” they should be removed. But that’s not the answer for some who live by instant gratification and “solutions” right now.
    But, don’t give them what they want. It doesn’t have to be confrontational, but your opposition needs to be heard.