De Blasio: Robert E Lee's 'name should be taken off everything in America, period'

[mystery-ak]

De Blasio: Robert E Lee's 'name should be taken off everything in America, period'
By Justin Wise - 06/11/20 03:07 PM EDT

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio (D) on Thursday called for every tribute to Confederate general Robert E. Lee to be removed nationwide, saying that the figure's racist views have no place in U.S. society today.

"Nothing should be named after Robert E. Lee at this point in history," de Blasio said during a press conference. "He was someone who was supposed to follow his oath to the United States of America and the U.S. military and didn’t, on top of his many other sins."

“His name should be taken off everything in America, period,” he added.
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio (D) on Thursday called for every tribute to Confederate general Robert E. Lee to be removed nationwide, saying that the figure's racist views have no place in U.S. society today.

"Nothing should be named after Robert E. Lee at this point in history," de Blasio said during a press conference. "He was someone who was supposed to follow his oath to the United States of America and the U.S. military and didn’t, on top of his many other sins."

“His name should be taken off everything in America, period,” he added.

The comments from the mayor arrived as the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody, reignites a debate over Confederate statutes and other monuments that many view as symbols of racism. Demonstrators in several cities in the South have toppled statues commemorating Lee and other Confederate leaders in recent days, and some local and state leaders have announced plans to remove them.
The comments from the mayor arrived as the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody, reignites a debate over Confederate statutes and other monuments that many view as symbols of racism. Demonstrators in several cities in the South have toppled statues commemorating Lee and other Confederate leaders in recent days, and some local and state leaders have announced plans to remove them.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/502316-de-blasio-robert-e-lees-name-should-be-taken-off-everything-in-america

[catfish1957]

Has DeBlasio commented on the Christopher Columbus statues coming down?

Wondering?

[mountaineer]

Dear Mayor Wilhelm:

[rustynail]

Robert Carlyle Byrd ....

[mountaineer]

Robert Carlyle Byrd ....

The KKK recruiter whose name is on every highway, school, parking garage and outhouse in the state of West Virginia. Not a problem. 

[dfwgator]

We'll make a deal, just replace every Confederate Statue with that of a Union General.

Work for you, BLM?

[Hoodat]

"Nothing should be named after Robert E. Lee at this point in history," de Blasio said during a press conference. "He was someone who was supposed to follow his oath to the United States of America and the U.S. military and didn’t, on top of his many other sins."

What sins would those be?  Lee opposed secession.  He resigned his commission in the US Army (which he was legally allowed to do) only after Virginia voted to secede.  Here are Lee's words:

“I shall never bear arms against the Union, but it may be necessary for me to carry a musket in the defense of my native state, Virginia, in which case I shall not prove recreant to my duty.”

So why would someone who found themselves no longer living in the United States keep their US military commission?  Lee did the honorable thing.  And he kept his word.  It was the Union that was the aggressor.  It was the Union that invaded Virginia without provocation.  And it was Robert E. Lee that came to the defense of his home, the Commonwealth.  Think about that.   Lee surrendered a very promising military career simply because he was no longer a US citizen, but was still willing to defend his home against unprovoked invasion.

But back to that US military career.  One of Lee's last orders was to squash the rebellion of John Brown at Harpers Ferry.  This was part of the oath as a US military officer that DeBlasio praises - to squelch an uprising by abolitionists bent on freeing slaves.  This is what the Union asked Lee to do.  Not the Confederacy.  Not Virginia.  But the Union that DeBlasio champions.