I at first thought removal of the statues won’t erase history. Then I heard a mayor say he was removing them because to many of the residents have to walk past them and are reminded daily of the horrendous treatment of their ancestors. I hadn’t looked at it from that perspective. I was born and raised in Ohio and like most learned about the Civil War in school. I never gave it much thought after that. I moved to the south 40 years ago and was surprised to see that the war has never really ended here. As with the confederate flag, I’m conflicted. Is it pride in heritage, or is heritage used to camouflage hate? I would agree that the statues should come with a full version of their historical significance, but most people are to lazy to read it. In my own community I can go to slave cemeteries, see slave quarters and plantations, and witness Andrew Jackson’s name everywhere I go. There is no lack of confederate symbolism. If I drive a couple of hours I can also be educated on the history and treatment of the Cherokee Indians. Education and discussion should occur beyond school, but there still remains a strong current of bias in the south