Philip Sheridan: Vandalism is hate

I am writing to oppose the recent wave of vandalism and efforts to tear down memorials to Confederate war dead.

While I am deeply opposed to racism and the barbaric treatment of slaves in the Old South, I just as strongly oppose defacing the graves of dead American veterans. To vandalize these graves is no less an act of hate than spray-painting swastikas on synagogues or burning crosses in front of African-American homes.

To accuse every American of being a racist for displaying a Confederate flag on either the graves of relatives or their private property is no less ignorant than Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s witch hunts against alleged communist infiltrators in the 1950s.

Sure, take down the Confederate battle flag off of government buildings, but please do not harm memorials to history and fallen veterans. I may not agree with some of the ideas that the South fought for, but I do respect and honor them for being willing to die for moral principles, however divergent from my own, and defending their homes from a hostile invading army. Racism could be found on both sides.

Jesus Christ said, “forgive, and you will be forgiven.” American democracy depends on no less.

This story was originally published July 9, 2015 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Philip Sheridan: Vandalism is hate."