Reply #12: This whole thread is quite sad in my opinion because it

[hlthe2b]

reflects the same kind of extremely narrow limited understanding of an issue that so often accompanies RW and Freeper's views on issues. Robert E. Lee was a very complex man who ended up on the "wrong" side of the Civil War as we all would likely agree, but was extremely conflicted. For those who won't take the time to read some biographies of the man, or some indepth history of the war and its leaders on both sides, perhaps you can at least take note of the views of those who should have been his greatest detractors and who had great admiration and respect for him, before, during, and after the war. From what I know of the man, your girlfriend has reason to be pround, despite the controversy that comes from our tendency to forget or narrowly view history. However, if someone were seriously questioning whether she was worthy of a relationship because of her heritage, I'd hope SHE would seriously question whether HE was worthy of HER?

There have been some wonderful DU historians who have written on this issue far better than I, when this has come up in past threads. I hope they will feel comfortable in posting, and in so doing, will not be savagely attacked as somehow being in support or apologists for the Confederate cause or slavery.


(on edit, my appraisal of the responses did not take into account the last two, who posted as I was writing my own).