Another CWRT in Lee County Writes to the Lee Co Commissioners on the Need to Keep the Lee Memorial!

The Lee County CWRT Supports the Rob't. E. Lee Memorial in Lee County. To print a copy or to view the WORD doc, click on the image itself! 

Galena Illinois CWRT Supports "Keeping Rob't. E. Lee in Lee"!

 The Galina, Illinois CWRT--the hometown of U.S. Grant--has weighed in on the Robert E. Lee Memorial in Lee County. To print or upload the WORD document for better viewing purposes, click on the image itself. Our thanks to our Northern counterparts for taking a stand against the "cancel culture" of the Left!

Our Letter of Concern to W&L University President

Click on the image to bring up a pdf version of Brian's letter.

 

PRESS RELEASE: April 14, 2021

Re:  In Defense of Robert E. Lee 

Today, our nation struggles to recover from $2 billion dollars in destruction and countless lives lost over this past summer—much of it surrounding the destruction of monuments dedicated to important figures in our national past.  It is no surprise that with the decline in knowledge about our nation’s history that citizens have pressured the Ft. Myers City Council to remove the Memorial dedicated to the memory of the man for whom our county is named. Gone are the days when mayors and commissioners would pose for pictures at the base of the Robert E. Lee Memorial. Nor do many citizens recall that in recent years our County Commission has both officially recognized Confederate Memorial Day and passed a resolution to protect historical monuments within our county.  Unfortunately, with the march of today’s ‘cancel culture’ all that matters is to follow the dictates of an uninformed mob. Due to the blatantly erroneous statements that were made before the Ft. Myers City Council regarding the character of Robert E. Lee, we believe it’s necessary to set the record straight. 

It’s been falsely stated that Lee was a cruel slave owner who whipped his slaves and sold apart family members. The truth is Lee freed not only the slaves he inherited from his wife, but also all those from the Custis estate who were not owned by him.  He always stood in opposition to the institution. True, as executor he rented slaves from the Custis estate, but he did so in order to raise the funds to pay for their emancipation. He accomplished that goal. Those of his slaves who wished to remove to Liberia even had their transport paid by Lee.  

Nor was Lee a ‘traitor.’ He had already dedicated much of his life to the defense of our nation and risked his life in its war against Mexico. Lee always saw himself as following the steps of his Revolutionary War father, “Light-Horse Henry” Lee, and George Washington. He opposed secession but was forced by history to choose. Thank goodness none of us is faced with his choice—to take up arms against one’s one family and neighbors and to invade one’s own state or to hope for peace and vow to protect your loved ones from foreign invasion. Through Lee’s simple word and deed, a murderous guerrilla war following Appomattox was averted. He turned down opportunities to make a fortune off his name as he saw his own properties seized by the federal government, leaving him in dire poverty in 1865. Thanks to an offer from a bankrupt Washington College, he found a respectable home and comfort for his wife by assuming the presidency of the little school. For the next five years as thousands of his officers, former soldiers and southern citizens sought out his guidance, he always advised them that God had decided the contest and their duty now was to be loyal citizens of the United States. Without a doubt, he single-handedly did more than anyone to heal the wounds from a war that cost 750,000 dead and another hundred thousand maimed and disabled. For this he won the undying devotion of our nation and countless Presidents and world leaders. Hardly acts of a traitor!

Lee’s life is a lesson to us in troubled times. For that alone he should not be driven in disgrace from our public square. Drawing inspiration from his ordeal, he continues to inspire generations of Americans to enlist in an army that prides itself on duty, sacrifice, loyalty, and perseverance. We’ve forgotten that in 1964 President Johnson invoked the memory of Lee to successfully pass that year’s momentous Civil Rights Act into law. We’ve forgotten his memory was invoked again during the national turmoil over the Vietnam War. When his “lost” loyalty oath was rediscovered in the National Archives in 1970 there were over 400,000 draft dodgers who had fled to Canada or were in hiding out within America. Congress quickly rushed through a bill restoring Lee’s citizenship. Signed into law by Gerald Ford on July 22, 1975 it offered hope for our future. Shortly afterward, President Carter used this example to pardon hundreds of thousands of Vietnam draft dodgers. Once again Lee helped heal our wounds.

Today should be no different. Many of our members had ancestors who fought in the American Civil War. We respect the views of many Black citizens in Lee County who are offended by the local Robert E. Lee memorial.  We ask them to judge the entire man’s life, however, and not just the four years he chose to defend his family and state from what he considered foreign invasion. We ask that they remember that through his acts and deeds he opposed slavery and humanly freed his own slaves. We feel just as closely touched by Lee’s deeds as they—actions on his part freed their ancestors while they maimed and killed some of ours. 

Lee’s Christian heritage taught him to forgive his enemies and to forget the divisions of the past. He never drank, smoked, swore or was unkind to any person. He was always a faithful husband and loving father. He was a renowned educator—both at West Point and later at Washington College. We’d like to call upon the citizens of Lee County to remember Lee’s character and his entire life’s lesson—one that all our school children should be educated to.  Rather than remove this man from our collective memory, we need to strengthen our remembrance of him. 

With the same hope that Lee had for our nation’s future, we urge the collective elective officials of Ft Myers and Lee County to make the right decision for of our community.

(WORDS 949)

Sincerely,

Brian Bailey, President, Southwest Florida Civil War Roundtable
Naples, FL   34117

Minutes of April 13 Meeting

 The last meeting of the season took place as we welcomed Ryan and Christine to our group! The draft PRESS RELEASE--"In Defense of Robert E. Lee"--by President Brian Bailey was approved and was sent to local newspapers. Our group enjoyed a trivia "Jeopardy Game" in which all questions except one (the only civilian killed at Gettysburg) were answered! The game (on Powerpoint) will be posted in the Program section so that it may be accessed by members who wish to share it.  Jack presented a program on John Hunt Morgan which will also be posted there. Those wishing to use the PowerPoint are encouraged to read the lengthy notes for each slide which amount to 17 pages. Constance Fenimore Woolson's (a descendent of James Fenimore Cooper) poem, "Kentucky Belle,"--at the end of the slide show--was enjoyed by all. Brian promised that the group will seek interviews with County Commissioners over the Lee Memorial and will update members over the summer. 
     We look forward to resuming our meetings in October and will everyone a restful and rewarding summer!

‘White Lies Matter’ Group Claims Responsibility, Demands Ransom for Stolen Confederate Monument

Kirsten Fiscus and Marty Roney, Montgomery Advertiser, April 5, 2021

An “anti racist action group” is claiming responsibility and holding for ransom a stone chair, dedicated to Jefferson Davis, stolen from Old Live Oak Cemetery in Selma last month. According to an email from the group, “White Lies Matter,” the chair was taken from the cemetery about a month ago. {snip}

Instead of cash, however, the group has asked the United Daughters of the Confederacy to hang a banner outside their headquarters in Virginia for 24 hours, beginning April 9 at 1 p.m., with a quote from Assata Shakur. April 9 is the 156th anniversary of Robert E. Lee’s surrender in Appomattox, Virginia. “The rulers of this country have always considered their property more important than our lives,” says the banner that the group mailed to the UDC.

Shakur was a former member of the Black Liberation Army, convicted of murder in 1977, escaped prison in 1979 and remains free despite being wanted by the FBI after she was granted political asylum in Cuba.

In the notice the group sent Monday morning, they wrote about the tension between “our heritage of white supremacy and our underlying belief in ‘liberty and justice for all.'”

“America’s original sin is that people were kidnapped from their homes and forced to build one of the most prosperous nations in the world, without being allowed to participate in it,” the letter says. {snip}

{snip} There is a $5,000 reward leading to information about the disappearance of the chair, described as being about 3-feet-tall and weighing several hundred pounds.

{snip} Before being stolen, the chair was displayed in Confederate Circle which covers about an acre in Selma’s Old Live Oak Cemetery. {snip}

The chair is not the first memorial to be taken from Confederate Circle. After a bust of Confederate Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest was vandalized and covered with trash, it was moved from city property to Confederate Circle. It was from there that Forrest’s bronze bust was stolen never to be recovered. Friends of Forrest, a local group, had the bust replaced.

In 2011 the Selma City Council sold the property surrounding Confederate Circle to the United Daughters of the Confederacy. {snip} {snip}

Original Article

Councilwoman Bonk replies to Letter on Lee Memorial removal

Hi Jack,

Thank you for your email and love for this country and its history. Make It A Great Day!

Darla Bonk
City Fort Myers
Councilwoman Ward 6
Office - 239-321-7006      Cell – 239-896-8606
Email: dbonk@cityftmyers.com

My original email to all Council-persons:

Sent: Sunday, April 4, 2021 7:22 AM
To: Darla Bonk <dbonk@cityftmyers.com>
Subject: Robert E. Lee was a great "American"....

 Re: Robert E. Lee was a great "American"....

Dear Councilwoman Bonk,

If EVER there was a time to listen to the wisdom and follow the example of Lee, it is today. At the end of our nation's most devastating war that took 750,000 lives and left hundreds of thousands wounded, maimed, and disabled, Lee prevented an even more costly guerrilla war, thereby saving innumerable lives. He went on through every action to set an example of LOYALTY to the Constitution and the U.S. and urged all southerners to do likewise. He has been praised by EVERY U.S president and when his request for return of his citizenship and civil rights was discovered by accident in the National Archives in the 1970s a bill was almost immediately passed by a nearly UNANIMOUS House of Representatives and Senate to restore his American civil rights. When President Lyndon Johnson urged fellow southerners to pass the Civil Rights Bill of 1964, the most persuasive argument he could think of was to remind them of the words, deeds and character of Robert E. Lee. This man is a great American and his example has been heralded by leaders around the world. DO NOT LET THE TALIBAN-LIKE LEFT, who is currently engaged in the destruction of everything American, win this battle.

Sincerely,
Jack Bovee.    Ft. Myers

POSTSCRIPT:  I sent the following reply email to the Councilwoman:

Dear Councilwoman Bonk --

Thanks for your kind reply. I would hope you would--despite your vote to remove the Memorial from the City--work to retain it within the county. To give you a better indication of the character of Lee, I hope you would find a few minutes to either read or watch Phillip Leigh's essay, "A Good Reason to Honor Robert E. Lee," written one day after the January 6th attack upon our nation's capital. The article may be read here: https://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/blog/a-good-reason-to-honor-robert-e-lee/ .   You may listen to it while you work from this YOUTUBE link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoZKMZX8nDk&t=1s 

Let's find a solution to save this man's example for our children today and in the future. All persons have warts and skeletons (even Dr. King for whom we have a street named for. Do we want a discussion on his character? If necessary, I'll use only his good friend Ralph Abernathy's details to prove my point.)  Lee's character truly stands the test of time. 

BTW, my ancestors--two brothers--went into the Union Army as teens AFTER Emancipation, thus knew what they were fighting for--emancipation!  [Charles Bovee--16th PA Cavalry and Daniel Bovee--111th PA Volunteer Infantry.] Both, although weakened medically, survived the war. Others of my relatives did not. Lee's actions were to personally free his slaves, but they helped kill some of my family. 

I'd like to think I have a little 'stake' in this controversy--perhaps as much as some other vocal residents who wish to see his monument removed. 

Thanks for listening. 

Next Meeting Notice: Tuesday, April 13th 6 - 8 pm

The next meeting of the SW Florida Civil War Roundtable on Monday, April 13, 2021 from 6:00-8:00 PM at Jack Bovee’s residence--19001 Cypress View Dr., Ft Myers, FL 33967. The purpose of the group is to share information related to the Civil War era and to promote and protect the heritage of this vital period of American history. This evening’s program will be “John Hunt Morgan: Hero or Hooligan?” There will also be a Jeopardy Quiz on civil war subjects, an update on the Lee Memorial in downtown Ft. Myers and a vote on a proposed letter to be sent to Lee County Commissioners.

For more information and to RSVP, contact Jack Bovee at 272-3508 or at email  jsbovee@aol.com. (Those unable to attend this meeting, but are interested in future events should email Jack. Information about the group may be obtained at: https://swflcivilwarroundtable.blogspot.com/    Our meetings take place on the second Tuesday evening of each month until further notice.) ___________________________________________________________________

DIRECTIONS:

To access a GOOGLE MAPS View:   https://www.google.com/maps/@26.4623549,-81.7955231,237m/data=!3m1!1e3  

From the intersection of Alico Road and Three Oaks Parkway; 

1. go south on Three Oaks Parkway past Three Oaks Middle School and through the Traffic Light at the intersection of San Carlos Blvd. and the 7-11 Plaza.  

2. Take the first RIGHT turn onto Pine Chase Road and then the first LEFT onto Cypress Chase Ct. 

3. After turning onto Cypress Chase Ct. take an immediate left onto Cypress View Drive. 

4. Your destination will be the 2nd house on your right! 

From the intersection of Corkscrew Road and Three Oaks Parkway: 

1. go north on Three Oaks Parkway and go through the Traffic Light at the intersection with Estero Parkway.  

2. Continue north on Three Oaks Parkway, remaining in the Left Lane.

3. Turn LEFT onto Pine Chase Road just before the newly constructed Portofino Vineyard Apartments. 

4. Traveling north on Pine Chase Road you will take—following a wide curve on the roadway—the THIRD RIGHT onto what is Cypress Chase Court.

5. Take an immediate LEFT onto Cypress View Drive.  Your destination will be the 2nd home on the right!

Galina, IL CWRT to Hopefully Support Lee County Memorial to Robert E. Lee!

Re: April Meeting    
Mon, Apr 5, 2021 1:11 pm
Skip/Carol Schwerdtfeger (sailccs@gmail.com)

To:you + 43 more Details

I think it is highly appropriate for the Civil War Roundtable to take an official position on the subject of the Lee Statue.  Please record my vote for preserving the statue in an agreed upon county owned park or location.  Lee went out of his way on numerous occasions to tell his personal supporters after the war that the war is over, God has decided, we are all Americans.  If Grant were here to opine on the subject, I am sure he would agree with me.

I am home now and will convey your greetings to the CWRT in Galena, Il at our next meeting.  I will look forward to joining you next fall.  We have our shots now.

Warmest regards,

 Skip Schwerdtfeger 

Letters to Lee County Commissioners on Rob't. E. Lee Memorial

 

H.S. “Jack” Bovee

19001 Cypress View Drive

Fort Myers, FL  33967

April 2, 2021

Mr. Kevin Ruane, Chair, Lee County Commission, dist1@leegov.com

Dear Mr. Ruane,

I am writing to you as a resident of Lee County for 50 years, a former U.S. History teacher at N. Ft. Myers High School in the 1970s, a former Social Studies Coordinator for the Lee County School District in the 1980s and 1990s, and afterward a former Lee County Elementary Principal of the Year. I’ve dedicated all of my adult life as to the education of youth. Among my most treasured achievements was to have taken an idea begun by Maureen Copeland at Fort Myers High School for establishing a rigorous Social Studies Honor Society for her students and promoting similar societies across Florida and eventually the nation.  I tell you this because I am passionate about the subject I wish to discuss with you: the need to preserve in Lee County the memorial dedicated to Robert E. Lee, for whom our county is named.

I am keenly aware of the toxic nature of many monuments to America’s past—especially those that pertain to anyone associated with the Confederacy. As an educator, however, I can’t help but believe there is an opportunity here that would benefit everyone in our community.  I need not tell you that the life and times of Robert E. Lee closely mirror our own.  Today, our nation has been divided almost to the extent it was 160 years ago when a tragic Civil War destroyed half the nation and took an estimated 750,000 lives.   Robert E. Lee’s personal efforts to reconcile the division in our nation won him the praise of countless U.S. Presidents and world leaders. He worked against what would have been a murderous guerrilla war following Appomattox, thereby saving the lives of countless Americans. After the war, he continually told his students and friends that he saw himself as an American and encouraged them to put aside their resentments and prejudices. His example has repeatedly served as a lesson to our nation in times of political and social division. Much later, when LBJ urged Congress to approve the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he reminded Southerners of the legacy of Lee.  He remarked to his fellow southerners, “If we are to heal our history and make this nation whole…opportunity must know no color line. Robert E Lee…a great leader of the South—and I assume no modern day leader would question him or challenge him—Robert E. Lee counseled us well when he told us to cast off our animosities and raise our sons to be Americans.” Finally, for the record, Lee abhorred slavery. 

Without doubt, Lee’s example and his character have guided Americans in turbulent times. Today is no different. 

It should be noted that Robert E. Lee is today a great AMERICAN citizen. He sought and posthumously received restoration of his citizenship and civil rights by nearly unanimous votes in both Houses of Congress not that long ago. In the historic presidential signing ceremony marking that event, Gerald Ford spoke to the nation: General Lee's character has been an example to succeeding generations, making the restoration of his citizenship an event in which every American can take pride. . . .As a soldier, Gen. Lee left his mark on military strategy. As a man, he stood as the symbol of valor and of duty. As an educator, he appealed to reason and learning to achieve understanding and to build a stronger nation. The course he chose after the war became a symbol to all…     

The fact that Lee devoted 4 years of his life toward the defense of his state, family and neighbors in a cause that he believed was constitutional should be no reason to erase a memorial to his honor in the county that bears his name. The toxicity of the current situation threatens the very historical legacy of both the City of Ft. Myers and Lee County. Are we next to rename the city because it honors another Confederate? Will we rename the many roads, parks, schools, buildings, businesses and even our county name itself because these pay tribute to the man that so many of our presidents and world leaders have praised? Where will the cancel culture end? Why not deal with it now? If Lee cannot be respected, who can? If this monument is removed, what other tributes to the man should remain?

I submit that there is an alternative route that the County Commission and City Council may wish to explore. It is to follow the time-honored tradition of political compromise. I respectfully suggest that the City and County each nominate such stakeholders and distinguished local citizens to a committee that would be charged with establishing a common-sense solution to our current dilemma. Nominees might come from prominent local educators, the Bar Association, historical museums, and perhaps even from the Board of Lee Memorial Hospital—whose very existence owes a debt to this man. Nominees could be from stakeholder groups such as the NAACP, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, possibly the Lee County Visitors/Convention Center, one or more of our university Presidents, or representatives from our many elective bodies. The possibilities are endless and as an optimist, I believe there are enough people of goodwill that a satisfactory agreement could be made. A committee report with representation from all stakeholders would hopefully provide a firm foundation for any decision by elective bodies.

I’d further suggest any such group charged with arriving at a solution should meet basic criteria. Among these might be:

      -- that the location of the memorial be appropriate (this might mean county property instead of city property or that it be removed to a historical museum or another appropriate venue. (Are the various historic busts by sculptor Don Wilkins still housed in the City convention center?)    

     -- that it be made available to the public for historical and educational purposes

     -- that it be in a secure location to protect it from further vandalism or destruction 

     -- that educational background be provided as part of the monument to give context to all 

         sides 

     -- that some final clarification of ownership be established for the future 

Among other possibilities, it might be possible to create a short educational video (that could be produced by WGCU, the school system or a local news network) that could briefly cover the life of Lee as well as the controversy surrounding this historical legacy. This could be used to educate and better inform Lee County citizens, visiting tourists, and local school children about the man and would help to answer the question as to why this county continues to bear his name.

The above scenario of an advisory committee is only one suggestion and I’m aware that such a move would entail legal obligations under Florida’s Sunshine Law. Another idea would be to submit something of a solution to the voters of Lee County for their input or approval. 

As a member of the Southwest Florida Civil War Roundtable, I’m aware of the desire of the Sons of Confederate Veterans to possibly remove the Lee Memorial to a location outside of Lee County. Doing so, however, would not end these controversies.  We’d still have a hospital, roads, banks, schools, parks, businesses, portraits and more to protest and agitate over.  As a community, we have a choice. We can deal with our past history today or kick the can down the road for our children to solve. Personally, I’d hate to see this memorial to the man removed from the public square in Lee County when having it present provides such wonderful educational opportunities for our residents and students.

I’d welcome the chance to discuss this with you further. I’m copying your colleagues and Major Kevin Anderson on the matter in the hope of getting some common-sense discussions going between your two local governing agencies.  

With best wishes for a workable solution to all,

Most sincerely,

Jack Bovee

Jack Bovee            Email:  jsbovee@aol.com       Cell:  239-272-3508

Cc: 

Mr. Cecil Pendergrass, Commissioner, Dist. 2   dist2@leegov.com

Mr. Ray Sandelli, Commissioner, Dist. 3  dist3@leegov.com

Mr. Brian Hamman, Commissioner, Dist. 4  dist4@leegov.com

Mr. Frank Mann, Commissioner, Dist. 5   dist5@leegov.com  

Mr. Kevin Anderson, Mayor, City of Ft. Myers    mayoranderson@cityftmyers.com

Why removing historical monuments is a bad idea

While most Americans watch helplessly, our stateside Taliban vandalizes and removes long-standing public monuments. As some commentators point out, the destruction weakens our consciousness of history, including history’s darker side. 

Even more importantly, however, erasing monuments of once-revered figures upsets an unspoken but long-prevailing consensus governing our decisions of whom to commemorate. The consensus renders the commemoration process more meaningful and less political than it otherwise would be. 

The standard traditionally applied is as follows: When deciding whom to commemorate — by statues, place names, monuments, holidays, currency, or coins — we select individuals who performed extraordinary feats that, on balance, made the world a better place. We disregard or discount those faults common to the individual’s time and place. We do not erect monuments to people who performed extraordinary feats that were unquestionably evil, even if their characters included some virtuous traits. Thus, George Washington is memorialized in statues and place names, although he held slaves. Adolph Hitler gets none, although he was kind to dogs.

George Washington is one example of the traditional standard in action. Other examples are the decisions to name towns in New York State, Illinois, and Indiana after the Roman consul, Marcus Tullius Cicero. Cicero was a great orator, an outstanding lawyer, a spokesman for balanced government, and the single person most responsible for transmitting the Greek philosophical tradition to Western Europe. It does not disqualify him that he selected a husband for his daughter rather than allowing her to select one for herself [or that he owned slaves]. Parental selection of spouses is anathema today, but in Cicero’s society, “everybody did it.”

Stupendous vision, energy, competence, and courage distinguished Christopher Columbus from others of his generation. His explorations united a world previously divided by hemispheres. His disreputable actions reflected attitudes and practices common to his society. Thus, we honor Columbus by monuments, place names, and a federal holiday.

Robert E. Lee has become a target among those seeking to obviate history allegedly because he held slaves and fought for his home state rather than the nation. But so did tens of thousands of others similarly situated. Lee was distinguished from his contemporaries by an exemplary career, both in the U.S. and Confederate armies, of competence and honor. In later years, Lee also distinguished himself as an educator: As president of the institution that is now Washington and Lee University, he was largely responsible for fashioning the modern college honor code. 

There are at least two reasons for not permitting contemporaneous vices to disqualify historical figures from favorable commemoration. First, virtually everyone acts in ways consistent with contemporaneous social norms—norms of which later generations may disapprove. Common faults are, by definition, common. If we disqualified all figures because we now reject their society’s practices, we would commemorate few people indeed, and we would deprive ourselves of many sources of inspiration. 

Second, because almost everyone conforms in most respects to prevailing social practices, disqualification for such conduct is necessarily arbitrary and driven more by politics than by merit. The fact that a particular vice prevailed in a person’s place and time becomes an excuse for stripping recognition from people whose lives contradict the propaganda of those in power. Today “progressives” vandalize statues of Columbus and Lee, allegedly because of actions motivated by racism. Tomorrow, a “white nationalist” majority might uproot monuments to Martin Luther King citing his adulteries and other indiscretions. Or a religiously-conservative majority may blacklist outstanding women who in private life opted for legal abortions.

Admittedly, the traditional consensus is not an infallible guide to deciding whom to commemorate. For one thing, it can be a close question whether a person’s extraordinary feats made the world a better place: Franklin D. Roosevelt is widely commemorated, even though scholars still argue over whether his leadership during the Great Depression actually improved American life. Politics plays a role in answering close questions.

In some cases, moreover, politics induces decision-makers to ignore the traditional standards. It is hard to explain on other than political grounds why so many more monuments and places are dedicated to John F. Kennedy than to much better presidents.

But the traditional standard does help minimize political manipulation of history. Perhaps that is precisely why the standard is flouted by those who want to politicize everything.

Published in THE HILL  9/20/17.  

Rob Natelson is a constitutional historian and former constitutional law professor, serves as a senior fellow in constitutional jurisprudence at The Independence Institute, the Montana Policy Institute, and The Heartland Institute.