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.