Cotton’s comments ridiculous
I see Tom Cotton popped out of the Koch brothers back pocket long enough to make his ridiculous comments on Gitmo. I guess he believes we should let people who are not even accused of a crime “rot in hell.” I hope he doesn’t decide that we should also apply that to citizens of Arkansas he deems are guilty.
He is an embarassment to this state with his extreme right-wing, fascist views.
RICHARD IVNIK
Garfield
The link between Lee, King
To set my background straight, I was born in Northern Illinois, the great-grandson of two Union soldiers, one in the 15th Illinois Infantry who fought at Shiloh along side Sherman. I am proud of this heritage and so must be placed in loyalties as Union.
Lee was greatly respected by both sides at both the beginning and the end of the Civil War, so greatly respected in the North that General Winfield Scott offered Lee command of the entire Union Army. This command was so lacking in a leader that it was not until the third year of the fighting that that role fell on Ulysses S Grant. Because, of Lee’s failure to except this command, many thousands of men, both North and South died. Such is the case against Lee.
Despite this heavy burden of responsibility, Lee was respected both North and South. Why? Because of the problem of allegiance, which many men had at that time. He was not a Nathan Bedford Forest who fought for slavery, or one who fought for glory or fame, but (mistaken as it might be) fought for his state where he felt his first loyalty lay.
But all this begs the question, why should we honor him to day? Those who say “no” point to Martin Luther King and say give him the day of honor alone. His claim to honor is that he showed us a non-violent way of coming to grips with segregation and discrimination, thus potential preventing a violent and deadly struggle. Isn’t it surprising then to realize that this is exactly the same argument that can be used in Lee’s behalf. When finally brought to quarter by U.S. Grant, Lee had three choices: Fight to the last man standing, but this was not in his DNA; complete and total surrender, something his whole history found against his nature; or break up into small bands and head for the hills, continuing the fight as guerrilla partisans. Many of his top subordinates advocated this and Grant and President Lincoln dreaded it.
In that he chose that which was the greatest risk to himself and the greatest humiliation of his options, in doing so he saved years of violence and death and allowed the United States to begin healing.
So if you must, give King his own day, but not at the expense of Lee, a man he had much in common with.
WARREN GISS
Fort Smith
letters@nwadg.com