NAACP President Opposes Confederate Statue Removal

Esther Lee, Bethlehem, PA NAACP President

by Daniel Greenfield: While the Charlottesville counterprotests were, on paper, associated more with African-American groups, the protesters overall tended to be white leftists. Black people have a variety of views on the subject ranging from opposition to apathy to support. For some, it's a symbol of hate. For others, a part of history that has no effect on the present. And it's removal just stirs up racism and violence.

Here's a view from Bethlehem, PA.

"I think it's all senseless. All senseless," begins Bethlehem NAACP President Esther Lee.

Lee says the images that she's seen over the last few days, have been tough to watch.

Lee says violence is still violence. She doesn't agree with the vandalism of Confederate monuments in Baltimore or condone the actions of those who tore down the statue in North Carolina, either.

"You know that's history. That was in that point in time. You can't eliminate what history is. So I disapprove with young people pulling down those statues," she says.

Lee then adds, "A young woman died. Two officers were murdered in a plane crash and all for what? Because somebody in their mind decided, "we don't need to look at that anymore."

"It shouldn't be," she says softly.

While Lee doesn't agree with President Trump on everything, she does think that history should be left to stand and advises others to join her in praying for the president.

"I would pray that he would gain the strength to do what's necessary in the job, at least for these four years," she says.

Lee says maybe things aren't what they should be. But that doesn't mean hate and hurt need to win.It's a different point of view that isn't being represented on the national stage.The debate about Confederate statues in Dallas intensified on Monday as a group made up of predominantly African Americans called for the monuments to remain standing.

Several cities across America have now begun to remove or talk about removing Confederate markers shortly after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville turned deadly.

Former city council member Sandra Crenshaw thinks removing the statues won't help.

"I'm not intimidated by Robert E. Lee's statue. I'm not intimidated by it. It doesn't scare me," said Crenshaw. "We don't want America to think that all African Americans are supportive of this."

Crenshaw, along with some Buffalo Solider historians and Sons of Confederate Veterans are coming together to help protect the Confederate markers from toppling over in Dallas.

They feel the monuments, like the Freedman's Cemetery, tell an important story and help heal racial wounds.

"Some people think that by taking a statue down, that's going to erase racism," said Crenshaw. "Misguided."Well I rather doubt that they do think that. They're out to engage in a radical transformation of America. And their goal is to conduct radical social change and touch off clashes like these. When they've gone through the Confederate statues and the statues of Columbus, they will at some point move on to George Washington.
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Daniel Greenfield is Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and a New York writer focusing on radical Islam. David Horowitz is a Contributing Author of the ARRA News Service

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