In the mid-1990’s war erupted among the factions of the former Yugoslavian nation. Brutality, human rights violations and ethnic cleansing were rampant. Quoting President George Bush in 1992: “the war in Bosnia-Hercegovina and Croatia is a complex, convoluted conflict that grows out of age-old animosities. The blood of innocents is being spilled over century-old feuds.” Quoting Warren Christopher, Secretary of State, 1993: “The hatred between all three groups, the Bosnians and the Serbs and the Croatians is almost unbelievable. It’s almost terrifying, and it’s centuries old. That really is a problem from hell …”
With utter disgust and disbelief I watched the news reports of the atrocities being committed on a daily basis. It was difficult to understand how people could treat each other this badly. It was more difficult to fathom placing the blame on ancient feuds. Why would these people destroy each other over affronts which happened centuries ago? Where was their collective common sense? You can’t change the past. Learn from the past and move forward. But whatever you do, don’t let old hatreds destroy your future.
At least I was confident nothing like Bosnia could ever happen in the USA. People in our country have too much common sense to let old ethnic hatred and regional grievances destroy a great nation. We’d fought a bloody Civil War, of course. But that war ended over 150 years ago and the wounds have healed. While we have our lingering problems, progress was being made. Americans were too smart to ever be that divisive again.
Move the clock forward to 2017. Now the news is filled with reports of our dysfunctional, combative Congress; Republican and Democratic representatives who seemingly can’t compromise or find common grounds on any topic of national importance; left wing protestors who believe it’s ok to use violence to suppress opposing views; riots over removing Confederate statues; calls to impeach a duly elected President because some don’t like his views; conflict over illegal aliens (Are they “undocumented residents?”) and so on.
I’m concerned segments of America’s population are allowing old animosities and prejudices to drive their actions and beliefs today. Of 
course “Black lives matter.” All lives matter! Slavery and its vestiges were and are evil. Historians generally agree the primary catalyst for Southern secession was slavery. President Lincoln and the Civil War ended slavery. I’d like to believe common sense would have eventually prevailed to end slavery in the US. Nevertheless, slavery is so repugnant that an intelligent being cannot condemn a war which stamped it out much sooner.
The causes of the Civil War are more complex than slavery. Other political and cultural differences between the North and the South certainly contributed. The concept of states’ rights was not new in 1869. Since the Constitution was first drafted leaders argued over the division of power between the state and federal governments. The southern states felt that the federal government was taking away their rights and powers. As odd as it may sound, Southerners wanted the Constitution to be honored because it protected slavery. Southern nationalism arose in the face of partisan politics, abolitionism and its potential impact on the South’s cotton economy, and the election of Abraham Lincoln, so unpopular in the South his name wasn’t placed on the ballots. Rather than succumb to Northern influence, Southern leaders felt they had every right under the Constitution to withdrawn from the United States and form their own Confederacy. Northern political leaders refused to allow succession, seeking to preserve the national union. Thus, war commenced.
The Civil War terminated slavery and established federal supremacy. The war ended long ago. Texas and California aren’t going to succeed, despite local rumblings. Learn valuable lessons from the bloody conflict and move forward. That’s common sense. Don’t try to remake or repeat history.
Statues of General Robert E. Lee and others were erected because they were respected and venerated by their peers. The statues don’t represent support of slavery. They represent Southern pride in the face of adversity and in the bravery of their soldiers. Southerners understand their ancestors lost the war and slavery is dead. Southerners don’t display the Confederate battle flag because they want to go to war again to reinstate slavery. As a region Southerners are proud of their heritage and display their kinship. It’s unfortunately some racist idiots show the flag in their heinous acts and discredited white supremacy views. Nevertheless, it is hateful to assert that anyone who shows the flag is a racist. Let’s respect everyone’s freedom of expression.
Leave the statues and flags alone! The dispute over symbols is unnecessarily divisive. The perception becomes: one political group (espousing remove the statues as a vestige of slavery) is trying to force their will on another political group (advocating leave the statues as our heritage and history). This is analogous to one cause of the Civil War – one side trying to impose their will on another. You can’t change history. Let the statues represent whatever they may to anyone viewing them. Gen. Lee was perhaps a great general. Nevertheless, he lost. His cause was discredited. He’s a reminder that times and views change and history may judge you harshly.