Regarding Dan Manka’s letter ”Don’t judge Robert E. Lee by 2022 standards” (Dec. 31, TribLIVE), on the matter of West Point removing the artwork of Robert E Lee: I am not convinced that this was a judicious move. In point of fact, would the portrayal of Lee surrendering his army at Appomattox be scrubbed as well?

However there is much I take issue with. Lee rejected the chance to be a great American, deciding instead to be a great Virginian. Another native of Virginia, George Thomas, elected to stay with the United States and was arguably as good or better general as Lee (he lacked biographers who would worship at his feet as Lee’s did).

As far as evolving standards go, well, Lee chose to fight for a confederacy that was made up of slaveholders, as was Lee himself. There were standards regarding slavery in 1860 that recognized it as the abomination that it was, and Lee chose not to do so.

John W. Connelly

Sharpsburg

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