I am a southern woman. I come from a long line of good southern people — stretching all the way from the coast of N.C. to Birmingham, Alabama — who include nurses, engineers, teachers and furniture makers.

We are proud of our southern heritage. I am also proud of the fact that nowhere in my known family history is there any pride or nostalgia in the Confederacy.

Instead, our heritage includes southern hospitality, a dry wit, a soft spoken demeanor and a sense of place.

In that list, however, hospitality is the most important, and what I see lacking in the discussion over the placement of the Fame statue here in Salisbury. I read all of the reasons people want the statue to stay in its place, but the reason I believe it should be moved is very simple: If we profess to be a good southern city, we should exhibit the hospitality for which the South is known.

Displaying a statue that glorifies a terrible period of our history makes a very large number of people feel unwelcome and uncomfortable.

When I drive by that statue, I feel no pride; I’m embarrassed. There isn’t room to explain the history behind the myth of the Lost Cause or the reasons we shouldn’t erect statues to it.

If we are to move forward and create a new, more inclusive southern culture, then the statue should be moved to a more appropriate location. I urge those who wonder why we are suddenly so concerned about this to think about it in a different way: Why has it taken so long for the community to finally address it and move forward together?

— Jennifer Pfaff

Salisbury