First, I do not believe that I am racist.

Second, I do not understand why the city of Salisbury is wanting to move a statue that has been in the same spot since 1909. The statue, or should I say monument, is part of Salisbury’s history.

“Fame,” as the statue, is called a “muse” holding a wounded or dying soldier. As we all know, war is a terrible thing. So many soldiers and civilians die. There are statues representing other wars. Should all of them be moved because they offend some people?

What about the ancestors of the people that lost their lives in the Civil War? Right or wrong, they were still soldiers following orders. History can not be changed and should never be forgotten, lest it could be repeated.

People are wanting everything Confederate to disappear. The war happened and it will never go away. Moving “Fame” will not make people love each other.

I was born in Salisbury and I see “Fame” a lot but what I see is a beautiful piece of art. I believe that moving “Fame” will be like a slap in the face to people that were born here. Instead of this being a black/white issue, the statue should remain where it is and be a reminder to never let a war of this kind happen again.

We have enough problems with the world as it is today. Have we not learned from the past? Is it not time and have we not grown enough to strive to live in peace? Apparently some people have not. There are too many people that enjoy stirring the pot.

— Bobbie Troutman

Salisbury