To the Editor:
Perhaps the biggest argument for changing a street name would be the one named after Jefferson Davis. As the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis had a major impact on history from believing in the superiority of the white race (also Abraham Lincoln’s stance) to leading the horrific war against the North.
However after much ado, on Feb. 26, 1868 the government dismissed all indictments for treason against Davis. Can’t we Alexandrians dismiss our condemnations against him?
What’s more, many other famous national leaders were slave owners including George Washington, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor, and Thomas Jefferson. The latter, as you know, was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence which states that “All men are created equal.” Are we going to rename Thomas Jefferson High School?
Perhaps we could learn from Jefferson Davis who, in his later years, saw the future of the South in his young people. “He urged them to hold dear their Confederate heritage, but not let the past entrap them.”
Susan Cavanaugh
Alexandria