Sudden change is often hard for some people to accept.

And tearing down Civil War monuments,

it's a sore spot with many people--

particularly right here in Virginia.

I was born in the North, and I have ancestors

who fought for the Union.

But I also marched in a Civil Rights demonstration

of the late 1960s.

But I've lived in the South for more than 30 years now.

I call it my home.

It is my home.

And I love the people here.

I've come to understand their viewpoint.

You see, General Lee is a southern hero.

Sure he fought to preserve slavery, and that's bad.

But the Civil War wasn't just about slavery.

You talk to any student of American history,

and they'll tell you it was also about preserving an agrarian

way of life, as industrialization

and urbanization started to creep into the southern states.

It was also about states' rights--

preserving the right of states to determine their own destiny

without excessive federal control.

A tear down General Lee, and you tear away in southern history

and heritage.

Now that said, when some people of color

look at a statue of Robert E. Lee,

all they see is someone who fought to preserve slavery.

They're offended.

So perhaps the solution is to put

General Lee and other Confederate heroes

on private, not public property.

Like those who oppose government-funded Confederate

statues on public property, I'm offended when government money

is sent to Planned Parenthood, because I'm

opposed to abortion and the abortions they perform there.

I don't want my tax dollars going to murder unborn babies.

I think they have a right to life, liberty,

and the pursuit of happiness.

But that's for another commentary.

So Christians, how can you share Christ

with an unsaved African-American if you're

waving a Confederate flag in their face,

or sitting in a park beside a statue of Robert E. Lee,

and you know that may offend them?

Should they be forced to send their tax dollars to the city

to maintain that statue and that park?

But folks, listen to this one.

In the rush to dismantle offensive statues,

let's not erase our history.

Not all of our history is good.

We need to take the good with the bad.

Recently appearing on Fox and Friends,

former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

said, when you start wiping out your history--

sanitizing your history to make you feel better--

it's a bad thing.

If our children and grandchildren only

see statues of General Grant--

by the way, he owned a slave, a freedom prior to the Civil

War--

won't the children wonder who fought against Grant?

Shouldn't they also learn about General Lee

and see statues of him?

It's a slippery slope when we act only

to preserve the history we like.

Now listen to what President Trump told reporters.

George Washington was a slave owner.

Was George Washington a slave owner?

So will George Washington now lose his status?

Are we going to take down--

excuse me-- are we going to take down--

are we going to take down statues to George Washington?

How about Thomas Jefferson?

What do you think of Thomas Jefferson?

You like him?

OK, good.

Are we going to take down the statue?

Because he was a major slave owner.

Now are we going to take down his statue?

So you know what?

It's fine.

You're changing history, you're changing culture.

So are we going to tear down the Jefferson Memorial?

Are we going to rename the Washington Monument

because George Washington owned slaves?

Rename Washington DC and called it just the District

of Columbia or the District?

Like it or not, our leaders and all of us are flawed beings.

President Bill Clinton had sex with an intern.

He lied about it and was impeached.

Should we also force him to close

the doors of his presidential library and museum?

No.

So where does all this cleansing of history end?

Isn't that what ISIS tried to do in Iraq and Syria?

It's not what democratic republics do.

Remember those who refused to learn the lessons of history

are doomed to repeat them.

So let's compromise-- find a solution

that works for everyone.

Otherwise, there may be more Charlottesville's

in our future.

Now we're told in Psalm 133:1, "How good and pleasant

it is when God's people live together in unity."

So let's pray for unity and godly solutions.

Let's not allow racism and the murderous and violent acts

of white nationalists and left wing extremists

tear us apart and divide us, no matter our race, creed,

religion, or political affiliation.

Let's love one another and work to be united as one America.

Well that's it for the Global Lane this week.

We'll see you next time.

Be blessed.

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