Letters: Confederate monuments are symbols of hatred, oppression

The Alabama State Conference of the NAACP vehemently opposes the Alabama Preservation Act of 2017 signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey, which protects monuments, statues, buildings and bridges [that] honor Confederate leaders and white supremacists who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Historically, one would erect a monument as a symbol to honor a great person or a great event that changed history. Flags are flown as signs of victory or to capture a certain image. There was no great achievement in the Civil War.

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Confederate monuments, symbols, signs and flags do everything but honor anything great. They are all symbols of hate, division and serve as deep-seated racism and oppression for certain minority groups, particularly those who have slave ancestry. It is a reminder that the South is not and may very well never be ready to let go of its deep-seated racism. America may never be able to admit that what they did to slaves was wrong economically, physically, psychologically, historically and systemically. No one who flies a confederate flag in their front yard invites minorities over for dinner.

We cannot publicly honor people who fought in the Civil War or memorialize them because these Americans regarded their fellow citizens not as full humans, but just slaves who have no rights. Slaves were treated heinously, inhumanely and humiliated; whipped, punished and put in hot boxes, castrated, hanged, raped and even fed alive to dogs. How can we be proud of such history?

Benard Simelton

President, Alabama NAACP

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Bring Don Siegelman documentary to Montgomery

You must demand that the Capri Theatre or the Davis Theatre or someone bring the Don Siegelman documentary to Montgomery.  I saw it up in Birmingham at the Alabama Theatre last week, and it is explosive.

The whole sordid story makes my blood boil.  The alleged conspiracy between Karl Rove, Bob Riley, Leura and Bill Canary and others comes across very credibly. 

The awful, mean-spirited injustice of federal judge Mark Fuller with his deep-seated personal bias against Siegelman was scandalous.  Also repugnant was former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s ties to Karl Rove, seemingly blocking a well-deserved commutation.

Siegelman gave his blood, sweat, tears and resources to make Alabama a better state. He absolutely did not deserve what happened. Please honor Don and go see the documentary, and decide for yourself what else appropriately should be done.

Julian L. McPhillips Jr.

Montgomery 

US isn't responsible for education of children worldwide 

Some people apparently are under the false assumption that the U.S. is responsible for the education of 263 million children worldwide, an outrageous and nonsensical view. Entitlement programs should not extend beyond our borders. We have enough in this country to worry about. A letter to the editor published on Sunday takes issue with "extreme, unprecedented cuts to foreign aid."

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In 2016 alone, federal taxpayers in the U.S. paid 2.93 million dollars in foreign aid per minute. This aid was for #1. health. #2. economic development. #3. humanitarian assistance. Foreign aid also provided funding for environmental issues, drug enforcement and support of democracy. It was never intended to educate children around the world. Personally, I feel foreign aid is akin to feeding a great white shark. It greedily takes all we give, offers no allegiance and would happily destroy us without a second thought. I'm glad to see "drastic" cuts to foreign aid. It's been a long time coming. All that money we have squandered has not made the world a safer place. It has not created lasting friendships. All it has done is made our country do with less and run up the federal deficit.

Keith R. Smith

Wetumpka

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