Respect the facts of American history

The Daily Herald reported on Aug. 7 that the United States was spending $10 million to restore a Confederate memorial that had been removed from Arlington National Cemetery at the recommendation of Congress. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the statue “never should have been taken down by woke lemmings. Unlike the Left, we don’t believe in erasing American History — we honor it.”

Mr. Hegseth is quite the hypocrite. Several months ago, it was reported that The Enola Gay, Jackie Robinson, The Tuskegee Airmen and The Navajo Code Talkers had been removed from the Defense Department website. They were quickly restored because of public outcry. More recently, Hegseth ordered Harvey Milk’s name removed from a U.S. Navy ship.

Some American forts had been renamed in the Biden administration. Those forts had been named after Confederate heroes. Hegseth wants to change those forts names back to the names of those Confederates.

Hegseth, like his boss Trump, prefers to honor treasonous heroes. Trump pardoned the rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Some books regarding slavery and the horrific treatment of Indigenous people of America have been removed from federal institutions because of Trump’s DEI executive order. Trump and Hegseth are selective regarding American History.

DEI is diversity, equity and inclusion. We need to learn from American history. Facts will always remain facts. The United States is a great country, but we must not choose to ignore dreadful times in our past.

William Traxler

Bartlett