I Don’t Understand the Confederate Obsession [OPINION]

The Confederate States and the United States of America went to war and the Union won. Why would you defend statues of the treasonous losers and their flag?

I don't see any statues to the King of England or to Vice President Aaron Burr in the United States. The King of England fought a war with the people who founded the United States of America and he lost. There were deep ties between the king and the colonists, but when it was over, it was over. Does anybody have a statue on their lawn of their former spouse?

Burr attempted to start his own country on the North American continent and he failed. He also shot and killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Burr had played a significant role in the early days of our country but then he lost. We don't celebrate Aaron Burr with statues and NASCAR races.

What country builds statues to the losers they vanquished in war?

The history of the Civil War or the War Between the States is part of America's story and it is worth studying. There is value in collecting historic memorabilia from various wars regardless of the motives of the warring factions. There was a time in this country when tens of thousands of homes had some Nazi-related memorabilia – not because they were sympathetic to the Nazis but because someone in that family went to war with the Germans and brought home something from the battlefield.

The Confederate flag and the statues to the men who waged a war to preserve slavery have no place outside of museums and historical collections.

I loved when the people in the countries formerly held under the boot of Soviet communism ripped down the statues of Lenin, Stalin, and Marx and the Berlin Wall. Too bad the states of the former Confederacy couldn't follow their lead.

We should not honor traitors, be they Communists or Confederates.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.