Letter: Statues are important to our overall history

"History is not there for you to like or dislike. It is there for you to learn from it. And, if it offends you, even better. Because you are less likely to repeat it. It's not yours to erase. It belongs to all of us."

Our founders created a tremendous framework for government. It is unparalleled. We have freedoms that do not exist anywhere else on Earth. That's worth protecting. Our core principles are under attack by anarchists and haters. We need to put a stop to it, not enable it.

As a former Marine captain and Vietnam veteran, I disagree with the Kennedy/Johnson administrations who mishandled the war with restrictions. But, I go to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington to honor my friends and respect the silence around that great monument. I don't tear down statues that are important to our overall history. I have been to "third world countries." We should not become one.

R. RICHARDSON

Sumter