In new York want to rename streets named in honor of two of the most famous leaders of the Confederacy in the era of the Civil war in the United States — Thomas «Stonewall» Jackson and Robert E. Lee.
«To read of people who believed in the ideology of white supremacy and fought for the preservation of slavery is an insult to the many thousands of people in Brooklyn who are descendants of those who were slave,» — said in a letter to members of Congress, signed by Yvette Clark, Jerrold Nadler, Nydia Velazquez and Hakeem Jeffries.
These representatives believe that the time has come for new York to join a number of cities in the southern United States, who had been removed or plan to remove the monuments to the confederates.
The streets themselves — Stonewall Jackson Drive General Lee Avenue in Brooklyn is unavailable for most residents. The fact that they pass through the current military base Fort Hamilton in southwest Brooklyn, near the neighborhoods of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. Early in his career, and Robert E. Leeand Thomas Jackson served in the Fort that was before the start of the Civil war in 1861.
In turn, major-General Malcolm frost issued a statement to the Associated Press, which said that «every soldier takes his place in military history. And these historic names represent people, not ideology.»
Note that in other States some streets associated with the confederates, already renamed.
So, in Hollywood, Florida, city Council endorsed the renaming of three streets. Lee Street (named in honor of Confederate General Robert E. Lee) will be a Louisville Street. Hood Street (named in honor of General John bell Hood) renamed to Macon Street, and Forrest Street (named in honor of Confederate General and member of the Ku Klux Klan Nathan Bedford Forrest) will be Savannah Street.
By the way, this decision has caused protests of the public, which had arrested five people.
In new York, some residents also do not see any need to get rid of the memory of the Confederacy. So, the inhabitant of the 75-year-old resident of Bay Ridge, Joe Conley, believes that Lee was a loyal soldier when he was stationed at Fort Hamilton.
«He served well his country, to the United States when he was in new York,» said Conley.
