Idea: bos I have lived in the Jack Jouett district for 14 years. As a descendant of Albemarle slaveholders and at least one Confederate soldier, I am embarrassed to know that so many of the statues in our area are directly associated with Jim Crow segregation, cruelty and lawlessness. They were erected specifically to intimidate Black citizens. Whatever other motives led to their installation have been overshadowed by present racism. It is shameful to leave those reminders of injustice in a public space, especially a courthouse. For most of my life, I have disregarded Civil War memorials as the debris of another time. As I became aware of family history I became somewhat proud that my relative had the courage to fight for what he mistook for a good cause. I have never been proud of the cause of Civil War traitors to the US Constitution. The statue of Johnny Reb is not only offensive to our community, it is a symbol of the worst instincts of patriotism and human nature. David K. Garth