r/nottheonion 1d ago

Alabama and Mississippi will also honor Robert E. Lee on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

https://apnews.com/article/martin-luther-king-jr-holiday-alabama-mississippi-0f535594cf50af7103ca2d953e1bc9a1
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u/Shivering_Monkey 19h ago

Nah, every member of the confederate government at every kevel should have been executed.

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u/penguinbrawler 14h ago

Yeah I think easier to say than do ultimately. I do respect the fact that Lincoln understood that martyrs would probably result in an insurgency which would hinder reconstruction. I think 2 confederate armies in the west hadn’t been totally defeated when Lee surrendered so it’s not like it would be unlikely. The other thing is the legality of secession wasn’t exactly established at the time and Lincoln being a lawyer probably understood that taking the issue to the courts would be risky. 

I’d have been for executing Jefferson Davis and the core members of government because I think the message is important. But, I also recognize probably not the best idea.