This letter was sent to, but not printed by the newspaper.

June 3, 1999

Richmond Times-Dispatch
P.O. Box 85333
Richmond, VA 23293
Attn: Editor of the Editorial Page

Dear Sir, Once again I sit myself down at the keyboard to vent my anger and frustration with the lunacy I see about me.

I write regarding the recent removal of a mural of Robert E. Lee from the floodwall near the new Canal Walk. The cowardice and ignorance of the poltroons involved in this farce cannot be put into words. Why are racists and hate-mongers, like Sa’ad El-Amin, allowed to hold sway over a majority of right thinking Americans? We are told, are we not, that we should respect and be tolerant of other cultures and their heritage. Yet this obviously does not apply to southerners who take pride in their’s.

I own a supermarket in the southside of Richmond. My business sits in a minority neighborhood. I took it upon myself to conduct an informal and unscientific poll of my customers. Each of them is black and I am white. Having queried over two dozen of them with the question, Do you find the mural of Robert E. Lee hanging from the floodwall offensive?, I got not one negative response. In fact the most oft heard answer was, "it doesn’t bother me, it’s part of our history."

This leads one to wonder who these blacks are that seem to always be offended by such matters. Why does Sa’ad El-Amin insist on forcing his racist views on the rest of the city and it’s citizens and business owners? We do not tolerate such hate from other persons or organizations. Mr. El-Amin’s motto should read, Don’t confuse me with facts! If he and others were to read about Lee, the man, they could not help but come away with a new attitude toward him and those who revere him.

In the mean time, in the name of fairness and tolerance, either all the murals stay or they all come down.

Sincerely,

Floyd C. Bayne