against the US, and the war's purpose was to preserve a plantation economy built on slave labor. That's my only real issue with the statues of him/naming things after him. I don't think Lee was a bad guy -- I think the Confederacy was a bad cause that has no business being celebrated. I also think it's telling that there was a movement to name things after Civil War generals (JEB Stuart High School, for example) during the Civil Rights Era as a big middle finger.

Back to Lee, not to go all Godwin's Law on you but a similar analogy could be drawn to the Prussian Generals in the Third Reich. I don't think Rommel, Mannstein, Guderian, etc. were any less honorable than Patton, Montgomery, or Nimitz. Certainly not evil genocidal Nazis the likes of Goebbels, Hitler, and Himmler -- but I can see where people would be offended if there were statues celebrating their military service in the name of the Reich all over Germany. They did, afterall, fight and kill on the latter list's behalf. I think the Civil War stuff is similar (and really can see why African Americans or other minorities are offended by it, especially given the Civil Rights tie-in.

Re Jefferson, Washington, etc. -- I honestly don't fault the Founding Fathers or others who lived during their times much for having slaves. People's moral constructs are influenced by the environment they grow up around. That said, it is fascinating that men so visionary in the concepts of personal liberty could have such a glaring blind spot, but no one is perfect.

And yes, all the militant "safe zone" crap annoys the shit out of me as much as anyone. But if they want to rename Washington Washington-Carver, who am I to stand in the way?