In response to the Arlington School Board's proposed name change of Washington-Lee High School, I would like to disagree with the process in which the decision has been made. It appears that the decision was based solely based on the board's own desire to follow its own agenda and not listen to the community's or alumni groups’ desires to keep the name as is.
History can not be changed and we should not compare the current culture to the culture of the 1800s. General Lee was an honorable man and had strong beliefs in defending his home and his countrymen's way of life. Of course he was torn in his decision to lead the Confederate States, but his ties to Virginia and the southern states led him down the path he took.
There has not been an outcry from the community to change the name of the school and the change is not supported. Washington-Lee High School has its own legacy and the name should not be obliterated and forgotten.
I am an alumnus of Washington-Lee and am proud of the name and the men behind it.
Ed Keens