R.E. Lee Not ‘A Model To Live By’

April 14, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: In response to Kamron Spivey’s April 9 letter to the editor, Lee’s own words and actions show that it is a mistake to treat him as an exemplary model for those seeking racial reconciliation. Specifically, Lee: - believed that the master/slave relationship “was controlled by humane laws and influenced by Christianity and an enlightened public sentiment, as the best that can exist between the white and black races while intermingled as at present in this country.”