Letter: In historical debates, discussion is the key

Over the summer there was another round of debate over the mascot of Richland High School, and even more recently there was some controversy over Lee Boulevard being named after Robert E Lee, a Confederate general. In both cases, younger people in Richland have sided in changing these monuments, while older people have been against changing these things.

The argument against change often hangs upon history, for how can we learn about nuclear genocide or slavery without street names or mascots named after them? (The answer to that question, of course, is books and history classes.)

While I don't expect to see either of these aspects of Richland changing, I doubt that they will exist forever. The people fighting for these changes are fighting for the future of Richland. They are fighting to make this city a better place for the people that are going to grow up here in the future.

Even if you disagree with what people are saying about Richland, the fact that people care enough to fight for what they believe is admirable. It looks like the kids really are alright.

This story was originally published October 20, 2017 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Letter: In historical debates, discussion is the key."