Monuments and statues for Confederate soldiers are really no different than monuments and statues for Union soldiers. Both are simply meant to commemorate their sacrifice and help preserve their memory. There are millions of Americans that had past relatives who fought in the Civil War for both sides and millions who have no family connection to either side. On my dads side of the family I had a relative that fought for the Confederacy for Louisiana. We actually stopped at the cemetery in Delcambre, Louisiana where he is buried on a road trip once and went to his grave. It was surreal knowing that I was related to him and that if he would have died in the war I wouldn’t be here today. He wasnt a slave owner, most soldiers weren’t, and was dirt poor. When I was in Nashville a couple of years ago I went to a really pretty Confederate cemetery in Franklin, Tennessee and it was a similar experience. These were real people and most were just fighting to preserve their home or because they had to. I’ve been to Gettysburg too and the monuments there are great since it helps you understand better of where the soldiers were at during parts of the battle. It helps make the history stand out in my opinion and makes it more real than just having monuments for the Union. It was also cool to see the monument for the Texas regiments and where they were situated on the battlefield and where Pickett’s charge took place. It’s cool history. When I see a confederate monument or drive on a road named after a general to me it’s just a piece of and a reminder of American history. That being said if a local community decides to remove a statue or change the name of a street then I’m fine with that too, but just make sure the history is still protected in some way for future generations.