Pendleton owes a “debt” of gratitude to Joshua Walker for protecting us from the “racist” concrete Confederate markers. Who knows what would’ve happened if he had not taken his sledgehammer and defended the good residents of Pendleton from this ominous danger to the public? Maybe we should have a bronze statue of him placed on Main Street in his honor.

OK, enough of the sarcasm.

What he is accused of doing is illegal. He is accused of destroying a very old piece of public property. I fully endorse the city’s actions against him.

Acts like this would be fully endorsed in the city of Portland, where daily they topple statues and destroy property. On Thanksgiving Day, they desecrated a Portland veterans cemetery, toppling statues and grave markers.

This man is accused of destroying public property. He should be held to account.

The Civil War ended on May 13, 1865. That was 155 years ago. The names of the Confederate soldiers on these concrete markers are dead and so are their children. Let’s move on.

Paul Melton

Pendleton