Has Honoring our Heritage fallen out of favor?

There's been a lot of controversy lately over symbols of the Confederacy. Flags, statues, memorials are all either coming down or being contemplated for removal.  Just about every small town has a statue, a cannon, something that honors the men who went off to defend their native lands.

Here in the north we Also have symbols, monuments to fallen hero's that honor their memory and sacrifice. Recently on a stop in Atkinson we came across this memorial to the fallen of not only the Civil war but also the wars since.

It's the ubiquitous Civil war soldier, rifle at the ready, standing guard against a future incursion. There are hundreds of such statues scattered thruout the midwest, all honoring the sacrifice in one way or another of the men who marched off to war.

With all the current discussion in the news, let's not forget that these memorials don't celebrate Slavery, Racism, or Bigotry. They remind of us a time in our nations history when one group of brave men marched off to meet another group of brave men.  They are tangible reminders that we should never let get things that bad again.