Editor:
    It saddens me tremendously to think of women from the Civil War era.
    They watched as their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers walked off to war. The wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters stayed behind and worked their fingers to the bone to keep food on the table and the wolves from the door.
    It was the women that kept this town alive, yet lost their loved ones. The women delivered the news to their children that their father was never coming back. The women farmed the land and kept the home. The women cooked for the families and cared for the ailing. The women watched as only one of their five brothers returned from war missing his right leg and his right hand. The women were the protectors. The women held their lives together while their nation crumbled around them. These women put the statue in the middle of our town. These women knew their reasons were amiable and would remind others of their fortitude. These women showed grace.
    As a southern woman I am appalled that an ignorant handful of individuals are threatening that statue.
    Being the southern woman that I am, I have not jumped up and down. I have not screamed from the rooftops. I have not let any of this humble my spirit.
    As a southern woman I know what that statue stands for, who it stands for. The figure at the top may be a man, but I know the truth behind his existence.
    Know that as a southern woman I will exude grace. Know that as a southern Christian woman I will let you have your day in court. Know that as a Christian southern woman full of grace, I will keep this county and town alive no matter what kind of war comes to my door.
    It is my duty as a southern woman to protect and uphold what my great-grandmothers fought and died for.
    By all means, clamor about your heavy heart and how the statue reminds you of a time gone by. You must also realize, you are not the only one who sees a hard and grave past when you gaze upon the statue. I see blood, sweat, tears, starvation, disease, widows, orphans, criminals, heroes, weariness, courage, faith, resolution, death and a strength that you will never begin to possess or comprehend.
    My blood flows with the same determination and spirit that those southern women shed for their homes and families.
    You look at the statue and see what you have been told to see by instigators. I look at the statue and see that I am more. I am more than a small voice. I am more than another sheep in the flock. I am more than an unjust accusation about my history. I am more than a figure standing stoically in a black and white photo. I am more than I ever thought possible and I am more than you will ever know.
    Being that I know these things about myself, and as a southern woman of grace, I am giving you fair warning. I am a daughter of Confederate battle soldiers. I am the daughter of the women that stood beside them. I have their strength, their courage, their heart in my veins. I am resolute and I will not falter.
    Michelle Jackson
    Statesboro