Your editorial ("Rename the park," June 24) presents a nice history surrounding the naming of Robert E. Lee Park, but falls a little short on both presenting a full historical picture or making an argument to change the name of the park. Robert E. Lee, a graduate of West Point, was also an engineer. For a time before the Civil War, he lived with his sister in Baltimore in the 900 block of Mcculloh Street while working on the design and construction of Fort Carroll, an island fort just south of the Key Bridge which still exists. Yes, Lee did ultimately join the Confederacy but was much conflicted with his decision.
While the Confederate flag continues to be used as a symbol and rallying cry for racists and hate groups, I have never seen Robert E. Lee's name used in that context (nor Justice Roger B. Taney's, for that matter). So let's try to emulate Del. Howard "Pete" Rawlings and think things through and focus our attention on the symbols used by racists rather than eliminating all vestiges of history.
Donald T. Torres, Ellicott City