I recently read a letter to the editor in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The writer was acknowledging that the newspaper had done an extensive job summarizing the national service Colin Powell had done for his country, but was complaining about including his presentation of false information to the UN Security Council to justify war with Iraq. 

 She felt this unnecessarily tarnished the reputation of a man she regards as a national hero.

A very important point she missed is that it was Powell himself who acknowledged this tarnish and he did so on national media. That’s because he valued truth and the lessons it can teach us – so much so that he damaged his political career with his admission.  

Powell believed government leaders shouldn’t lie to pursue personal agendas or extreme ideologies.  That makes him even more of a national hero in my eyes, especially in our current times.

There are many important lessons we can derive from an accurate and complete description of his legacy.  He was the child of immigrants from Jamaica.  If our country had not allowed his parents to immigrate, there never would’ve been a Colin Powell to honor and thank for his service.  

This is something to keep in mind as we form an opinion about the thousands seeking asylum in our country right now, fleeing another Caribbean country called Haiti.

Powell was the first African-American to serve as our secretary of state. He was also a four-star general that led the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest position in our military. Millions of Americans still have trouble accepting that black people (or brown people or Asian people) are the equal of white people. 

Powell’s legacy makes racism look silly.

He died from COVID complications.  His immune system was compromised due to cancer treatments, so he never had a chance once he contracted the virus. In essence, our one-time national security leader was defenseless. For those who don’t want to get a vaccine or wear a mask, which allows this virus to continue to live and mutate, think about how you’re not defending the Colin Powell’s in our country.

This brings to mind another legacy currently in dispute, that of General Robert E. Lee. There is much wailing going on about Virginia, Lee’s home state, taking down statues of him as well as removal of memorials for other Confederate generals. 

Similar to a more detailed examination of Powell’s legacy, let’s take a closer look at Lee’s legacy.  He was a U.S. Army officer sworn to defend his country, who turned down an offer to lead his country’s army to instead lead an unlawful and unconstitutional revolt.  He did so to support and continue the practice of slavery, which personally enriched him.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans who answered their country’s call died because of him. Many are buried in Arlington National Cemetery, which used to be Lee’s backyard.  He wasn’t even that great of a general – a greater percentage of his army was killed than any other general in American history.  

What about this legacy is worth memorializing with a statue?

The removal of statues of Confederate war heroes is being labeled “cancel culture,” which means we erase the significant accomplishments of notable individuals because they made one mistake proving they are flawed human beings like everyone else. 

The “significant” accomplishments of Confederate war heroes were only significant as traitors to our country. History records their treachery so we never forget it. There is nothing to memorialize. For this same reason, you won’t see any statues of Adolph Hitler in Germany but you can visit Auschwitz to personally witness history of his evil.

If we don’t extend the effort to accurately and completely understand a legacy, then we can be guilty of cancel culture. Or more importantly, we will miss important teachings a legacy provides.

Why ignore the lessons learned by people we revere for their accomplishments during times of crisis or moral uncertainty? I think Colin Powell would be glad the Post-Dispatch included his missteps in his legacy.