Good afternoon,   I hope that this message finds you well. I am starting this petition to hopefully change Robert E. Lee Blvd near Stone Mountain. For some of you that may not know, Robert E. Lee owned and managed slaves for over thirty years. In April 1861 he oversaw two hundred slaves. There is also a New York Times article supporting this. During this time, the slaves could have been freed due to their “owner’s dying wish”, but Robert E. Lee chose to ignore this. He was given a chance to make this right, but he did not. Below are inserts from the infamous letter that Robert E. Lee wrote to his wife in 1856. “Of all the letters by Lee that have been collected by archivists and historians over the years, one of the most famous was written to his wife in 1856. “In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will acknowledge, that slavery as an institution, is a moral & political evil in any Country,” he wrote. But he added that slavery was “a greater evil to the white man than to the black race” in the United States, and that the “painful discipline they are undergoing, is necessary for their instruction.” How can someone believe that a human being needed to be tortured, beaten and hung for their “instruction”? I feel as though this sign and flag is disrespectful to the community and all human beings. To look up and see the confederate flag displaying in the park is extremely disrespectful to the African American race. This is also showing the world that we STILL AGREE with racism and the systematic injustice that we have endured for 400 plus years. How am I supposed to explain to my daughter what this flag represents? I hate to hold the truth from my child, but this is something that can no longer go unheard. As a NATION we have stayed silent for too long. With the removal of this sign I am hopeful that we can change this world into the place that we all know it can be! A place of love and laughs. A place where you can make great memories with friends. And lastly, a place where we are all treated the same. I think we should learn from the United States Marine Corps as they have decided to remove the public displays of the confederate battle flag. I greatly appreciate your time and pray for protection over your loved ones.   Mike Rosser