Middle Tennessee State University is considering changing the name of Forrest Hall due to backlash based on misunderstandings and misinformation. Nathan Bedford Forrest was a Lt. General during the Civil War. He rose from the ranks of private to become one of the Civil War's greatest generals. He fought on the side of the Confederacy. He much like the rest of the secessionists believed and died for the dream of states' rights and self-government. These are the very same ideas that sparked the Revolutionary War, and are something the founding fathers believed in. Forrest's name has sparked controversy due to its association with the Ku Klux Klan. What people don't understand is that though he did have association early on he quickly disbanded from the Klan, and instead, he fought to instill in all Americans the idea of African Americans' rights. He was reformed and reestablished much like others in history. We blame him for his supposed racism, but we sweep under the rug Abraham Lincoln's association with slavery and how he allowed it to continue in the North during the entirety of the Civil War. Instead of praising him for his ability to regain himself and recreate himself as a man of equality in a time and place where that was nigh impossible we condemn him for his past mistakes. He is a prime example of military excellence and as such should be remembered for his actions by leaving his name engraved in the ROTC hall. Do not fall under the hype and ignorance, educate yourself, understand what and who he is, and sign in order to keep his name from being slandered further.