A statue of Tom Watson was placed on the steps of the Georgia state capitol in 1932. In 2013, it was moved to a less conspicuous location, a park across the street. Some people were glad to see the statue go. They believed that Watson should not be honored as a great leader. They thought that keeping his statue on the steps of the capitol sent the wrong message to visitors of the state’s most important government building. Others said that keeping monuments like those honoring Watson do not show support for his beliefs, but instead help us learn from our history. They said that removing the statue encouraged people to forget the embarrassing parts of Georgia history, instead of reminding us not to repeat them.

Write a one- or two-paragraph letter to the editor of a newspaper to explain your position on this issue. Should the statue of Tom Watson be permanently removed from Atlanta’s public spaces? Support your opinion with facts and details about Tom Watson from the lesson. Use the proper letter-writing format in your response.