One of the leaders in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) spoke out against the removal of Confederate statues, saying they are a part of history.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday at City Hall in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, local NAACP chapter president Esther Lee expressed her frustration with the current state of affairs in the U.S., WFMZ reported.

“I think it’s all senseless. All senseless,” Lee said. “You know, we’re 108 years in as NAACPers and we might think things would improve, but they do not. You know we still have this factor about black and white.”

Lee continued talking about Confederate statues, noting that it is pointless to take them down.

“You know that’s history,” Lee said. “That was in that point in time. You can’t eliminate what history is. So I disapprove with young people pulling down those statues.”

Lee put the tragic events of Charlottesville into perspective by pointing out that lives were lost – all because some people didn’t want to look at an object anymore.

“A young woman died. Two officers were murdered in a plane crash and all for what? Because somebody in their mind decided, ‘we don’t need to look at that anymore.’ It shouldn’t be.”

In response to the events in Charlottesville, progressives have called for the removal of Confederate statues around the country.

President Trump responded with a series of tweets today explaining that history cannot be erased.

Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments. You….. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017

…can’t change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson – who’s next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish! Also… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017

…the beauty that is being taken out of our cities, towns and parks will be greatly missed and never able to be comparably replaced! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2017

On Wednesday, authorities in Chicago found a statue of Abraham Lincoln – the president that ended slavery – that was severely burned.

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