Second anniversary of Ingraham/Kelly interview: Robert E. Lee was an honorable man

Two years ago, on October 30, 2017, Laura Ingraham had her debut program with guest, (then) White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly.
As to the debate over the presence/removal of Confederate monuments, Kelly said:


I think it’s just very, very dangerous and it shows you what, how much of a lack of appreciation of history and what history is. I will tell you that [Confederate general and commander] Robert E. Lee was an honorable man. He was a man that gave up . . . his country to fight for his state, which in 150 years ago was more important than country. It was always loyalty to state first back in those days. Now it’s different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War, and men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had them make their stand.



There were issues about calling Lee "an honorable man" and with the "lack of ability to compromise" leading to the Civil War.


It is true that "150 years ago [loyalty to state] was more important than country ]to some]." It was so for Robert E. Lee. Lee went with his state when Virginia seceded. Curiously, Lee's loyalty to Virginia came to be adverse to the Confederacy, when Confederate leaders proposed sending some of Lee's troops to the defense of Vicksburg in early 1863. Lee fought this proposal, arguing that attacking Pennsylvania would free up Virginia farmers to get their crops in. Lee valued Virginia over Vicksburg and the Confederate West.

As to compromise, the firebrands of the South started the Civil War. Lincoln, and other Northern politicians, tried all sorts of compromises. Note that Senator William H. Seward and Representative Thomas Corwin introduced the "Corwin Amendment."

As to Ingraham/Kelly:


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/10/31/john-kelly-calls-robert-e-lee-an-honorable-man-and-says-lack-of-compromise-caused-the-civil-war/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/10/31/john-kelly-calls-robert-e-lee-an-honorable-man-and-says-lack-of-compromise-caused-the-civil-war/

Separately, this is roughly the fourth anniversary of the confrontation arose between Yale University students and faculty Head of College, Nicholas A. Christakis over an issue about Halloween costumes


As to snowflakes:

https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2018/08/29/millennials-and-snowflakes-words-and-phrases-for-ages-and-stages/

As a piece of trivia, the term "snowflake" was used in Civil War era Missouri.