Commentary I live on Lee Street in Alexandria, Virginia. Yes, that Lee—Robert E. grew up a few blocks away. We also have Jefferson and Franklin Streets, and King, Duke, Prince, and Princess, which go back to the 18th century. Alexandria is where it is because further north the Potomac River gets too shallow for shipping.  It was a merchant town from the beginning, including a large slave market, with town leaders generally careful to avoid political tensions when they could. In the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, Alexandria was occupied with little incident, and commerce went on. When I moved to the city in 2017, at the intersection of S. Washington and Prince Streets was a statue of a Confederate soldier, a solitary figure in bronze atop a concrete and marble base. It showed a common soldier facing south, with no weapon and his head bowed. The accompanying text …