You cannot airbrush history. The Civil War happened. I have been to plenty of cities in the US with statues of Confederates and found them of interest, and pretty much ignored by the locals. I wonder if the clamour to remove anything to do with the Confederates has caused the neo-nazis to rally to this issue more than if it had been left alone? Unfortunately a lot of people do not know their history and are unable to put these monuments/statues in historical context. I have been lucky enough to visit the Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi. In the park there are hundreds of monuments and statues to both sides of the war. It may well attract some racists, but the park is where actual battles took place and is a great place to learn about the war. The city was instrumental for the victory of the North. I'd make it a compulsory visit.