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An NPR report on July 24: “The Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a defense appropriations bill that calls for renaming U.S. military bases that honor Confederate officers — a provision that President Trump has threatened to veto.” The Senate vote was 86-14.

But it’s true, Jason: the Hill poll of June 19 does show that “Fifty-six percent of Americans oppose changing the names of military bases named after Confederates and 42 percent of those surveyed support the move.” However, you might pause over involving “The War Between the States” in the discussion.  

The same poll showed that “among Black Americans, 67 percent of those surveyed are in favor of renaming Confederate bases, while 32 percent of white Americans and 54 percent of Hispanic Americans support the move.”

Incidentally. my wife and I had direct ancestors—I with great, great grandfather Bradford Camfield (Michigan) and she with great grandfather Noble Bacchus Westall (North Carolina) on opposing sides during one of the battles at Winchester, Virginia, during that “War of 1861,” as it is described on an ID tag of the day.

The second poll you cite (ABC News in June) states, “While 56% are opposed to changing U.S. military bases named for Confederate leaders, which stand as a reminder of the nation’s complicated history with race, 42% of Americans support the move.”