For nearly a century, a statue of confederate general Robert E. Lee stood in Charlottesville, Virginia. In 1997, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which meant that at the time — and this again was in the 90s — it was considered worthy of preservation for both its historical significance and artistic value. A little over 20 years later, in the midst of public hysteria over the overdose death of a criminal drug addict in Minneapolis, that 100-year-old work of art — which was supposed to be preserved — was instead torn down and, w …