found online by Raymond
From Green Eagle:
The bridge is currently named the Edmund Pettus bridge. I have heard that name practically my whole live, but never had a clue who Edmund Pettus was. Today I decided to find out. Here’s a historical account from The Smithsonian Magazine:
“Pettus was regarded as a hero in his native state and adopted hometown of Selma, a lawyer and statesman who served as a U.S. senator.”
Well, that’s nice. Naming bridges after heroes, a long tradition. And what did he do as “a lawyer and a statesman” to earn the respect of his people?
“…he was also a decorated Confederate general and a leader in the Alabama Ku Klux Klan.”
Oh. Not quite so good, I’d say.