At a meeting of the state Capitol Commission, Larry Martin requested a waiver to relocate a bust of Confederate Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest to the state museum.
The Commission voted against the waiver- 7 to 5.
Confederate statues have been quite the topic lately. Other government officials have fought to take down around a dozen statues in the south in the last few months. Martin's philosophy says that the bust represents a divided Tennessee. Opponents of the bust say Forrest has no place in modern times, since he was very involved with the Klu Klux Klan (in fact, he served as their first grand wizard.) Not to mention that his primary source of income was from slave trading.
Defenders of the bust say it commemorates the native Tennessean's role as a general for the Confederacy and removing it would be ignoring history.
~ This is another example of the very divided United States. Social Justice and Civil rights are creating more buzz than we've seen in a while. Personally, I believe the bust should be removed and put into a museum. That way, history is not forgotten but it isn't praised either. Keep in mind that I am biracial, was raised in a liberal household, and from the south. I also respect other beings who are different from me, unlike the defenders of the bust. I think removing the symbols of the past (that are STILL looming over POC's heads, after all this time) is a big step towards equality and unifying our country once again. So, in summary, I am definitely not here for this Confederate nonsense.
I entirely agree! Putting the bust in a museum is a great way to preserve the history, but also show how we shouldn't continue to honor the people on the side of the war supporting gross institutions like slavery. America was meant to be a place for everyone, and taking down these monuments is a way to show how we should try and make everyone feel welcome.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Yes they are apart of history, but they should not be praised like the way statues are made to be.
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