Historic Confederate statue vandalized again
Historical statues that glorify the confederacy or its leaders have been causing controversy across the nation. Some of these statues are being vandalized while others are being removed by city officials.
A statue on city property in Amarillo has been vandalized multiple times, including Monday night. The United Daughters of the Confederacy Statue in Ellwood Park is now covered in blue and orange paint and the words I can’t breathe.
Now the question remains, not just who is vandalizing the statue but what should be done about it.
The statue has been in the park since 1931. It was part of an effort by the daughters to instill a new narrative about the Civil War throughout the south; the so-called “lost cause” myth.
In 2017, the idea of removing the statue was brought to the city council. A few days ago, during a Council Connect meeting, councilman Eddy Sauer said it should be put on the agenda again.
“Times change, the need for things to happen begins to change and so this may be a time when it’s time for us to approach it again and talk about it again,” Sauer said.
Keith Grays, a community member, said moving the statue could be a resolution.
“Those people who want to keep it for historical purposes it’s my prayer they would find someplace to put it maybe a museum for safekeeping,” Grays said. “I don’t believe it’s black or white, its people and I believe trouble makers are where ever.”
Councilwomen Freda Powell said she agrees it should be back on the agenda but is looking at the history of the United States as a whole.
“It seems like every day you turn on the TV there is some history that is being removed, so at what point do we stop removing history and try to move forward,” Powell said.
Though the statues commemorate a shameful time in American history, and critics contend they celebrate the wrong side of that conflict, both Sauer and Powell said that there are two sides to the issue.
They would like to hear from citizens to help them decide what actions should be taken.
