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Protesters Call to Have Stone Mountain Park Carving Removed
In Georgia, Stone Mountain Park houses the largest carving that presents three Confederate leaders: Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson. As Confederate monuments continue to be removed in the U.S., Stone Mountain officials “are answering more calls than ever before to remove it,” Fox News reported.
Richard Rose, Atlanta chapter NAACP President, agrees with protesters calling to have it removed.
“It is past time for them to be removed. We’re not insulted by these monuments, we are terrorized by these monuments because they promote racism and racial practices,” Rose said.
Monuments as Tributes
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On the other hand, a group called the Georgia Sons of Confederate Veterans said the monument serves as a tribute to Confederate leaders.
“One of my ancestors fought under Robert E. Lee in Virginia. He would have been absolutely horrified to think such a beautiful work of art would be torn down,” said Martin O'Toole, a descendant of a Confederate veteran that fought within the Confederate forces.
On the other hand, Rose disagreed. “No monument is history,” he said. “A monument is a political statement and the political statement has been that of White supremacy and Black oppression. Those should have never been built, its past time for them to be removed,” he then mentioned.
CEO of Dekalb County Michael Thurmond also chimed in. He said we must understand the history of the monument.
“We have to recognize the difference between a Civil War monument and a lost cause monument. And often the carving on Stone Mountain is referred to as a Civil War monument – that’s not what it is. That monument was conceived in the early 20th century by the Ku Klux Klan,” Thurmond also said.
“I believe that we should immediately remove or lower the Confederate flags that dominate the park. You can rename the streets that were all named after Confederate generals and you can provide a marking that tells the truth about the history of the carving,” Thurmond then added.
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