Pensacola City Councilwoman Sherri Myers told Inweekly that she will not bring forward to the September council meeting an item to remove the “Our Confederate Dead” monument. She said she would wait to see the mayor’s plan for the removal and public input.
Myers sent Mayor Hayward the following email:
Dear Mayor Hayward,
I am contacting you to ask you for the following information:
1. Do you plan to bring your proposal to remove the Confederate monument from Lee Square before the city council?
2. What are your plans to relocate it?
3. How much is the cost?
4. Do you plan to attend public hearings regarding this matter prior to implementing any decision to remove and relocate the monument?
5. Will you hold public meetings regarding what plans you have for Lee Square?
6. What is your plan to make Lee Square accessible for people with disabilities?–Sherri Myers
She told Inweekly that she believes the mayor should participate in any public meetings regarding the Confederate monument.
“We will have to wait to see what Ashton’s going to do,” said Councilwoman Myers.
Late Friday afternoon, Mayor Hayward issued at statement that while he personally would like to see the 50-ft. monument removed, he had no plans for doing so. He said he would not act “unilaterally” – meaning without a city council vote.
He said he supports the council policy regarding historic statues because it would “enable the citizens to participate, to the maximum extent possible, in any decision to move a historical resource located on city property.” Under that policy that was passed in 2010, no final action to remove the monument can be taken for a minimum of 30 days after an item is introduced to the city council.
Hayward said, in the written statement, “I see no reason to deviate from the policy and every reason to adhere to it.â€
The mayor did not address whether he would bring up the matter to the council or whether he would make a recommendation on how to remove the monument. Both are possible under the 2010 policy.
Rick….how about one more link. Maybe your many readers will take the time and read the words of those leaders whom lead the charge of succession
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/what-this-cruel-war-was-over/396482/
Another link about the causes of the civil war being about SLAVERY!!!!! Not about states rights….well except for one…A states right to keep their immoral slavery.
http://portside.org/2013-11-04/absolute-proof-civil-war-was-about-slavery
When you read the declarations of succession from the states at this link it seems obvious this was about a STATES RIGHTS TO SLAVERY. So since then we have seen this constant whitewashing of history to claim slavery was not the main cause of succession by the many ex-confederates whom still believe in the cause. Take down this bastion to slavery and rename the square to it’s original name (Florida Square). This monument was forced upon the locals by removing the current government illegally and replacing them with those whom had no problem shoving their monuments to immoral slave causes in the face of the minority populace to again assert their beliefs of white supremacy.
https://www.civilwar.org/learn/primary-sources/declaration-causes-seceding-states
In Hillsborough County, donations were collected to pay for the removal of the monument. Tampa Mayor Bill Buckhorn wrote a personal check for $1,000. I agree that the private sector should pay for any relocation.
As Rick has reported :
According to Florida Public Archaeology Network, the Lee Square monument was erected through the efforts of the Ladies Confederate Monument Association of Pensacola. The Confederate soldiers fought valiantly against impossible odds for the noble principle of states’ rights, not slavery. The cost of the monument was $7,000.
With that said …. the monument was placed with private funds! If someone wants to take it down then the people that want it pulled down/ relocated need to pay for it!!! Not all the tax payers of Pensacola and when you remove it with tax payers dollars that is what you are saying ….. everyone in the Pensacola wants it removed/relocated and that has proven not to be the case. I personally don’t care. If you move it waste of my tax money that could be going somewhere else and doing more good for the community. The maintenance of the park is always there with or without the statue so can not use that argument as a savings point… it will not hold water because something will go in its place if removed that will have to be maintained.
Backhanded congratulations to councilwoman Myers for standing firmly at the net and spiking the ball back down into the mayor’s face. The mayor’s statements seemed to be delivered with a sort of, “hold my beer, watch this,” kind of attitude that I’m sure all his buddies would quietly all get a good giggle from. The sudden cynical reverence for the council’s powers and then treating this issue as either a political hot potato, or the “bomb in a baby carriage” is discouraging and demonstrative of the sophomoric games the mayor and his friends play in this town. The backhanded congratulations is simply due to Myers’ action being more fit for an aggressive game of beach volleyball than a serious discussion on race in Pensacola. Games and more games.