Inweekly reached out to Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson about the possible removal of the “Our Confederate Dead” monument. He said that he has talked to Congressman Matt Gaetz and others about moving the monument to a battlefield site. Both Fort Barrancas on NAS Pensacola and Fort Pickens on Pensacola Beach would qualify.
Commissioner Robinson said, “The existing monument does not speak to reconciliation. I hope at some time we find a way to represent our past but capture reconciliation for our future. For our future is much more important than our past.”
He added, “I remain hopeful for our future.”
The News Journal reported today that Congressman Matt Gaetz opposes the removal, calling it “whitewashing history.” He was not asked about relocating the monument.
Both Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward and City Councilman Larry Johnson have mention relocating the monument to a museum. In a written statement sent to the media, Johnson said, “I absolutely support the mayor in his plans to remove the monument and hope that it can be moved to a museum or other appropriate location where it can be placed in the proper context.â€
Unfortunately, there isn’t a museum in the City of Pensacola that can accommodate the 50-ft. monument. The mayor’s plan for removal and possible relocation will give the specifics on how the decision will implemented.
The photograph above is of the Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile, Ala., which has a special Confederate section with a monument contains more than 1,700 graves of the known and unknown soldiers who died during the war.
Battlefields and cemeteries are proper places to honor the fallen.
Add Grover Robinson to the COWARD LIST!!! Go ahead Grover run for Mayor … maybe you will get 10 votes. The people that have been paying you off for years.
My personal opinion is we are whitewashing the whitewashing all the Racist started at the end of the 19th century in order to project their beliefs of white supremacy in the area. Many of these Confederate Monuments were erected as a way to show the Black Minority population that the white population was again in complete charge and any of them that got out of line would face the wrath of these self proclaimed pious religious God fearing individuals. Things like lynchings became commonplace due to this sudden rise in Confederate Heritage Memorializing all over the South. The Confederacy lost a “NON-JUST CAUSE” and so they do not get to celebrate their heritage of white supremacy on public property.
To all you Confederate lovers in our city….YOU LOST!!! YOU DON”T DICTATE HOW YOU MEMORIALIZE YOUR TREASONOUS IMMORAL CAUSE, THE WINNERS GET THAT DISTINCTION…SO GET OVER IT ALREADY OVER 150 YEARS LATER.
I’m for removing all Confederate Monuments and Gaetz like his Gerrymandering daddy needs to get a job he is qualified to have like trash picker upper on the side of the Interstate because he is not qualified to be a leader.
The News Journal reported today that Congressman Matt Gaetz opposes the removal, calling it “whitewashing history.†Is that why KKK always wore white, were they projecting to those who were not WHITE, that they all needed to disappear one way or the other; OR the KKK would help them on their way. SIX black citizens were lynched by the KKK, and other God fearing White Christians in downtown Pensacola; 260 black citizens were killed (lynched) in Florida. So Congressman Gaetz, do you still agree with “whitewashing history�
There are many monuments/statues/etc. to those fallen in prior wars in many areas besides cemeteries – consider Washington. D.C.’s mall. Consider most, if not all, cities across the country. There are so many issues to deal with to fashion a good future for all citizens. Focusing on the motivations, good and bad, of those who died in a losing battle150 years ago is energy and resources misspent.