Removal of Confederate statue subject of online petition
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McDONOUGH, GA (Henry Herald) — A change.org petition has called for the removal of the Confederate statue on the McDonough Square.
As of Monday afternoon, more than 1,600 petitioners have signed the petition, which calls for the statue to be removed.
The statue, located in the center of the McDonough Square, was erected in 1910 by funds raised through the Charles T. Zachry Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
The petition refers to the statue as a product of a movement known as the “Lost Cause of the Confederacy” that refers to the Confederate cause during the American Civil War as just and heroic.
“It is an ideology that endorses the supposed virtues of the antebellum South, viewing the war as a struggle primarily to save the Southern way of life, or to defend ‘states’ rights,’ in the face of overwhelming ‘Northern aggression,’” wrote petition writer William Crane. “At the same time, the Lost Cause minimizes or even denies outright the central role of slavery in the buildup to and outbreak of the Civil War.”
Crane also writes that the statue “not only embodies that message of denial, but acts as a constant visual reminder to (People of Color) of their position in Southern history; a white Confederate soldier looming menacingly above them in a position of power.”
On Sunday morning, the city of McDonough said that no requests or documents had been presented to Mayor Billy Copeland or to the City Council.
“If the need for official discussion should arise, it would take place at a formal meeting of Mayor and Council,” the statement reads.
The petition can be found at change.org/p/mayor-billy-copeland-remove-the-confederate-statue-from-mcdonougha-square.
This is not the first time a push has been raised concerning the statue. Back in 2017, county residents spoke to the Henry County Board of Commissioners concerning the statue, with some asking for the statue to remain while others called for its removal.
The next scheduled meeting of the McDonough City Council is a work session on June 15 at 6 p.m. at McDonough City Hall, located at 136 Keys Ferry St. in McDonough.
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