Washington, D.C. - October 2, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that she will introduce a bill to remove a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike located in the District of Columbia after she had the opportunity today to meet with Sovereign Grand Commander Ronald Seale of the Supreme Council of Scottish Rite Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, which originally donated the Pike statue to the federal government. Norton sees a difference between the Pike statue, located on federal land under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service (NPS) near Judiciary Square, and similar Confederate statues located in the U.S. Capitol and around the country, particularly given the Freemasons publicly-expressed support for removing the statue. Because the statue was installed by an act of Congress, congressional action must be taken for it to be removed.
“I appreciate the meeting I had with Mr. Seale today to discuss General Pike’s statue in Judiciary Square,” Norton said. “Mr. Seale had already said publicly prior to our meeting that the Freemasons ‘strive to bring people of all races and creeds together in harmony,’ and that, because of its potential divisive nature, his organization would support an ‘action…to remove the statue.’ Our meeting was very amicable and productive, and bodes well for future action.”
The Unpopular Truth
Showing posts with label Confederate Monuments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Confederate Monuments. Show all posts
Monday, October 2, 2017
Friday, September 8, 2017
Booker, Lee Introduce Bicameral Bill to Remove Confederate Statues From Capitol
Source: Senator Cory A. Booker (D-NJ)
Washington, D.C. - September 8, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and U.S. Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced a bicameral bill in the Senate and House to remove Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol. The Confederate Monument Removal Act would remove all statues of people who voluntarily served the Confederate States of America from the National Statuary Hall Collection within 120 days.
“The National Statuary Hall Collection is intended to honor American patriots who served, sacrificed, or made tremendous contributions to our nation,” Senator Booker said. “Those who committed treason against the United States of America and led our nation into its most painful and bloody war are not patriots and should not be afforded such a rare honor in this sacred space.
Booker continued, “The Capitol is a place for all Americans to come and feel welcomed, encouraged, and inspired. Confederate statues do not do this -- they do the opposite. To millions of Americans, they are painful, injurious symbols of bigotry and hate, celebrating individuals who sought to break our nation asunder and preserve the vile institution of slavery. These Confederate statues belong in a museum where they can be given proper historical context, not venerated in the U.S. Capitol." (Audio of this quote can be found here).
“In the wake of Charlottesville, it’s abundantly clear that much work remains to root out racism from our society. Across the country, Confederate statues and monuments pay tribute to white supremacy and slavery in public spaces. These hateful symbols should have no place in our society and they certainly should not be enshrined in the U.S. Capitol,” Congresswoman Barbara Lee said.
“Though we’ve made tremendous progress as a nation in our quest for social, racial and economic justice, we cannot ignore or forget that Confederates fought fervently to preserve the institution of slavery and keep African Americans in chains. It’s past time for Congress to reject these symbols of racism and demand that our public monuments respect and uplift human dignity.”
The National Statuary Hall Collection was created in 1864 with a law that allows states to select two statues of deceased individuals to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol. Under the Confederate Monument Removal Act, states can reclaim Confederate statues that are currently part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. Statues that are not reclaimed by states would be turned over to the Smithsonian.
The Confederate Monument Removal Act is cosponsored by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Kamala Harris (D-CA) and 46 members of the House of Representatives.
Washington, D.C. - September 8, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and U.S. Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced a bicameral bill in the Senate and House to remove Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol. The Confederate Monument Removal Act would remove all statues of people who voluntarily served the Confederate States of America from the National Statuary Hall Collection within 120 days.
“The National Statuary Hall Collection is intended to honor American patriots who served, sacrificed, or made tremendous contributions to our nation,” Senator Booker said. “Those who committed treason against the United States of America and led our nation into its most painful and bloody war are not patriots and should not be afforded such a rare honor in this sacred space.
Booker continued, “The Capitol is a place for all Americans to come and feel welcomed, encouraged, and inspired. Confederate statues do not do this -- they do the opposite. To millions of Americans, they are painful, injurious symbols of bigotry and hate, celebrating individuals who sought to break our nation asunder and preserve the vile institution of slavery. These Confederate statues belong in a museum where they can be given proper historical context, not venerated in the U.S. Capitol." (Audio of this quote can be found here).
“In the wake of Charlottesville, it’s abundantly clear that much work remains to root out racism from our society. Across the country, Confederate statues and monuments pay tribute to white supremacy and slavery in public spaces. These hateful symbols should have no place in our society and they certainly should not be enshrined in the U.S. Capitol,” Congresswoman Barbara Lee said.
“Though we’ve made tremendous progress as a nation in our quest for social, racial and economic justice, we cannot ignore or forget that Confederates fought fervently to preserve the institution of slavery and keep African Americans in chains. It’s past time for Congress to reject these symbols of racism and demand that our public monuments respect and uplift human dignity.”
The National Statuary Hall Collection was created in 1864 with a law that allows states to select two statues of deceased individuals to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol. Under the Confederate Monument Removal Act, states can reclaim Confederate statues that are currently part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. Statues that are not reclaimed by states would be turned over to the Smithsonian.
The Confederate Monument Removal Act is cosponsored by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Kamala Harris (D-CA) and 46 members of the House of Representatives.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Donovan to City: Staten Island Will Take Columbus Statue If You Don’t Want It
Charlie Daniels recently tweeted that he didn't know what Columbus had to do with the Confederacy, but after Charlottesville, someone vandalized the statue.
By House Representative Daniel Donovan (R-NY, 11th)
Staten Island, NY - August 30, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Amid calls to remove the Christopher Columbus statue in Manhattan’s Columbus Circle, Congressman Dan Donovan (NY-11) today asked Mayor de Blasio to resolve the matter by donating the statue to the National Parks Service, which controls Great Kills Park on Staten Island.
Donovan said, “Christopher Columbus is a permanent fixture of our national history. Rarely can we trace the wheels of progress over 500 years back to the actions of a single person. If a radical group bent on sanitizing history doesn’t want the statue at Columbus Circle anymore, Staten Island will gladly accept it.”
Donovan represents Staten Island and South Brooklyn in the U.S. House of Representatives. Approximately one-third of Staten Island residents are of Italian descent, among the largest concentrations in the country, and South Brooklyn also has a high density of Italian-Americans.
Donovan continued, “Columbus is a symbol of Italian-American culture. He discovered our land, and generations of Italian-Americans helped build New York. I will fight tooth and nail to see to it that his statue remains a fixture in our city.”
Donovan and his office spoke with senior Department of Interior officials on Thursday afternoon about the matter.
By House Representative Daniel Donovan (R-NY, 11th)
Staten Island, NY - August 30, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Amid calls to remove the Christopher Columbus statue in Manhattan’s Columbus Circle, Congressman Dan Donovan (NY-11) today asked Mayor de Blasio to resolve the matter by donating the statue to the National Parks Service, which controls Great Kills Park on Staten Island.
Donovan said, “Christopher Columbus is a permanent fixture of our national history. Rarely can we trace the wheels of progress over 500 years back to the actions of a single person. If a radical group bent on sanitizing history doesn’t want the statue at Columbus Circle anymore, Staten Island will gladly accept it.”
Donovan represents Staten Island and South Brooklyn in the U.S. House of Representatives. Approximately one-third of Staten Island residents are of Italian descent, among the largest concentrations in the country, and South Brooklyn also has a high density of Italian-Americans.
Donovan continued, “Columbus is a symbol of Italian-American culture. He discovered our land, and generations of Italian-Americans helped build New York. I will fight tooth and nail to see to it that his statue remains a fixture in our city.”
Donovan and his office spoke with senior Department of Interior officials on Thursday afternoon about the matter.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Confederate Monuments
Washington, D.C. - August 29, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) issued the following statement in response to the removal of Confederate statues at the University of Texas at Austin and across the nation:
"The campaign to remove Confederate monuments across the nation being forced upon us by radical leftists, academia, the mainstream media and the guardians of political correctness is shameful and wrong. Every American should oppose racism and extremism in all its forms. Taking down monuments and hiding our history serves no good purpose, which is why 62% of Americans oppose taking them down and think it's a politically correct mistake.
"We cannot—and must not—erase our history or judge our past leaders by today's standards. The people of Texas overwhelmingly supported the Confederacy in 1862. This historical fact cannot be changed nor hidden – and it shouldn't. It's a disservice to our citizens and our ancestors who helped create this great country we enjoy today. Where do these politically correct demands end? Do we now begin removing statues of George Washington because he was a slave holder over 200 years ago? Do we change the name of Fort Hood in Texas—the largest US Army base in the country—because it is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood?
"The absurdity has gotten so extreme that an Asian-American television sports commentator was recently relieved because his name was Robert Lee! I was informed that the reason Confederate statues have been taken down at UT in Austin is to protect them from vandalism by students. I would ask how they have stood for over a century unscathed all that time by the students! Vandalism is against the law and anyone who destroys public property should be prosecuted. I strongly disagree with these actions that revise our true history and divide our country at a time when we desperately need national unity. Let’s preserve our monuments and address the real problems of our nation."
Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke announced a plan to remove Confederate monuments from military bases, by introducing “Honoring Real Patriots Act of 2017,” which would require the Department of Defense to change the name of any military installation or other property under its control currently named for individuals who fought against the United States during the Civil War or supported the Confederacy’s war efforts.
The legislation follows requests by Congresswoman Clarke and her colleagues in the Brooklyn Congressional delegation that the Department of the Army change the names of two streets at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn that are now named for Confederate generals. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and other community leaders have since joined in calling for the name change. These requests have been refused by the Army.
“The time has come for the Army to remove from Fort Hamilton and other military installations the disgraced names of men who waged war against the United States to preserve the evil institution of slavery. Monuments to the Confederacy and its leaders have always represented white supremacy and a continuing attempt to deny the basic human rights of African Americans. As recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia, have made perfectly clear, these monuments are nothing more than symbols of white supremacy and a pretext for the violent imposition of an evil ideology that should never have persisted into the Twenty-First Century. For hundreds of thousands of Brooklyn residents, as well as troops stationed at Fort Hamilton who are prepared to fight for this nation, the monuments are an insult. It is clear that these symbols remain an inspiration to some who espouse white supremacist ideology to perpetuate acts of terror and violence on peaceful, law-abiding citizens of our nation. Across the United States, cities and states are removing such monuments as an act of reconciliation and respect for people whose humanity has too often been denied. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation and to dedicate themselves to the eradication of white supremacy, now and forever. The time for change is now.”
"The campaign to remove Confederate monuments across the nation being forced upon us by radical leftists, academia, the mainstream media and the guardians of political correctness is shameful and wrong. Every American should oppose racism and extremism in all its forms. Taking down monuments and hiding our history serves no good purpose, which is why 62% of Americans oppose taking them down and think it's a politically correct mistake.
"We cannot—and must not—erase our history or judge our past leaders by today's standards. The people of Texas overwhelmingly supported the Confederacy in 1862. This historical fact cannot be changed nor hidden – and it shouldn't. It's a disservice to our citizens and our ancestors who helped create this great country we enjoy today. Where do these politically correct demands end? Do we now begin removing statues of George Washington because he was a slave holder over 200 years ago? Do we change the name of Fort Hood in Texas—the largest US Army base in the country—because it is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood?
"The absurdity has gotten so extreme that an Asian-American television sports commentator was recently relieved because his name was Robert Lee! I was informed that the reason Confederate statues have been taken down at UT in Austin is to protect them from vandalism by students. I would ask how they have stood for over a century unscathed all that time by the students! Vandalism is against the law and anyone who destroys public property should be prosecuted. I strongly disagree with these actions that revise our true history and divide our country at a time when we desperately need national unity. Let’s preserve our monuments and address the real problems of our nation."
Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke announced a plan to remove Confederate monuments from military bases, by introducing “Honoring Real Patriots Act of 2017,” which would require the Department of Defense to change the name of any military installation or other property under its control currently named for individuals who fought against the United States during the Civil War or supported the Confederacy’s war efforts.
The legislation follows requests by Congresswoman Clarke and her colleagues in the Brooklyn Congressional delegation that the Department of the Army change the names of two streets at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn that are now named for Confederate generals. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and other community leaders have since joined in calling for the name change. These requests have been refused by the Army.
“The time has come for the Army to remove from Fort Hamilton and other military installations the disgraced names of men who waged war against the United States to preserve the evil institution of slavery. Monuments to the Confederacy and its leaders have always represented white supremacy and a continuing attempt to deny the basic human rights of African Americans. As recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia, have made perfectly clear, these monuments are nothing more than symbols of white supremacy and a pretext for the violent imposition of an evil ideology that should never have persisted into the Twenty-First Century. For hundreds of thousands of Brooklyn residents, as well as troops stationed at Fort Hamilton who are prepared to fight for this nation, the monuments are an insult. It is clear that these symbols remain an inspiration to some who espouse white supremacist ideology to perpetuate acts of terror and violence on peaceful, law-abiding citizens of our nation. Across the United States, cities and states are removing such monuments as an act of reconciliation and respect for people whose humanity has too often been denied. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation and to dedicate themselves to the eradication of white supremacy, now and forever. The time for change is now.”
Friday, August 18, 2017
North Korea, Manufacturing Council, Confederate Monuments
The Associated Press reports, "With corporate chieftains fleeing, President Donald Trump abruptly abolished their White House business councils on Wednesday — the latest fallout from his combative comments on racially charged violence in Charlottesville, Virginia."
"Combative Comments"? I didn't see his comments as combative at all, except when he addressed the media as "Fake News" -- which, in this case, fits.
After eight CEO's used Charlottesville as an excuse to resign the Manufacturing Council, Trump decided to just disband the whole thing. What I'd like to know is what does Charlottesville have to do with national manufacturing? Perhaps Trump needs to vet his choices before he makes them when it comes to placing them in elite key positions of influence. Personally, I don't think they got anything done by resigning.
North Korea has eased off on its Missile testing after Trump threatened them with "fire and fury". Steve Bannon claims he shouldn't make such threats since there is no military means of backing up his words. However, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis insist that should it come to a show of military strength, the U.S. is ready.
Just because Bob Corker chose to call President Trump "incompetant", the main stream news media is now saying that a bunch of lawmakers are saying he is incompetent and they are worried. They cited the words he said and micro-analyzed it to death, as usual. It is my belief that just because a person doesn't have the vocabulary that most politicians have doesn't make him incompetent. If anything, it makes him human. His humanity towards what he is working for is why Americans elected him.
Trump said, in his press conference that allowing Confederate monuments to be removed will lead to the destruction of our national monuments such as Lincoln and the Washington Memorial, and the statue of Jackson. True to his prediction:
Five Texas Democrat lawmakers are pressuring the Dallas mayor to remove Confederate monuments near City Hall and in Oaklawn.
A plaque commemorating Jefferson Davis at a state highway just west of Phoenix was tarred and covered in feathers
Colorado had a constructive way of dealing with their monument controversy.
Mayor Catherine Pugh of Baltimore, Maryland decided Tuesday to take their monuments down.
Government leaders in Kentucky's second-largest city took a decisive stand Thursday night in favor of moving two Confederate statues from their prominent places outside a former courthouse being converted into a visitors center.
In Richmond, Virginia Confederate leaders' descendants want monuments pulled down.
In Madison, Wisconsin, the mayor has ordered all the Confederate monuments removed from the cemetery.
That's just a few of the towns and cities contemplating removing these historical monuments. If they all succeed, soon we will have nothing to remind us of our grisley past. Then, we'll be right back where we started, and our children will be in danger of making the same mistakes over again.
What is going to be done with all these monuments? The Jefferson Davis estate offered to take them all. I think that's a great idea! I hope that each city considers it a viable option.
"Combative Comments"? I didn't see his comments as combative at all, except when he addressed the media as "Fake News" -- which, in this case, fits.
After eight CEO's used Charlottesville as an excuse to resign the Manufacturing Council, Trump decided to just disband the whole thing. What I'd like to know is what does Charlottesville have to do with national manufacturing? Perhaps Trump needs to vet his choices before he makes them when it comes to placing them in elite key positions of influence. Personally, I don't think they got anything done by resigning.
North Korea has eased off on its Missile testing after Trump threatened them with "fire and fury". Steve Bannon claims he shouldn't make such threats since there is no military means of backing up his words. However, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis insist that should it come to a show of military strength, the U.S. is ready.
Just because Bob Corker chose to call President Trump "incompetant", the main stream news media is now saying that a bunch of lawmakers are saying he is incompetent and they are worried. They cited the words he said and micro-analyzed it to death, as usual. It is my belief that just because a person doesn't have the vocabulary that most politicians have doesn't make him incompetent. If anything, it makes him human. His humanity towards what he is working for is why Americans elected him.
Trump said, in his press conference that allowing Confederate monuments to be removed will lead to the destruction of our national monuments such as Lincoln and the Washington Memorial, and the statue of Jackson. True to his prediction:
Five Texas Democrat lawmakers are pressuring the Dallas mayor to remove Confederate monuments near City Hall and in Oaklawn.
A plaque commemorating Jefferson Davis at a state highway just west of Phoenix was tarred and covered in feathers
Colorado had a constructive way of dealing with their monument controversy.
Mayor Catherine Pugh of Baltimore, Maryland decided Tuesday to take their monuments down.
Government leaders in Kentucky's second-largest city took a decisive stand Thursday night in favor of moving two Confederate statues from their prominent places outside a former courthouse being converted into a visitors center.
In Richmond, Virginia Confederate leaders' descendants want monuments pulled down.
In Madison, Wisconsin, the mayor has ordered all the Confederate monuments removed from the cemetery.
That's just a few of the towns and cities contemplating removing these historical monuments. If they all succeed, soon we will have nothing to remind us of our grisley past. Then, we'll be right back where we started, and our children will be in danger of making the same mistakes over again.
What is going to be done with all these monuments? The Jefferson Davis estate offered to take them all. I think that's a great idea! I hope that each city considers it a viable option.
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