Video: Va. Leaders Celebrate Decision to Remove Robert E. Lee Statue from Richmond's Monument Ave.

[lowkell]

https://bluevirginia.us/2020/06/live-video-highlights-gov-ralph-northam-press-conference-on-removing-the-robert-e-lee-statue

Gov. Northam: “...generations ago, Virginia made the decision not to celebrate unity, to but to honor the cause of division…the statue of Robert E. Lee is most prominent…Instead of choosing to heal the wounds of the Civil War, they chose to keep them on display right here in Richmond…they needed a symbol to shore up the cause…from the beginning, there was no secret about what the statue meant…a glorification of the lost cause…and as the statues went up, so did lots of new laws…[limiting] the right to vote…the people who wrote these laws knew what they were doing…they wanted the statues to stay forever, they need the statues to stay forever because they wanted to keep the system in place…but elections matter and laws can be changed....In Virginia, we no longer preach a false version of history, one that pretends the Civil War was about state’s rights and not the evils of slavery; noone believes that anymore. And in 2020, we can no longer honor a system that was based on the buying and selling of enslaved people- not in 2020.” “Yes, that statue has been there for a long time, but it was wrong then, and it’s wrong now, so we’re taking it down.” “I believe in a Virginia that studies its past in an honest way,” and “we must take action,” so “I am directing the Dept. of General Services to remove the statue of Robert E. Lee as soon as possible.” “I believe in a Virginia that learns lessons from its past. And we all know that our country needs that example right now. America is once again looking to Virginia to lead.” “There are still monuments of inequity that exist in our Commonwealth and our country…but symbols do matter…we all know it’s time, and history will prove it.”

[Newest Reality]

1. Good!

Let's get rid of monuments to that extremely violent and bloody, unjustified protest by the Confederates and what we called the Civil War.

The imagery and meaning of celebrating those people is racist and encourages traitors to the solidarity of our nation. It gives those phony, McPatriots something tangible to look up at and hide behind while eating their sedition fries.

No more!

[Goodheart]

2. Terrific speech, Governor!

What about the other statues there? JEB Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis?

TAKE THEM ALL DOWN!

edited to add: The Commonwealth owns the Lee statue, the others are owned by the City. Mayor Stoney plans to take those down, too.

Monument Avenue will never be the same, but more beautiful than ever.

[keithbvadu2]

3. Lee comes highly recommended