By Anna Daniels
The response to Trump’s total moral failure to reckon with what happened in Charlottesville last Saturday prompted an immediate response from citizens all over the country. Over 700 rallies and marches were held in the aftermath, including here in San Diego.
Also in San Diego, the Horton Plaza pavement plaque commemorating the Confederacy was removed–quickly. According to the petition that was circulated yesterday
A monument honoring the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, was installed in a nearby location in 1926 but, objections raised by veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic caused it to be removed. Thirty years later, there was a surge of Confederate monuments installed in the years immediately following the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education ruling. Many groups retaliated to this desegregation ruling by reestablishing memorials to the Confederacy. The plaque we see today was placed in a similar location in 1956.
After a several-year redevelopment ending in 2016, the city decided to not reinstall the plaque in the new park but, ‘after some time and a bit of haggling, the marker appeared in the sidewalk on the north side, without comment’.[1] We believe this monument has no place on any city or county public property, especially in a public park.
Anybody know who successfully advocated for re-installing the marker? What was their argument for sedition in defense of slavery?
Residents of Durham NC took matters into their own hands and toppled a Confederate statue on public land. Arrests soon followed. Today’s twitter feed informs us that a long line of citizens has formed in front of the court house there. They are attempting to turn themselves in for the ‘crime’ of removing Confederate Monuments.
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh had four Confederate monuments removed overnight.
Alabama is suing Birmingham Mayor William Bell for erecting plywood and tarps to cover the inscriptions on a Confederate monument in Linn Park. A number of Southern (read Confederate) states have enacted recent legislation forbidding the removing of monuments and changing street names.
Those states include Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina and Mississippi. Mayor Bell is testing this legislation in Alabama. He notes that Birmingham didn’t even exist during the Civil War– it wasn’t established until 1871 during post Civil War reconstruction. It is however known for its pivotal presence in the Civil Rights Movement. Keep an eye on these cases.
Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate thinks big Stacey Adams, Democratic candidate says that the Stone Mountain Confederate Monument has to go. “Paid for by founders of the 2nd KKK, the monument had no purpose other than celebration of racism, terror & division when carved in 1915,” she said.
Corporate ships abandon sinking rats CEOs of corporate America have awakened from their dreams of Republican de-regulation and tax cuts long enough to resign from a number of Trump’s economic councils. Cloudfare CEO Matthew Prince terminated the account of Neo-Nazi site Storm Trooper this morning.
Our terms of service reserve the right for us to terminate users of our network at our sole discretion. My rationale for making this decision was simple: the people behind the Daily Stormer are assholes and I’d had enough.
Democratic Rep signals intent to begin impeachment process Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) bases the process on Trump’s “failed test of moral leadership” after Charlottesville.
Trenchant humor Late night monologues have never been better. You may not have seen Australian comedian Jeff Jefferies taking on the “many sides” argument.
There has been resistance from elected officials and candidates; CEOs; the faith based community; talk show hosts and citizens. Many, many citizens.
The Republican Party stands alone–spineless, calculating and morally bankrupt in their unwillingness to call out and cut off Trump.
If you are doubting our ability to prevail, spend a few moments listening to Heather Heyer’s mother’s eulogy.
We’re not going to sit around and shake hands and go, “Kumbaya, and I’m sorry.” It’s not all about forgiveness. I know that’s not a popular chant.
The truth is, we are going to have our differences, we are going to be angry with each other, but let’s change — will that anger, not into hate, not into violence, not into fear, but let’s channel that anger into righteous action.
The “righteous action” has begun. It takes on many forms. It will continue.
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Anna Daniels’ post originally appeared at our online media partners, San Diego Free Press.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Well done, Anna! Thanks.
Yes, Anna did another great writeup, and “righteous action has begun.”