Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy, seeks local control of its Civil War monuments

CNN ^ | January 6, 2020 | Anna Sturla and Monica Haider

[C19fan]

The city council in Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy, passed a resolution Monday to petition the state legislature for permission to take down or modify its Confederate statutes.

Virginia state law allows local governments to erect war monuments, but prohibits the local governments from taking them down or modifying them. The law prohibits local governments from moving the monuments or adding placards explaining why they were erected. The resolution passed by a vote of 6-2, said Councilmember Chris Hilbert who voted for the resolution.

Under the resolution, the city of Richmond will ask the General Assembly to enact legislation that would give the city control over its memorial and monuments. Large memorials to Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee line Monument Avenue a few miles from the state capitol.

[C19fan]

Richmond cannot do anything but with the Democrats in complete control of the state government that might change. Among the wish list of items the Democrats have proposed is a bill SB 183 that would:

Memorials for war veterans. Provides that a locality may remove, relocate, or alter any monument or memorial for war veterans located in its public space, regardless of when erected. Current law makes it unlawful to disturb or interfere with such monuments or memorials or to prevent citizens from taking proper measures and exercising proper means for the protection, preservation, and care of such monuments or memorials.

[KC_Lion]

Only Muslims are allowed to destroy cultural sites.

[grobdriver]

Expecting them to replace it with a statue of Obama - standing with his nose in the air, lording it over all the little people who willingly lick his boots.

[RedMonqey]

The Yankees and their carpetbaggers have taken Virginia and overran Richmond.... Again.

The looting of historical monuments begins...

[bigbob]

Why in hell would they NOT have such control? I can see the state owning something like a state highway that goes thru a city, but this is like asking permission to move a water fountain in city hall.

[DoodleDawg]

"A dialogue is never something that can divide us. It can only bring us together."

They don't want a dialogue. They want to lecture because they are not interested in the other side's point of view.

[DoodleDawg]

Only Muslims are allowed to destroy cultural sites.

Well, if Iran pushes Trump just a little too far he'll carry out his threat.

[lodi90]

The monuments will be gone soon. I will stop in Richmond and have a look next time I am passing through.