The Latest on Charleston shooting: Memphis mayor wants Confederate statue, grave out of park

U.S. News & World Report ^ | 6/24/2015 | Asociated Press

[middlegeorgian]

10:30 p.m.

The mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, says he thinks a statue of Confederate General and Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest should be removed from its location at a city park.

In a statement emailed to The Associated Press on Wednesday, Mayor A C Wharton Jr. said he would like to see the statue removed from Health Sciences Park. Wharton said the graves of Forrest and his wife, also located at the park, should be relocated as well.

Health Sciences Park was called Forrest Park until the City Council voted in February 2013 to change the name. It also changed the name of Confederate Park and Jefferson Davis Park.

It was not immediately clear if the City Council would consider moving the statue.

Lawmakers have already called for the removal of a bust of Forrest from an alcove in the state Senate chambers.

The suspect in last week's shooting deaths of nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, was seen in photos brandishing the Confederate battle flag as a symbol of hate.

[sport]

when?

[sport]

When?

[Tennessee Nana]

PING

[spodefly]

Wharton said the graves of Forrest and his wife, also located at the park, should be relocated as well.

Why don't you just blow them up, you fking medieval barbarian.

[GeronL]

“Latest on Charleston Shooting”

what

this has NOTHING to do with the shooting

[JennysCool]

Ghouls is a PERFECT description.

[dragnet2]

Throw folks into wars and really bad stuff happens and some get out of control ugly. It’s war. I’m not familiar with any war where it wasn’t taken beyond the rules of war. I’m not justifying anything here. Just commenting that this happens in war/conflicts with all people as you’re probably aware.

[sport]

Every White person is a racists[whatever that entails]now. This is the age of political correctness. Like the Red Chinese Cultural Revolution, it must work or kill itself out.

[Kickass Conservative]

In the eliminating History department, we are giving ISIS a run for their money.

[jughandle]

Moving graves of Confederate soldiers was sarcastically suggested here a few days ago..

[Girlene]

Nathan Bedford Forrest

........"In July 1875, Forrest demonstrated that his personal sentiments on the issue of race now differed from that of the Klan, when he was invited to give a speech before an organization of black Southerners advocating racial reconciliation, called the Independent Order of Pole-Bearers Association. At this, his last public appearance, he made what the New York Times described as a "friendly speech"[10] during which, when offered a bouquet of flowers by a black woman, he accepted them as a token of reconciliation between the races and espoused a radically progressive (for the time) agenda of equality and harmony between black and white Americans.[56] His speech was as follows:

"Ladies and Gentlemen I accept the flowers as a memento of reconciliation between the white and colored races of the southern states. I accept it more particularly as it comes from a colored lady, for if there is any one on God's earth who loves the ladies I believe it is myself. ( Immense applause and laughter.) This day is a day that is proud to me, having occupied the position that I did for the past twelve years, and been misunderstood by your race. This is the first opportunity I have had during that time to say that I am your friend. I am here a representative of the southern people, one more slandered and maligned than any man in the nation.

I will say to you and to the colored race that men who bore arms and followed the flag of the Confederacy are, with very few exceptions, your friends. I have an opportunity of saying what I have always felt - that I am your friend, for my interests are your interests, and your interests are my interests. We were born on the same soil, breathe the same air, and live in the same land. Why, then, can we not live as brothers? I will say that when the war broke out I felt it my duty to stand by my people. When the time came I did the best I could, and I don't believe I flickered. I came here with the jeers of some white people, who think that I am doing wrong. I believe that I can exert some influence, and do much to assist the people in strengthening fraternal relations, and shall do all in my power to bring about peace. It has always been my motto to elevate every man- to depress none. (Applause.) I want to elevate you to take positions in law offices, in stores, on farms, and wherever you are capable of going." .......................

[Busko]

Welcome to “New Amerika” Destroying history every day!

[justa-hairyape]

As people are pointing out, this is Orwell’s Two Minutes of Hate and ISIS’s destroying of historical monuments. They are ISIS and Socialist Tyrants all wrapped in one.

[Noumenon]

I don't care for Forrest, but digging up his grave is bordering on barbarism.

That border was crossed long ago by these savages. Worse is coming.

[StoneWall Brigade]

Ping

[liberalism is suicide]

Why don’t we fly the anti-flag Southern turncoats to Mars and see if they like Mars better than the South?

[Irenic]

Wharton said the graves of Forrest and his wife, also located at the park, should be relocated as well.

He should be ashamed of himself. Memphis needs to throw this obscene, sniveling, spineless, cretin out of office. Wharton's preening and posturing on the bones and resting place of the defenseless dead is unbecoming a man. Scum. Pure scum. He thinks he's getting his sensitivity creds in but he has only succeeded in showing his arse.

[Charles Martel]

Enough, already - the bandwagon is full.

[GOPJ]

ISIS blows up stuff that doesn't agree with their limited ideas of 'history'.

In the spirit of ISIS and the Memphis mayor we could blow up the statue then burn a few books - to round out the evening.

[JGT]

It will continue to make people angry, but not enough to get off the couch and do anything about it.