Unknown Longhorn Band Member
Posted on 12/29/2006 8:22:58 PM PST by BnBlFlag
Houston & Texas News
Dec. 27, 2006, 10:53PM UT to explore fate of statues that honor the Confederacy
AUSTIN — University of Texas President William Powers Jr. said he plans to form an advisory committee to study whether something should be done about the numerous campus statues honoring the Confederacy.
The statues have in recent history become a topic of debate among students, professors and administrators.
They include four bronze figures on the South Mall honoring Confederate leaders such as Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States, and Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Powers said he plans to appoint a committee of advisers early next year, probably including faculty and students.
"The whole range of options is on the table," Powers said.
"A lot of students, and especially minority students, have raised concerns. And those are understandable and legitimate concerns. On the other hand, the statues have been here for a long time, and that's something we have to take into account as well."
Some critics have proposed removing the Davis and Lee statues and placing them in a museum.
Statuary on the UT campus has grown more diverse over the years, partly as a result of student-led efforts. A student tax raised funds to install a statue of Martin Luther King Jr., the black civil rights leader, in 1999.
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Same here. I took photos of those statues. Most people don't know that Woodrow Wilson was a racist and did not support suffrage. Robert E. Lee on the other hand opposed slavery and even freed his own family slaves. Lee also opposed the Confederency and only sided with them because he was loyal to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Robert Lee was, at best, mildly opposed to slavery. He believed it was a necessary evil, and as late as 1865 he was calling it the best situation for blacks in the South.
Having said that I see no reason why his statue should be taken down. You can find flaws with any and all of the men who's statues grace the campus - except maybe the statue of the Longhorn Band Member.
Everyone has a flaw. It's what makes us human.
Even the unknown Longhorn Band Member?
Okay, with every famous historical figure and leader. The unknown Longhorn Band Member is flawless.
http://www.utexas.edu/tours/statues/davis.html
UT Virtual Statue Tour
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