Posted on 06/19/2020 8:35:48 PM PDT by conservative98
Celebrities, public figures and fans alike have signed a petition to replace a Tennessee statue of a KKK leader with one of Dolly Parton, a native of the state and a beloved pop culture figure.
The online petition has collected over 16,000 signatures and calls for the state’s officials to honor “a true Tennessee hero, Dolly Parton.” The page continues saying, “Tennessee is littered with statues memorializing Confederate officers. History should not be forgotten, but we need not glamorize those who do not deserve our praise.”
The statue in question resides in the Tennessee Statehouse and represents Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general, slave trader and KKK leader.
In December, petition author Jeremy Faison told the Tennesseean, “If we want to preserve history, then let’s tell it the right way. How about getting a lady in there? My daughter is 16, and I would love for her to come into the Capitol and see a lady up there… What’s wrong with someone like Dolly Parton being put in that alcove?”
Celebrity residents of Tennessee, Taylor Swift and Reese Witherspoon, have both publicly called for the removal of the statue. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and actor Henry Winkler are among the public figures supporting the movement for a statue of Parton to replace that of Forrest.
(Excerpt) Read more at uinterview.com ...
Now this seems worthwhile: replace statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest—former delegate to 1860 Democrat National Convention, vicious slave trader & the founder of the KKK—with the great Dolly Parton. A win-win! https://t.co/PKGiBVXS8Z— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 15, 2020
That Dolly statue would be top-heavy and difficult to balance, and might be a hazard to those passing near it.
Swapping kkk for ddd
Dolly’s Biggest Hits
Dibs on chiseling and sculpting the breasts.
Not if you balance them out with a large enough caboose!
Failing to see a problem with that. :P
Cruz is an ignorant ass. Calling Forrest a KKK leader ignores that he disavowed them, said they should disband and burn their costumes, and gave a warm speech calling for brotherhood and friendship between blacks and whites.
http://www.tennessee-scv.org/ForrestHistSociety/forrest_speech.html
A convention and BBQ was held by the Independent Order of Pole-Bearers Association at the fairgrounds of Memphis, five miles east of the city. An invitation to speak was conveyed to General Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of the city’s most prominent citizens, and one of the foremost cavalry commanders in the late War Between the States. This was the first invitation granted to a white man to speak at this gathering. The invitation’s purpose, one of the leaders said, was to extend peace, joy, and union, and following a brief welcoming address a Miss Lou Lewis, daughter of an officer of the Pole-Bearers, brought forward flowers and assurances that she conveyed them as a token of good will. After Miss Lewis handed him the flowers, General Forrest responded with a short speech that, in the contemporary pages of the Memphis Appeal, evinces Forrest’s racial open-mindedness that seemed to have been growing in him.
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.) I came here with the jeers of some white people, who think that I am doing wrong. I believe I can exert some influence, and do much to assist the people in strengthening fraternal relations, and shall do all in my power 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. I have not said anything about politics today. I don’t propose to say anything about politics. You have a right to elect whom you please; vote for the man you think best, and I think, when that is done, you and I are freemen. Do as you consider right and honest in electing men for office. I did not come here to make you a long speech, although invited to do so by you. I am not much of a speaker, and my business prevented me from preparing myself. I came to meet you as friends, and welcome you to the white people. I want you to come nearer to us. When I can serve you I will do so. We have but one flag, one country; let us stand together. We may differ in color, but not in sentiment Many things have been said about me which are wrong, and which white and black persons here, who stood by me through the war, can contradict. Go to work, be industrious, live honestly and act truly, and when you are oppressed I’ll come to your relief. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for this opportunity you have afforded me to be with you, and to assure you that I am with you in heart and in hand. (Prolonged applause.)
Whereupon N. B. Forrest again thanked Miss Lewis for the bouquet and then gave her a kiss on the cheek. Such a kiss was unheard of in the society of those days, in 1875, but it showed a token of respect and friendship between the general and the black community and did much to promote harmony among the citizens of Memphis.
I have no quarrel with Dolly Parton, but she is nothing compared to Forrest in our history.
She’s entitled to her own statue, considering all Dolly has done for charity and her local economy. But it would not surprise me if she declined the offer.
Dolly has already received all sorts of awards, ribbons and medals in her long career. She may not want all the negative controversy attached to this decision. She also may not want her past gone over with a fine toothed comb the way today’s Cancel Culture will compulsively do. Who needs the headache from this petty minded Puritans?
Ha. They’ll never make it stand. Feet’s too small. They don’t grow in the shade.... :-)
Maybe they should just do a bust.
Two of my favorites.
Are they going to get rid of statues and pictures of KKK Byrd?
Congress must have some of those left.
Yes but think of all the shade it would provide.
Assuming the obvious engineering challenges can be overcome, that is. May require the use of exotic materials and CAD. Wind loads will be a concern.
They’ll have to be careful with how the statue is made and balanced, considering the — ahem — endowment in the front.
Since you wrote it first will point out that bust maybe needs to be capitalized here.
What happens when they run out of statues (of Democrats or whatever)?
Will it be Young Dolly or Cat Woman Dolly?
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