Mayor of Richmond calls Confederate monuments 'the fake news of their time'

aol ^ | Jul 13th 2020 | KYLIE MAR

[MarvinStinson]

On 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper took a deep dive into the debate over the removal of Confederate monuments.

Cooper sat down with Mayor Levar Stoney of Richmond, Virginia.

"The monuments are just a symbol of the effort to ensure African Americans stayed, maybe not in physical bondage, but in bondage in political and economically in this country and in this city," said Stoney, who added, "Those who chose to erect those monuments, and the figures who are glorified in those monuments, they made some serious attempts to ensure that people who look like me would never hold any political office, ever, in Virginia."

"It is, for me, the greatest example of nostalgia masquerading as history. It's the fake news of their time," stated Stoney.

Cooper also sat down with former New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu who in 2017 made the controversial decision to remove four Confederate monuments, and shared with Cooper the dangerous risks that came with it.

While Cooper described the scene as looking "like a military operation," that construction crews wore bullet proof helmets and vests, and police snipers were stationed on rooftops, Landrieu shared that it was impossible to find a local company that would take on the job. "When we put the thing out to bid, the one contractor that showed up had his life threatened. He had his car bombed," revealed Landrieu. "His car was actually fire-bombed. Death threats were coming in."

Landrieu did eventually find a contractor out of state to take down the monuments.

"In a city I represent, that's 67% African American, to have a young African American girl pass by that statue and look at it every day, I ask myself, 'Am I really preparing for her a really good future?"

[Highest Authority]

All this from a fake Mayor!

[nonsporting]

Melon label.

[ifinnegan]

The people you mention weren’t putting up the monuments or raising the flags.

[BroJoeK]

ifinnegan: "Every Confederate monument is a monument to Democrats."

a fool in paradise: "The same people tearing down confederate statues are coming for Christ, abolitionists, and the founding fathers..."

Right, and that's the real problem here.

Ordinarily I'd say: Democrats put up those statues, now Democrats want to take them down, why does that matter to me?
But the problem is, once they learn the "thrill" of tearing down American history, then they just can't stop themselves, they want to become American Taliban and tear down everything... everything that looks old.

Now the article seems to suggest these Confederate statues are in black neighborhoods, and if true, then wise people might want to consider relocating them to neighborhoods where citizens welcome & are willing to defend them.

Just saying...

[Monterrosa-24]

We put up A new monument in Nashville in the 90s with my help. I’m a Republican.

[ifinnegan]

Yes, it’s a cultural revolution.

[kearnyirish2]

It is a cultural revolution, but in the end if they remove this history from the public eye then the public eventually dismisses it as meaningless - as well as any related gibsmedat claims for money.

If they want a sterile society where images of blacks and Indians are removed from our store shelves and TV...OK.

[Adder]

His reasoning is idiotic.

Those who erected the statues didn’t think about black folk. They were NOT erected to intimidate them or for any reason about them. They were not a concern.

They were erected to honor their leaders and the dead thousands who fought in the late unpleasantness.

[caww]

[Altura Ct.]

Worst thing we ever did was allow slavery in this nation.

[bgill]

He’s kissing up to that 67% black voter base.

[central_va]

First Gen. Lee. Then Columbus, then Jesus. It’s all fun and games until it’s your ox getting gored.

[central_va]

The Democrats were the Conservatives of their day. Yes, only idiots an liberals project 21st century norms and culture back to the 19th century.

[yuleeyahoo]

“It’s the fake news of their time,”

So then as now, Democrats are responsible for the creation of fake news. Nice to see them admit the truth once in a while.

[gathersnomoss]

I live in the Richmond suburbs and drive through the city. This area is now dead, boarded up and defaced. This RACIST mayor loves his high position and enjoys having his servants in shackles. This city was undergoing a fantastic revival. No longer the case.

Nice going, Regressives. YOU own thus garbage.

[M Kehoe]

Good morning.

“First Gen. Lee. Then Columbus, then Jesus. It’s all fun and games until it’s your ox getting gored.”

Methinks the shooting starts right after the last ox is gored.

5.56mm

[Sans-Culotte]

The key is that Richmond gets money from tourists, who are there for Civil War input. Deny that and the money doesn’t come.

I cannot think of a reason for a tourist to go to Richmond now. Richmond has (had) a special place in American history as the capitol of the Confederacy. The monuments helped identify the city as such. People like to visit historical places to see reminders of the place's past. Richmond appears to be expunging its past. It would be like Rome getting rid of all its Ancient Roman ruins. I guess Richmond is just another Birmingham now.

[ifinnegan]

“The Democrats were the Conservatives of their day.”

No they were not.

[central_va]

The Republicans of the 19th century, many of who sided with abolitionists ( terrorists in many ways ) were the absolute wild eyed liberal/radicals of their time. The Democrats were the old school stodgy Constitutional Conservatives of their day.

[ifinnegan]

You have zero clue.

Explain Woodrow Wilson.