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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCalls for removal of Confederate faces off Stone Mountain
Greg Bluestein
August 15, 2017
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams called for the removal of the giant carving that depicts three Confederate war leaders on the face of state-owned Stone Mountain, saying it remains a blight on our state and should be removed.
We must never celebrate those who defended slavery and tried to destroy the union, Abrams said in a series of tweets posted early Tuesday, a response to the deadly violence sparked by white supremacist groups in Charlottesville, Va.
Removing the faces of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson would take a monster of a sandblaster and require a change in state law. The Georgia code has a clear mandate for the memorial, saying it should be preserved and protected for all time as a tribute to the bravery and heroism of the citizens of this state who suffered and died in their cause.
Abrams faces state Rep. Stacey Evans in next years Democratic primary, and the race has quickly turned testy. She has faced criticism for refusing to rebuke protesters who chanted support black women at Evans at a progressive conference over the weekend ...
http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2017/08/15/abrams-calls-for-removal-of-confederate-faces-off-stone-mountain/
hlthe2b
(102,358 posts)But, since the park was sold to a private company (not sure if the sale included all control over the granite mountain or just the park) whose decision is it?
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)that amazing mountain of rock would further deface it. I doubt that will happen, frankly.
struggle4progress
(118,338 posts)Cracklin Charlie
(12,904 posts)But I got a real bad vibe there.
Couldn't wait to get away.
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)Sadly, it was defaced with that bas relief sculpture. There's no way to remove it that wouldn't cause even more damage.
As my late grandmother said, once, of carvings made on a sandstone bluff in Arizona, "Fool's names and fool's faces always appear in public places."
They defaced a natural phenomenon with images of people who fought a war to keep slavery alive. How sad a statement that is. It should be removed, but the beauty of that massive and unique geological feature has been marred forever.
mopinko
(70,215 posts)like "they fought bravely to keep others enslaved"
and "birthplace of the kkk, america's home grown terrorists"
(i think that is right)
Much more likely to happen with enough pressure
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)Baitball Blogger
(46,757 posts)There is a point when the light show reflected against the stone brings the figures to life and they began to march. Well, there's a faction in the crowd that always goes nuts at that point. I think they view it as "The South will rise again."