Associated Press
Two Confederate monuments in a Florida city were defaced with red spray paint in one night.
The Florida Times-Union reports that officials discovered the vandalism Wednesday at a 63-foot (19-meter) granite monument dedicated to Confederate soldiers in Jacksonville’s Hemming Park and a statue dedicated to women of the Confederacy in Confederate Park.
The vandalism follows months of debate between local groups over whether the city should remove the Hemming Park monument, which sits on the doorsteps of City Hall in downtown.
Similar fights are erupting around the country. A renewed interest in removing the symbols comes after violent clashes at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, left one person dead and scores injured last month.
3 comments
Seber Newsome III
September 7, 2017 at 8:42 am
Jacksonville City Council President, helped to fuel the debate about the Confederate Monuments in Jacksonville. Can someone please tell me when was the last time the monument in Hemming Park was vandalized? She gave fuel to the fire. She will be held accountable for her actions come election time. These hate groups, Takeemdownjax, Occupy Jacksonville, Progressive Coalition, Black Lives Matter extremists, etc., this is how they operate. They go into towns, and intimidate the politicians, demanding that Confederate Monuments be removed. Then they vandalize them, it has been happening all over the South. Most of the time, the politicians have no backbone, and they cave in. Hopefully, Jacksonville is different. A lot of people here with Southern roots, as the recent poll showed, where over 75%, said they want the monuments left in place, not moved. Let the people of Jacksonville vote on this issue, not the city council, THE REGISTERED VOTERS OF JACKSONVILLE, IF THEY WANT THE MONUMENTS MOVED, SO BE IT, IF THEY WANT THEM TO STAY, LET THEM STAY. Also, we need a protection ordinance for all the veterans monuments in Jacksonville, there are at least 10 monument to veterans of all the wars, protect them today!
Patrick Fisher
September 7, 2017 at 10:41 am
You have no proof that the monuments were vandalized by the groups you’ve indicated. Likewise, there is a difference between human rights groups and hate groups. Simply because these groups may hold views that differ from yours and are advocates for their causes does not mean that they are hateful or extremists. I have heard this poll cited on several occasions, yet I’ve never actually seen the poll itself. How was the poll administered and who administered it? Your post illustrates the importance of deciphering opinion from fact.
Seber Newsome III
September 8, 2017 at 7:35 am
The poll was done by Nationally recognized Gravis Marketing Research, a non partisan firm. Do your research on this company. The poll had all the results including the cross tabs, if your familiar with that phrase. The overwhelming majority of the citizens of Jacksonville, want the Confederate Monuments to remain on public property. We will demand that the people of Jacksonville, be allowed to vote on this issue!!!!!! The city council and the Mayor have seen the poll results, ask your councilman for a copy.
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