A.G. Gancarski
Florida’s Governor is unambiguous in his support for keeping up Confederate monuments, describing such efforts as a slippery slope that could lead to the removal of tributes to Martin Luther King Jr. if today’s standards are applied to bygone history.
“I’m 100% against removing the monuments. I think it’s just gone too far,” Ron DeSantis said on the first day of Black History Month.
DeSantis was responding to reporter questions about proposed legislation that would impose punishments on localities for taking down the memorials to the Civil War losers, which have a special provenance to certain Floridians.
“I have not seen the legislation, but I’ve been very clear ever since I’ve been Governor, I do not support taking down monuments in this state,” DeSantis said Thursday in Jacksonville.
The Governor said calls for the removal of “some Civil War general or whatever” have evolved into other forms of historical erasure, such as “taking down Thomas Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt and (Abraham) Lincoln, taking (George) Washington’s name off schools.”
“I think it’s totally appropriate for the Legislature to say we’re going to stop the madness,” DeSantis said.
He then referred to a local activist calling to take down the city’s Andrew Jackson statue downtown.
“What are we going to do: rename the city? I mean, come on, we’ve got to stop doing this and I think that it’s just, it’s not something that’s going to end up working out well for us and especially it’s like, you know, who’s next?” DeSantis said.
“You’re already up to, like, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. I mean, you’re going to go on and on there because … if you’re going to apply some type of hyperwoke 21st century test to pass people, you going to run into turbulence with MLK Jr., you’re going to run into turbulence with a lot of people.”
Bills are moving to stop monument removal in both the Senate and House. The Senate version envisions a retroactive provision allowing for the reinstatement of monuments removed since 2020, which would include two Jacksonville structures erected during the Jim Crow era of enforced racial segregation. The House version has been changed through the committee process to apply only to future monument removals.
Remarks DeSantis made on the presidential campaign trail suggest that he is taking a newly sympathetic look at preserving Confederate history, including reversal of one base renaming despite the ignominious military history of its former namesake.
In June, the Florida Governor said the newly rechristened Fort Liberty in North Carolina should have its name changed back to honor Braxton Bragg, whose legacy as a rebel commander was undistinguished even by the markers of the rebel army.
“Here’s what I said with respect to Fort Bragg is, that’s an iconic base in this country. I didn’t even know it was a Civil War general,” said DeSantis, who graduated from Yale in 2001 with a B.A., magna cum laude in history.
“I don’t think most people knew it was a Civil War general. You just know you’ve been to Bragg, right? And they’re changing it for political correctness reasons. And so I don’t believe in doing it for political correctness reasons and that’s just kind of how we’re going to roll on it. And here’s the thing, you know, you learn from history, you don’t erase the history.”
32 comments
Bill
February 1, 2024 at 11:37 am
“Here’s what I said with respect to Fort Bragg is, that’s an iconic base in this country. I didn’t even know it was a Civil War general,” said DeSantis, who graduated from Yale in 2001 with a B.A., magna cum laude in history.
Priceless 🙂
Impeach Biden
February 1, 2024 at 8:43 pm
Walk any college campus and stick a microphone up to them and ask who the VP of the United States is? Ask them if they know the two Senators that represent them. Most of them have no clue. Do you really think they know who Bragg was? I served and had no idea either. Don’t even get me started about Lee Circle in New Orleans.
MH/Duuuval
February 1, 2024 at 9:52 pm
Yeah, or Fort Moore.
Frankie M.
February 3, 2024 at 7:13 am
I guess an Ivy League education isn’t everything.
Seber Newsome III
February 1, 2024 at 1:18 pm
I love our Great Governor. He understands what is going on with the Woke ideology. Lets put more up, don’t take them down. I will be at the next meeting in the Senate, the Community Affairs committee to speak. Deo Vindice
Joe
February 1, 2024 at 2:49 pm
Ok groomer
MH/Duuuval
February 1, 2024 at 5:41 pm
“Pray for City Council members Boyer, Bowman, Crescimbeni, Hazouri, Love, Morgan and Wilson to be disturbed by frightening dreams and extreme anxiety over the HRO issue that they might be compelled in their spirits to dramatically renounce their rebellious support for the evil HRO BIll 2017-15,” advises Bruce Harper — who is one of III’s thought leaders.
Jack Meoff
February 1, 2024 at 8:13 pm
Deo Vindice? What’s Latin for “losing losers still out here, whole ass losing?” Pound sand old man
Brian
February 1, 2024 at 9:00 pm
Yes let’s put up more statues of generals who faught against us. Generals who faught to leave the nation. Solid logic.
Seber Newsome III is a Racist POS
February 5, 2024 at 4:36 pm
These statues were all put up during the Jim Crow era as a form of racial intimidation. They have jack spit to do with “history”.
I can only assume you must be a white supremacist if you want to put up more.
Flash Light
February 5, 2024 at 9:28 pm
So Spanky, you’ll also be okay when we put up new monuments to, let’s say, Pulse and Margery Stoneman Douglas victims, Trayvon Martin, Gov’s Askew, Chiles, Graham. Presidents Clinton, Obama and Biden and Union Generals like Seymour and Barrett.
Okay ?
Dont Say FLA
February 1, 2024 at 1:50 pm
Keep the monuments. Change the signs.
“Don’t be like this loser.”
Florida needs some monuments of Rhonda alongside Confederate its collection monuments.
“Don’t be like this loser.”
Joe
February 1, 2024 at 2:52 pm
Good old Tiny D, still pretending he never learned anything at his two Ivy League schools. Even after washing out of the campaign in historic fashion, his angry little failure just keeps pandering to bigots and rubes.
Michael K
February 1, 2024 at 3:21 pm
Poor Rhonda still doesn’t understand that America has no interest in the New Confederacy glorifying Jim Crow and racism. There may be a sick appetite for it in Florabama, but nowhere else.
Impeach Biden
February 1, 2024 at 9:04 pm
Yup America is a racist country. We have had a two term black man as President of the United States. The black population of this country is roughly 13%. Lots of white folks voted for him. Now look who is crossing our border illegally. Doesn’t look like they think this is a racist country. Now back to your social security, Medicare, Medicaid, and abortion fears.
MH/Duuuval
February 1, 2024 at 9:57 pm
My view is that racism is endemic throughout the New World. When compared with cartel and gang violence at home, folks will leave their heritage and memories behind and flee to El Norte knowing full well they will be stigmatized and exploited by the Yanquis.
Michael K
February 1, 2024 at 10:54 pm
Did you know The Villages has the highest rate of STDs in America?
MH/Duuuval
February 2, 2024 at 11:41 am
Off topic, but my guess is the pharmacies can’t keep enough Viagra to fulfill the needs of the Villagers.
Tony the Greek
February 1, 2024 at 3:59 pm
Just tell him that Democrats origianlly put those so-called “monuments” up, LOL.
Seber Newsome III
February 1, 2024 at 9:30 pm
HB395 and SB1122 will pass all the committees and the Governor will sign it into legislation. We have been waiting years for this to happen. The time is right now. God Bless Dixie
MH/Duuuval
February 1, 2024 at 10:00 pm
Still fighting the rich man’s war — what a dupe!
Your fellow Dixie traveler, Bruce Harper, was opposed to the HRO in Duval. You, too?
Dont Say FLA
February 2, 2024 at 8:39 am
“The rich man’s war.” I’ll add to that.
Is there any other war? Nope.
And does any rich man fight in his own war? Again, Nope.
Seber Newsome III
February 2, 2024 at 10:35 am
Im fighting for dead soldiers, that is what the cenotaphs represent, those Southern soldiers who were left on the battlefield Deo Vindice
MH/Duuuval
February 2, 2024 at 11:44 am
No doubt the dead rebel conscripts appreciate your efforts to continue the conflict. Can the White Lady dis-inter their bodies and bring them back? That would be a Deo moment.
MH/Duuuval
February 2, 2024 at 10:53 pm
Actually, a war of national self-defense, such as Ukraine is experiencing, is the exception.
William James: The exception proves (or tests) the rule.
Josh Green
February 5, 2024 at 4:34 pm
God Blessed Dixie when he sent Sherman down there.
Maybe it’s time to “Bless Dixie” again! 🔥🔥🔥
Flash Light
February 5, 2024 at 9:29 pm
Uh, Cleetus —
Your side lost. Get over it.
KathrynA
February 2, 2024 at 11:27 am
Just a huge “groan”! This war was fought in the 1860″s and the basis was trying to keep their economy and way of life going, built on the back of enslaved people!
the Truth
February 2, 2024 at 4:42 pm
the war for southern independence was about states rights,,, just like states are trying to keep their rights today from the all mighty govt in Washington. look up the CORWIN Amendment, learn history before showing your ignorance KathrynA
MH/Duuuval
February 2, 2024 at 11:02 pm
The War of the Rebellion* was above all about preserving and extending African enslavement.
This is easily comprehended if you actually did some homework and began with the statements of leading Southern secessionists as they whipped up support to leave the Union.
*The official US war records refer to the war as the “War of the Rebellion”.
Corwin was a copperhead.
Ron DeSantis is Racist
February 5, 2024 at 4:32 pm
DeSantis is 100% a racist.
Flash Light
February 5, 2024 at 9:41 pm
Too generous. More like a carp that feeds on pond scum.
Comments are closed.