NOLA Confederate Monument Removal Scheduled for 1:00 a.m. Monday

P.G.T. Beauregard monument, NOLA

In the continuing drama of the New Orleans Confederate monuments, it seems the matter is finally coming to a critical point.

Last week, Mayor Mitch Landrieu planned to remove at least two of the four targeted monuments in the dead of night, but his plans changed at the last moment when word was leaked to the public.

His plans are now back on track for this weekend. Reliable sources are suggesting that Landrieu will remove the monuments at 1:00 a.m., Monday although this is not officially confirmed by Landrieu's office.

This all began in mid-2015 when Mayor Landrieu decided the monuments were offensive and went to the city council to begin process of removal.   The four targeted monuments are: Lee Circle, P.G.T. Beauregard statue, Liberty Place monument, and the Jefferson Davis monument.

The city council voted 6-1 in December 2015 to approve removal of the monuments.

Immediately, a Facebook group called Save Our Circle was formed; they started a petition to save the monuments and collected over 29,000 signatures.  The petition was delivered to Mayor Landrieu to no effect.

The project was put out for bid and the removal contract was awarded to H&O Investments, contractor David Mahler but he pulled out of the contract after his Lamborghini was found torched in January 2016.

The quest to preserve the monuments has worked its way through the courts, all the way through the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals who ruled in March 2017 that the monuments can be removed.

The group instigating the monument removal is Take 'Em Down NOLA and has made it clear they will not be satisfied with simply removing the statues. They want school names changed, street names changed, and even the name of Tulane University and Touro Hospital changed.

Lt. Governor, Billy Nungesser, appealed to President Trump in early April 2017 to intervene, citing the American Antiquities Act of 1906, but there has been no response from Washington.

Only one contractor, Couzan Services, Ltd., has responded to the call for bids this time and his bid of $600,000 is far and above what the city's $170,000 budget.  Who is making up the difference?

Louisiana Governor, John Bel Edwards, takes the position that the monuments are a local issue for New Orleans and that the state should not be involved.  I find this position preposterous coming from a man elected to represent the entire state.  By that logic, a flood in Bossier Parish is a local issue and requires no response from the governor.

And so, here we are.

If you think, like Governor Edwards, that this is just a local issue, let me suggest to you that it is not. This is a slippery slope of epic proportions and serves only to divide us even further.  The Antiquities Act of 1906 would suggest that as a country we are interesting in preserving sites and artifacts that define us; like it or not, the Civil War is part of our history. To remove these monuments would be an attempt to hide part of our history.

It's not clear what Mayor Landrieu plans to do with the monuments; why is he in such a hurry to remove them when he has not articulated a clear plan to the concerned public about where he will put them? As pieces of art, this is a grave concern.  One reason he may be in such a hurry is that there are three bills in the legislature right now that may preserve them and perhaps Landrieu wants to get ahead of them.  There has been rumor that Whitney Plantation might be their destination, a decision disturbing on many levels.

Confederate era monuments were in large part erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy who raised money for them through private donations, bake sales, and other fund-raising events for the purpose of honoring their ancestors. Many of these monuments are beautiful works of art and sculpture and are priceless.

What can be done at this point to stop Mayor Landrieu's 1:00 a.m., dead of night, removal?  Make contacts:

Lt.Governor Billy Nungesser : 225-342-7009 or email at lt.gov@crt.la.gov

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry: 225-326-6079,225-326-6757 or email at ConstituentServices@ag.Louisiana.gov.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards email, or call 225-342-7015.

President Donald Trump: whitehouse.gov/contact/

ADDED:  To be clear, and realistic, it's unlikely that Landrieu could remove all four monuments in one night. His approach will likely be the Jefferson Davis monument and Liberty Place first.  And remember, these are still rumors; strong rumors, but the last round of strongly supported rumors of removal last week were true.  It is still critical that you contact officials for support to stop this before the monuments are in fact gone.

Previous Posts at DaTechGuy blog:
Mayor Landrieu's Plans to Remove Monuments in the Dead of Night Exposed (4/17/2017)
The Slippery Slope is Now Open (3/27/17)
A Disappointing Ruling from the 5th Circuit (3/13/17)
Still Fighting the Civil War (2/5/17)
Mayor Mitch Landrieu's Solution to 172 Murders: Equity Circles (12/26/16)
Removal of Historic Confederate Monuments in New Orleans Thwarted -- For Now (12/21/2015)
Report from Louisiana: Update on the Confederate Monument Removal Controversy (1/18/2016)
The Lives of My Ancestors Mattered Too (2/1/2016)
The Ongoing Battle of the Confederate Monuments: An Update (4/18/2016)
Confederate Monuments and Unintended Consequences (6/27/16)
Report from Louisiana: Revisionist History and Confederate Monuments (9/19/2016)
Report from Louisiana: Mass Shooting in New Orleans While Landrieu Fiddles (11/28/2016)



Previous Posts on This Blog:
The Confederate Battle Flag Rises Again in South Carolina (2/6/17)
Can the Violence in NOLA be Alleviated with Equity Circles? (12/26/16)
Shreveport Work of Art Still Needs Funding for Restoration (10/22/16)
Can You Help Clio? Restoration Fundraiser is Now Underway (9/5/16)
Epperson Demands UDC Remove Confederate Monument Within the Year (7/6/16)
Epperson's Continued Attack on the Confederate Monument (6/22/16)
Report from the Caddo Commission Meeting in Which Ken Epperson Blasts "Jake-Leg Bloggers" (6/9/16)
Caddo Parish Confederate Monument Under Attack (5/19/16)
Joseph Welsh Texada's Life Mattered Too (1/31/16)
The Heartbreaking Removal of the New Orleans Confederate Monuments (1/17/16)


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