AZ channel 12 caught on surveilance camers at Westly Bolin faking the defacing. They were part of it. You can see it was all contrived on the video. Someone needs to go to jail. Gotta love how the camera man walks over and sets up and reporter walks up in the dark, script in hand without even looking at the monument. How could they know unless involved. You can also see the spray paint guy walk up to thier van and cast the same showdow on it the camera man and reporter does too. I know if a van pulled up with it's light on aiming at a target I was vandalizing I'd be taking off fast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAyvdyB7M58
RioSam - 7 years ago
This poll clearly shows the majority 2/3 of the people DO NOT want the monuments removed. The people have spoken, so those that don't like it just need to GET OVER IT! According to the poll, the MAJORITY has spoken!
Michael Freisinger - 7 years ago
Arizona has a unique history during the Civil War, unlike that of the Southern States that seceded from the Union. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declared Arizona a Territory. There were no plantations with slaves and to my knowledge no slaves were present within the Territory. The Territory was claimed by both the Union and Confederacy with different boundaries. Sherrod Hunter and his Confederate soldiers from Texas were only in Arizona a brief time, primarily in Tucson. After a brief skirmish at Picacho Pass, and realizing that they were out numbered by The Union Army, California Column, based in Yuma, Hunter and his soldiers left Tucson for New Mexico.
The six monuments in Arizona for the most part represent the sacrifice of Confederate soldiers. For the most part they honored the Confederate Veterans who settled in Arizona after the war. Many of these veterans became prominent citizens serving as State Representatives, County Officials, County Sheriffs, who set the groundwork for statehood in 1912. An example is Granville Oury, a prominent Tucson lawyer, who served in the Confederate legislature as representative from Arizona, then after the war was elected to the US House of Representatives, the only person in American History to have served in both the Confederate and US legislature.
The monument site, Memorial Trail, at Picacho Peak State Park has been recognized as the western most engagement of The Civil War and interprets the battlefield site and history. Each year in March, Arizona State Parks hosts a weekend of historic re-enactments of Civil War battles and history of The Southwest. I recommend that anyone making decisions on the fate of these monuments to do some research and visit the outside interpretive area at Picacho Peak State Park that was recently updated and read all of the interpretive signs that several of us wrote.
Penny brophy - 7 years ago
History is not a sanitary thing. People choose the right side or the wrong side of history on a daily basis. You can not erase history. A multitude of family members fought on both sides of two wars: the American revolution and the Civil war. Americans have always been know for forgiving but not necessarily forgetting. We move on more enlightened and smarter to heal and fix our problems. The world is watching us and wondering if America can heal and resolve our problems. It's time to keep and own our history warts and all and move forward smarter and more compassionate as a Nation UNDIVIDED!
D Jones - 7 years ago
I did a bit of background research on our "monument" recently tared and feathered, this is very interesting if you dig deeper. 1.The highway it commemorates it non-existent. 2. "This marker was erected in 1943 by the Daughters of the Confederacy" I know those girls were grieving.... and it is OBVIOUSLY part of the Jim Crow era. In NM markers for this non-existent road were put up in 1955! THIS is not history. This IS outright racism.
And about those daughters....http://www.hqudc.org/objectives/
There is no history here. Only bigotry.
selena hemphill - 7 years ago
We need to move forward as a STATE and Country. Sure, it is history but these monuments should be put in a museum where history can be viewed for those who want to view it, as in all museum. Our world is in too much unrest and turmoil to have openly displayed reminders of such a hurtful past and to keep the state from moving on. Just like technology as advanced so must the reminder of items to evoke hatred and unrest. We need to come together as a state and country for peaceful situations and resolutions and not hate.
Carol bishop - 7 years ago
Why remove history! Memorials just remind us not to let this ever happen again. What is happening again is a good way to start a new civil war.
Ellen - 7 years ago
A statue is to HONOR a person. Hitler is a BIG PART of Germany's HISTORY---no one will ever FORGET Hitler... but Germany does NOT have statues to HONOR him. The Confederacy was trying to BREAK UP our Union. TAKE the statues DOWN... keep the history in museums and history books. Teach our children our history... but do NOT HONOR the leaders whose agenda was to HURT our country.
Randy Butcher - 7 years ago
I think this whole removing of these monuments is a joke. Just because a few bleeding heart whining liberals who have nothing else better to do but cry about a totally worthless undertaking that only erases our history is to me is a disgrace beyond comprehension . Now I wasn't there just like everyone else so these people behind this travesty do not really have a foot to stand on. This isn't just they're history its everyone's I can't believe this has gone this far its almost surreal. I think that the CRIMINALS who are vandalizing and disgracing these monuments to our history as a new nation should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Freedom of speach doesn't mean you can break the law. These people don't care about the laws they think they're above them. This part of our history, no matter how terrible it was, is still our history nothing is going to change that. What's next rewriting our textbooks to teach future generations lies, candycoat the truth because a few individuals don't agree with the past. I agree with freedom of speech until laws start getting broke under the guise of free speech.
Alanta Noel - 7 years ago
Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Removing these monuments will not change the past.
Steven Som - 7 years ago
It is HISTORY!! You cannot erase what happened during 1861-1865. Removing our civil war monuments and statues is ridiculous.
DD - 7 years ago
I am in fact a native American of 2 different tribes and you don't hear me complaining about the wrongs that were done to my people and that all land here in the US was native land, not anymore. As to this hatred over the PAST... it is what we all came from as to which we don't live that way anymore due to progress against humanity, not to say that we don't have room for more improvement cuz we know we do, but you can't erase the past. It is the building blocks on the future & to show where we came from & where not to go to again,hopefully, fingers crossed. But what should we abolish the whole town of Gettysburg due to that's where the most horrific death toll took place, no. You have to learn from the past to know how to circumnavigate the future as to without the lessons learned from the past them we are bound to repeat it. The memorial sights of the war don't stand for hatred they just remind us of what once was NOT what is now. If that's what you take from them then you really weren't taught right & need to go back to school. Plus the ones that keep saying that they are "peacefully" going about this that is so wrong cuz all your doing is creating uproar and violence & desecrating these places of the past. I'm sure at the time of the war they all thought they were all in the right as today I don't see any winnings from the war except that we are one country under God & of every different nation, country, race, etc. and all for one. Except this is another way to create hatred & split us apart. The fact is it is the past & you can't change that, the memorials are not hurting anyone physically or in anyway then don't go to them if they offend you it's that simple.
Mindy - 7 years ago
This is getting ridiculous. This is history. Not all history is great and leaves warm and fuzzy feelings in everyone but it's HISTORY! It's that PAST. Move forward learn from the history and make a better future. All that is being done right now is showing the rest of the world how divided this Great Nation is. If we removed every monument or anything for that fact that bothers someone then no one would know how this nation was built and how people even became Americans to begin with. This is crazy. When are people going to quit blaming everyone for everything and just get along and grow up! I am not a huge political person but I am for common sense and education which are 2 things it seems are lacking in a lot of all this hatred.
I think a lot of people jump on a wagon and ride it way to long.
Old saying, "Quit kicking the dead horse, it will not get anymore dead" food for thought.
GOD Bless America and bless our people.
R.C. - 7 years ago
These monuments are a tribute honoring soldiers who followed orders and did their duty fighting for what they believed was right and died for it. They did not create the war. There are monuments across the nation honoring soldiers on both sides of the civil war. It is not right to remove any of them. They are symbols of our history, not of hatred or slavery. If we allow these monuments to be removed because some people wish to view them as such, where will it end. Will Mt. Rushmore be torn down because George Washington once owned slaves? Most of our founding fathers owned slaves at some time in their lives. You cannot apply today's standards to judge what was accepted in our past and to say we can no longer see this history because it was wrong or bad. The country was different then. History should not be whitewashed and forgotten just because some people do not like what it shows. People forget that the origins of the southern states banding together to secede was over states rights and economics, not slavery. Only after the people in the north failed to support Lincoln's desire to use military force to stop the secession did Lincoln raise the slavery issue to rally the people. Also, many southern people did not support slavery but did support their soldiers fighting for their states rights and economic survival. And that is what these monuments are meant to honor. We all need to remember that all of the soldiers that died in the Civil War were Americans, divided by political issues, and the Confederate soldiers were not some foreign power, like the Nazis, as Rep. Bolding stated. Maybe by keeping these monuments Americans can be reminded how terrible this part of our history was and why we should all try to make America better instead of fighting each other.
Mindy - 7 years ago
This is getting ridiculous. This is history. Not all history is great and leaves warm and fuzzy feelings in everyone but it's HISTORY! It's that PAST. Move forward learn from the history and make a better future. All that is being done right now is showing the rest of the world how divided this Great Nation is. If we removed every monument or anything for that fact that bothers someone then no one would know how this nation was built and how people even became America. This is crazy. When are people going to quit blaming everyone for everything and just get along and grow up! GOD Bless America and bless our people.
Judy - 7 years ago
It is history. We should be learning from history. Next you will want to destroy all books that upset you. Where will it ever stop. Grow up.
Portia - 7 years ago
Monuments glorify and symbolize an ideology. History tells a story. Put the statues in a museum not on display in public places. Unless you're saying this ideology is what you believe in!!
Pedro - 7 years ago
No don't remove them. They are history. Just because people get thier feeling hurt...too bad....
Barbara Gear - 7 years ago
I've read the comments. I agree with those who want to keep our history and that includes statues!!!! I have driven all over our country and have seen not only statues but the houses of Abraham Lincoln and others. My children have been in awe of the history they have seen during our travels. Both of my boys are doctors, perhaps partly because they saw the need to help others because of our travels. Even my "Special Olympian daughter" enjoyed our trips around the country.
Judy - 7 years ago
This is part of this countries history so why destroy it! We don't have to necessarily like what happened but it is the good things and the bad that come together to make a great country. As long as we learn from our mistakes, it will only make the country stronger. You don't have to destroy it - look back at it and reflect that we are no longer that country but a much stronger better place to live because we were able to move forward and learn from out mistakes.
Earl Nichols - 7 years ago
As a man born in the South, I have confronted these things all my life and while I don't want these monuments in our public spaces, I also don't think they should be destroyed either. As others have pointed out, those who forget history, tend to repeat it. After discussing this issue with my multi ethnic, multi generational family, we concluded the statues should be moved to a Museum like environment where they can be put in historical context and people can learn how and why these particular monuments were erected. As many know, a majority of these statues where not from the Civil War era but from the much later Jim Crow.
michelle - 7 years ago
I am opposed to memorializing the confederacy and any monument, statue giving reverence. Instead historic markers would make much better sense and the monuments and statues can be moved to museums.
I Care About My Country - 7 years ago
These close minded individuals have no idea what they are talking about. They say they're offended by the Confederate Monuments, Well that offends me that they are offended by History that has nothing to do with Slavery, Everyone of these close minded individuals needs to look up the History about the Confederacy and learn the truth about it. It would be better to educate yourselves so you can make a wise educated decision and opinion instead of an uneducated one. Quit making emotional opinions and only listening to what the leftist media say. I'm so sick and tired of the Media only showing one opinion or view about the issue and not showing both sides. Taking these Monuments down is erasing History. You can’t pick and choose what History you want and don’t want…History is called History for a reason. Get over being so offended so easily.
Noreen - 7 years ago
I don't feel these people that are trashing monuments and wanting them torn down care anything about history, the confederacy or slavery. If you happen to catch any bits and pieces of their ranting on the news, they just are spouting off a mixed bag of random reasoning's. A black guy will holler about slavery, a white guy will rant about white supremacy offending him, and the women are yelling about who knows what. The liberals keep jumping on new bandwagons as the first year of Trump's presidency continues.
Here's the timeline so far: They started with rioting that Trump got in; that got old- can't keep doing that month after month. So had to find something new to get upset about. Next it was liberal women in pink knitted hats having their embarrassing demonstrations. That finally blew over and they all got tired and went home. Now they are pissed off about items that they have been living around their entire lives!! These memorials have been around for over 100 years. On the bright side I had a fun time watching some of those idiots actually an kicking IRON statue till the pain set in. I bet the cops that are arresting them now went around to the ER's to locate records for names of people that came in for treatment of injured feet and broken toes on that night. They arte arresting a fair amount of those idiots now for destruction of public property. LOL
They will not stop - they will move on in a while to protesting something else. Will they want to deface Mt. Rushmore because Washington and Jefferson were slave owners? Did you know the Lincoln monument was just tagged with graffiti? Maybe next they will start hate crimes against Christians and try to shut down all churches because they find some way it will offend them? These liberals are out of control
David Abranovic - 7 years ago
This issue is not about history but it is about choosing to celebrate the movement that embraced slavery, racism and division of the US. This issue belongs in the history books and museums, not in prominent positions in the public square!
Paulmr - 7 years ago
You can't change history but you can repeat it if you don't document it. I believe that people that are trying to remove the evidence of history are not remembering history.
tehahn1 - 7 years ago
So now we are as evil as ISIS. Destroy everything you don't like, or don't understand, and start history all over again. BUT Only IN YOUR SNOWFLAKE WORDS. To bad the children of today don't know anything about history.....The only history they know of; is what someone text to them, and to come to their destructive party, because they just want to make noise and destroy other peoples things. WOW...isn't that what Kruschev promised would happen to the United States? Well....here we are. Quickly becoming Communists. Can you say George Soros. He wants a 1 World Government. So let's start today. Nothing ever happened until today. We've always had everything. Nothing was every discovered, or created. We have everything. So sad that the younger generation hasn't a clue what has happening. And people don't learn about history, in schools anymore. sad, very sad. Next are the soldiers, they'll be considered as evil.
Emily - 7 years ago
Absolutely appalling that close minded people are now destroying history. Might as well take down Martin Luther King because history should be destroyed. This country is full of self righteous individuals. Leave history alone and focus on more important things like getting a job.
Cheryl - 7 years ago
You might succeed in eradicating all visible signs of American history, but you cannot stop generations passing our history on to following generations. The more physical "evidence" that is destroyed, the more we discuss the issue with our children. The destruction just instigates discussion and you can bet your fanny that we are passing this information on to future generations, including instructing them to do so as well. Remember also, that what's good for the goose is good for the gander -- if anything comes down from public land, everything comes down from public land. Careful where you tread though, there's always private property. And while it's become a bit more difficult due to a greedy, insecure, litigious society, you can also bet your fanny that we're more than willing to protect America's history, our God-given rights and our American property. If you do not like America, if you are not happy in America, please feel free to leave. If your home is no longer there, I'm truly sorry for your loss. But do not come here for refuge and turn around and attempt to destroy our country -- the United States of America. Just leave!
Ethan Shaw- Grade 5 - 7 years ago
Please don't take down the monuments, because they are sacred and valuable to our history. We don't have to like history, but we have to respect it and learn about it.
john schmid - 7 years ago
charlottesville ; reminds me of "the night they brought ole dixie down" the band . check it out .
Brian - 7 years ago
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana
Keep tearing down history because you don't agree with it or history offends you and above will come back to haunt you!
C.B. Clement - 7 years ago
George Orwell said it best in his novel, "1984". Also, Hitler got rid of all the statues/monuments that he didn't like too.
"Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every ...date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right." ― George Orwell, 1984
Becky - 7 years ago
It is part of our history..they come down, then so does Mr. Rushmore and Martin Luther King. All are part of our history!! Keep it all.
Cathy D - 7 years ago
It's history. Haters are controlling our country. You can't sweep history under the rug like it never happened
Lois Garcia - 7 years ago
What is wrong with people?? This is our history. Whether we like it or not does not change it. Let's think about it, do these same people want all monuments relating to history destroyed? This is yet another sad reflection on our country.
Jim - 7 years ago
Yes! Then we can start to burn books!
JR - 7 years ago
If you look back in history, the first slave owner and the one who made the most money from slavery was an African American man. He was the first slave owner and brought slaves to the country way back when. If slavery Still bothers you so many years later when it doesn't exist, then you need to leave the country. And just so you are aware since you are so up on your history, whites were slaves at o point as well, even though it was not in this country
JD - 7 years ago
The monuments should stay as a reminder of history. Removing them reminds me of ISIS destroying religious artifacts. Surely we are not at that level? You learn from history and become better for it, or you are doomed to repeat it. Out of sight, out of mind.
Larry - 7 years ago
Go ahead and remove them that way slavery never happened. After the number 1 sellers of slaves were blacks.
Oh then we should be able to remove anything that has to do with Martin Luther King because he stood for nothing. Look around see anything has to do with slavery?
Rick - 7 years ago
When our we going to stop pleasing the 1
j.g.pulcifer - 7 years ago
What's next? Change the name of every school, street, avenue, municipal building, park, library - anything named for ANYONE involved in the Civi War to a "less offensive" name? Where do we draw the line between history and history hurting someone's feelings? Stop this insanity! It is history. Once all the monuments are gone and street, park, libraries names are all changed, trust me, this part of U.S. History will NOT be taught in schools.
Nate Brown - 7 years ago
Why is the naacp looking to stir up trouble? They want to take down monuments to fallen soldiers? I suppose that people whose ancestors were enslaved by the Roman Empire should all come together to have any Roman monuments torn down and should go after, oh I don't know, the City of Rome for money maybe. Sounds ridiculous, right?
Troy - 7 years ago
No leave the Confederate monuments up history is history. The Confederate army consists of blacks, whites, and mexicans. All fighting for our rights.. It was not a fight for slavery, slavery was world wide.. Not just southern states of the U.S... Was there slavery Yes.. Was there Black Confederate soldiers Yes. Are there proud black southerners that are proud to be in Confederate States Yes.. Black white purple green whatever your race please read into history, you will find that people in this western area of the state's are tought that the Confederates were all bad folks.. Go to Tennessee and or Texas,Virgina, Alabama Mississippi you will see that these people are proud to be Black, White,Hispanic southern folks who RESPECT AND HONOR THEIR CONFEDERATE FOREFATHERS.. The people who threaten Mr Ducey to take down these monuments have no Respect for our HISTORY.. if they dont like our AMERICAN HISTORY then leave our beautiful country.. Nathan Bedford Forrest fought with his best soldiers who were Black and very Proud to fight next to him..and in 1869 became the Grand Dragon in the KKK TO DISASSEMBLE IT BECAUSE HE DID NOT AGREE WITH WAY IT WAS TOWARD BLACK FOLKS.. Spoke at NAACP AND AT HIS FUNERAL OVER 10000 BLACK FOLKS MOURNED FOR HIM... FUNNY THING IS slavery was big money back then and he N.B Forrest was once one of the biggest slave trader.. Dont use Youtube as a source of history PICK UP A BOOK look it up BY BATTLES go to Tennessee Battlefields.. These guides have the real deal literature that will back my message.. Thank you for letting us voice our opinions..AND PLEASE OUR SOUTHERN BATTLE FLAG WAS A FLAG USED IN BATTLE ... HELLLO THE CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG DOESNT KILL.. IDIOTS KILL..
Answer for SEAN... - 7 years ago
Sean... we do have our monuments from WWII all over the US.
Hitler was not american nor did his views reflect the United States of America at the time.
If you go to Germany (which is the country Hitler was in, just in case you didnt know) they have monuments still... Just google WWII monuments in germany...
So let me ask you... should the world just delete all that from our books and get rid of the monuments that remind human kind of their faults in history?
If your answer is yes... your starting to parallel Iran.
Surely we as a country have more important things to worry about than destroying our history due to a bunch of biased outspoken minority uneducated people who think destroying our heritage makes the events disappear. The men and women who gave the lives for what they believed in need to be remembered. What's next Gettysburg plowed under for houses, where does this insanity end?
smiley - 7 years ago
You shouldn't erase part of history. What if we asked the black community to take down the statue of Martin Luther King cause it was offensive to others left they do it.
Sean - 7 years ago
I suppose we should have monuments about Hitler also!!! Ask the Jews how they would feel about that. Take them all down. Read about it in history books if you want to honor them for wanting to keep their slaves!!!!
John McDonnell - 7 years ago
We should not have to vote on removing a historical landmark,when it's very obvious in one comment that was made just how ignorant the "leaders " are being.
If the monument comes down then Martin Luther king Blvd should be as well. If we're all gonna be so damn ignorant to history.
Not Left Not Right wing but a good ideas person... - 7 years ago
"...They were secessionists, they were segregationists, they were haters, racial bigots".... really Roy? Your talking about something over 100 years ago (which im not saying your one specific topic of why that war happened is right or justified. But isn't that how we adapt and overcome as a society is by learning from history?) Look at how far we have come as a country. Compare it to today and Look at the modern day issues... who are the groups that are using race as a political agenda and segregating the races? (Its a pretty easy answer if you dont know... turn on the news tonight) If we want a colorblind America ... why don't we stop using race in our conversation and look at the substance of each individual? Isn'that what truly defines us as a person?
If your gonna go way back into history to change it, the Native Americans should have the first word on all of it...Don't you think? (There goes all of our history from General Lee to MLK)
Now for this Antifa movement... I can not believe some of these people may have grown up in our country and went to school. All I heard last night was about KKK, Racists and Trump. Gotta be honest, I saw pro trump people who were standing behind our country and discussing various topics(saying nothing about race)...they were not people running around in white sheets talking about race and hatred. So I do not even know how KKK gets brought into an event like that. (If it were a KKK rally, as that group does that sometimes, have at it, as that statement then applies) If those statements are in regards to a travel ban... well thats one thing I am currently for ,but also we need to have a plan that allows for people into this country and a guarentee that if you follow the process and meet the criteria, your coming in. For the people who want the borders wide open with no restrictions on that... Are you willing to house, feed, educate and provide healthcare to those people until they can get on their own feet? Plus guarentee the saftey of everyone? Cause if so, start the go fund me page so you can start all the collection of money to do that properly and also clean out some spots in your homes so they have a place to stay... if your not willing to put action to your words... what are you arguing about then? (This also kind of relates to immigration. A little bit. I know someone whos been here 15 years, is considered llegal, pays taxes and has never been in trouble. He has tried 3 times for citizenship and been denied... its cost him nothing but time money and aggravation... I do think there is something broken with that process. But documenting the people who are here is not only for US citizens protection ,but the immigrating individual as well. Ive been documented since i was born starting with a birth certificate and a S.S. Number.
We talk about free speech (not hate speech, but true free speech) yet when the opposing group to Antifa Gathers they are met with hatred, bricks and a movement to stop their right to free speech. (Shouting things that seriously dont apply. I even saw one sign that said "Your snake flag is stupid" they have a right to that opinion ,but i kind of think they do not understand its a flag for the men/women who defend our country and least time I checked they are all from different races and religions) Is that how this is all supposed to go? Where people have to have the same opinion on a matter and if not they are harrassed and assaulted? (Yes i have seen that from both sides, but my opinion is that most of the aggression is coming from the Antifa group)
IM NOT LEFT AND IM NOT RIGHT, IM ABOUT GOOD IDEAS AND THEY COME FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE. SO CAN WE ALL PLEASE PULL OUR HEADS OUT OF OUR A$$ and figure this out as a unified country?
Dan - 7 years ago
Take them down. They fought against the USA. They fought to enslave millions. If this history is so beloved, build a museum somewhere, and for those that wish to "honor" these people, who cares. Not on public land.
Terry Welch - 7 years ago
What's next? Blow up Mount Rushmore?
MommaD - 7 years ago
Why should we take down our history because people have their panties in a bunch! People are to offended nowadays. Instead of being upset about our history why not use your voice for something positive like healthcare, education instead of rambling a bunch of nonsense. Grow up people and stop crying!
Patricia - 7 years ago
If we took everything out of the world we didn't like there would be nothing left to learn from the past , and give me a break deal with it people it's the past be better than the past and everyone needs to know what happen in the past .no matter if your white , black , yellow or red or purple or green.
TB - 7 years ago
It is history!
It does not make it right or wrong, but fact!
AZ channel 12 caught on surveilance camers at Westly Bolin faking the defacing. They were part of it. You can see it was all contrived on the video. Someone needs to go to jail. Gotta love how the camera man walks over and sets up and reporter walks up in the dark, script in hand without even looking at the monument. How could they know unless involved. You can also see the spray paint guy walk up to thier van and cast the same showdow on it the camera man and reporter does too. I know if a van pulled up with it's light on aiming at a target I was vandalizing I'd be taking off fast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAyvdyB7M58
This poll clearly shows the majority 2/3 of the people DO NOT want the monuments removed. The people have spoken, so those that don't like it just need to GET OVER IT! According to the poll, the MAJORITY has spoken!
Arizona has a unique history during the Civil War, unlike that of the Southern States that seceded from the Union. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declared Arizona a Territory. There were no plantations with slaves and to my knowledge no slaves were present within the Territory. The Territory was claimed by both the Union and Confederacy with different boundaries. Sherrod Hunter and his Confederate soldiers from Texas were only in Arizona a brief time, primarily in Tucson. After a brief skirmish at Picacho Pass, and realizing that they were out numbered by The Union Army, California Column, based in Yuma, Hunter and his soldiers left Tucson for New Mexico.
The six monuments in Arizona for the most part represent the sacrifice of Confederate soldiers. For the most part they honored the Confederate Veterans who settled in Arizona after the war. Many of these veterans became prominent citizens serving as State Representatives, County Officials, County Sheriffs, who set the groundwork for statehood in 1912. An example is Granville Oury, a prominent Tucson lawyer, who served in the Confederate legislature as representative from Arizona, then after the war was elected to the US House of Representatives, the only person in American History to have served in both the Confederate and US legislature.
The monument site, Memorial Trail, at Picacho Peak State Park has been recognized as the western most engagement of The Civil War and interprets the battlefield site and history. Each year in March, Arizona State Parks hosts a weekend of historic re-enactments of Civil War battles and history of The Southwest. I recommend that anyone making decisions on the fate of these monuments to do some research and visit the outside interpretive area at Picacho Peak State Park that was recently updated and read all of the interpretive signs that several of us wrote.
History is not a sanitary thing. People choose the right side or the wrong side of history on a daily basis. You can not erase history. A multitude of family members fought on both sides of two wars: the American revolution and the Civil war. Americans have always been know for forgiving but not necessarily forgetting. We move on more enlightened and smarter to heal and fix our problems. The world is watching us and wondering if America can heal and resolve our problems. It's time to keep and own our history warts and all and move forward smarter and more compassionate as a Nation UNDIVIDED!
I did a bit of background research on our "monument" recently tared and feathered, this is very interesting if you dig deeper. 1.The highway it commemorates it non-existent. 2. "This marker was erected in 1943 by the Daughters of the Confederacy" I know those girls were grieving.... and it is OBVIOUSLY part of the Jim Crow era. In NM markers for this non-existent road were put up in 1955! THIS is not history. This IS outright racism.
And about those daughters....http://www.hqudc.org/objectives/
There is no history here. Only bigotry.
We need to move forward as a STATE and Country. Sure, it is history but these monuments should be put in a museum where history can be viewed for those who want to view it, as in all museum. Our world is in too much unrest and turmoil to have openly displayed reminders of such a hurtful past and to keep the state from moving on. Just like technology as advanced so must the reminder of items to evoke hatred and unrest. We need to come together as a state and country for peaceful situations and resolutions and not hate.
Why remove history! Memorials just remind us not to let this ever happen again. What is happening again is a good way to start a new civil war.
A statue is to HONOR a person. Hitler is a BIG PART of Germany's HISTORY---no one will ever FORGET Hitler... but Germany does NOT have statues to HONOR him. The Confederacy was trying to BREAK UP our Union. TAKE the statues DOWN... keep the history in museums and history books. Teach our children our history... but do NOT HONOR the leaders whose agenda was to HURT our country.
I think this whole removing of these monuments is a joke. Just because a few bleeding heart whining liberals who have nothing else better to do but cry about a totally worthless undertaking that only erases our history is to me is a disgrace beyond comprehension . Now I wasn't there just like everyone else so these people behind this travesty do not really have a foot to stand on. This isn't just they're history its everyone's I can't believe this has gone this far its almost surreal. I think that the CRIMINALS who are vandalizing and disgracing these monuments to our history as a new nation should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Freedom of speach doesn't mean you can break the law. These people don't care about the laws they think they're above them. This part of our history, no matter how terrible it was, is still our history nothing is going to change that. What's next rewriting our textbooks to teach future generations lies, candycoat the truth because a few individuals don't agree with the past. I agree with freedom of speech until laws start getting broke under the guise of free speech.
Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Removing these monuments will not change the past.
It is HISTORY!! You cannot erase what happened during 1861-1865. Removing our civil war monuments and statues is ridiculous.
I am in fact a native American of 2 different tribes and you don't hear me complaining about the wrongs that were done to my people and that all land here in the US was native land, not anymore. As to this hatred over the PAST... it is what we all came from as to which we don't live that way anymore due to progress against humanity, not to say that we don't have room for more improvement cuz we know we do, but you can't erase the past. It is the building blocks on the future & to show where we came from & where not to go to again,hopefully, fingers crossed. But what should we abolish the whole town of Gettysburg due to that's where the most horrific death toll took place, no. You have to learn from the past to know how to circumnavigate the future as to without the lessons learned from the past them we are bound to repeat it. The memorial sights of the war don't stand for hatred they just remind us of what once was NOT what is now. If that's what you take from them then you really weren't taught right & need to go back to school. Plus the ones that keep saying that they are "peacefully" going about this that is so wrong cuz all your doing is creating uproar and violence & desecrating these places of the past. I'm sure at the time of the war they all thought they were all in the right as today I don't see any winnings from the war except that we are one country under God & of every different nation, country, race, etc. and all for one. Except this is another way to create hatred & split us apart. The fact is it is the past & you can't change that, the memorials are not hurting anyone physically or in anyway then don't go to them if they offend you it's that simple.
This is getting ridiculous. This is history. Not all history is great and leaves warm and fuzzy feelings in everyone but it's HISTORY! It's that PAST. Move forward learn from the history and make a better future. All that is being done right now is showing the rest of the world how divided this Great Nation is. If we removed every monument or anything for that fact that bothers someone then no one would know how this nation was built and how people even became Americans to begin with. This is crazy. When are people going to quit blaming everyone for everything and just get along and grow up! I am not a huge political person but I am for common sense and education which are 2 things it seems are lacking in a lot of all this hatred.
I think a lot of people jump on a wagon and ride it way to long.
Old saying, "Quit kicking the dead horse, it will not get anymore dead" food for thought.
GOD Bless America and bless our people.
These monuments are a tribute honoring soldiers who followed orders and did their duty fighting for what they believed was right and died for it. They did not create the war. There are monuments across the nation honoring soldiers on both sides of the civil war. It is not right to remove any of them. They are symbols of our history, not of hatred or slavery. If we allow these monuments to be removed because some people wish to view them as such, where will it end. Will Mt. Rushmore be torn down because George Washington once owned slaves? Most of our founding fathers owned slaves at some time in their lives. You cannot apply today's standards to judge what was accepted in our past and to say we can no longer see this history because it was wrong or bad. The country was different then. History should not be whitewashed and forgotten just because some people do not like what it shows. People forget that the origins of the southern states banding together to secede was over states rights and economics, not slavery. Only after the people in the north failed to support Lincoln's desire to use military force to stop the secession did Lincoln raise the slavery issue to rally the people. Also, many southern people did not support slavery but did support their soldiers fighting for their states rights and economic survival. And that is what these monuments are meant to honor. We all need to remember that all of the soldiers that died in the Civil War were Americans, divided by political issues, and the Confederate soldiers were not some foreign power, like the Nazis, as Rep. Bolding stated. Maybe by keeping these monuments Americans can be reminded how terrible this part of our history was and why we should all try to make America better instead of fighting each other.
This is getting ridiculous. This is history. Not all history is great and leaves warm and fuzzy feelings in everyone but it's HISTORY! It's that PAST. Move forward learn from the history and make a better future. All that is being done right now is showing the rest of the world how divided this Great Nation is. If we removed every monument or anything for that fact that bothers someone then no one would know how this nation was built and how people even became America. This is crazy. When are people going to quit blaming everyone for everything and just get along and grow up! GOD Bless America and bless our people.
It is history. We should be learning from history. Next you will want to destroy all books that upset you. Where will it ever stop. Grow up.
Monuments glorify and symbolize an ideology. History tells a story. Put the statues in a museum not on display in public places. Unless you're saying this ideology is what you believe in!!
No don't remove them. They are history. Just because people get thier feeling hurt...too bad....
I've read the comments. I agree with those who want to keep our history and that includes statues!!!! I have driven all over our country and have seen not only statues but the houses of Abraham Lincoln and others. My children have been in awe of the history they have seen during our travels. Both of my boys are doctors, perhaps partly because they saw the need to help others because of our travels. Even my "Special Olympian daughter" enjoyed our trips around the country.
This is part of this countries history so why destroy it! We don't have to necessarily like what happened but it is the good things and the bad that come together to make a great country. As long as we learn from our mistakes, it will only make the country stronger. You don't have to destroy it - look back at it and reflect that we are no longer that country but a much stronger better place to live because we were able to move forward and learn from out mistakes.
As a man born in the South, I have confronted these things all my life and while I don't want these monuments in our public spaces, I also don't think they should be destroyed either. As others have pointed out, those who forget history, tend to repeat it. After discussing this issue with my multi ethnic, multi generational family, we concluded the statues should be moved to a Museum like environment where they can be put in historical context and people can learn how and why these particular monuments were erected. As many know, a majority of these statues where not from the Civil War era but from the much later Jim Crow.
I am opposed to memorializing the confederacy and any monument, statue giving reverence. Instead historic markers would make much better sense and the monuments and statues can be moved to museums.
These close minded individuals have no idea what they are talking about. They say they're offended by the Confederate Monuments, Well that offends me that they are offended by History that has nothing to do with Slavery, Everyone of these close minded individuals needs to look up the History about the Confederacy and learn the truth about it. It would be better to educate yourselves so you can make a wise educated decision and opinion instead of an uneducated one. Quit making emotional opinions and only listening to what the leftist media say. I'm so sick and tired of the Media only showing one opinion or view about the issue and not showing both sides. Taking these Monuments down is erasing History. You can’t pick and choose what History you want and don’t want…History is called History for a reason. Get over being so offended so easily.
I don't feel these people that are trashing monuments and wanting them torn down care anything about history, the confederacy or slavery. If you happen to catch any bits and pieces of their ranting on the news, they just are spouting off a mixed bag of random reasoning's. A black guy will holler about slavery, a white guy will rant about white supremacy offending him, and the women are yelling about who knows what. The liberals keep jumping on new bandwagons as the first year of Trump's presidency continues.
Here's the timeline so far: They started with rioting that Trump got in; that got old- can't keep doing that month after month. So had to find something new to get upset about. Next it was liberal women in pink knitted hats having their embarrassing demonstrations. That finally blew over and they all got tired and went home. Now they are pissed off about items that they have been living around their entire lives!! These memorials have been around for over 100 years. On the bright side I had a fun time watching some of those idiots actually an kicking IRON statue till the pain set in. I bet the cops that are arresting them now went around to the ER's to locate records for names of people that came in for treatment of injured feet and broken toes on that night. They arte arresting a fair amount of those idiots now for destruction of public property. LOL
They will not stop - they will move on in a while to protesting something else. Will they want to deface Mt. Rushmore because Washington and Jefferson were slave owners? Did you know the Lincoln monument was just tagged with graffiti? Maybe next they will start hate crimes against Christians and try to shut down all churches because they find some way it will offend them? These liberals are out of control
This issue is not about history but it is about choosing to celebrate the movement that embraced slavery, racism and division of the US. This issue belongs in the history books and museums, not in prominent positions in the public square!
You can't change history but you can repeat it if you don't document it. I believe that people that are trying to remove the evidence of history are not remembering history.
So now we are as evil as ISIS. Destroy everything you don't like, or don't understand, and start history all over again. BUT Only IN YOUR SNOWFLAKE WORDS. To bad the children of today don't know anything about history.....The only history they know of; is what someone text to them, and to come to their destructive party, because they just want to make noise and destroy other peoples things. WOW...isn't that what Kruschev promised would happen to the United States? Well....here we are. Quickly becoming Communists. Can you say George Soros. He wants a 1 World Government. So let's start today. Nothing ever happened until today. We've always had everything. Nothing was every discovered, or created. We have everything. So sad that the younger generation hasn't a clue what has happening. And people don't learn about history, in schools anymore. sad, very sad. Next are the soldiers, they'll be considered as evil.
Absolutely appalling that close minded people are now destroying history. Might as well take down Martin Luther King because history should be destroyed. This country is full of self righteous individuals. Leave history alone and focus on more important things like getting a job.
You might succeed in eradicating all visible signs of American history, but you cannot stop generations passing our history on to following generations. The more physical "evidence" that is destroyed, the more we discuss the issue with our children. The destruction just instigates discussion and you can bet your fanny that we are passing this information on to future generations, including instructing them to do so as well. Remember also, that what's good for the goose is good for the gander -- if anything comes down from public land, everything comes down from public land. Careful where you tread though, there's always private property. And while it's become a bit more difficult due to a greedy, insecure, litigious society, you can also bet your fanny that we're more than willing to protect America's history, our God-given rights and our American property. If you do not like America, if you are not happy in America, please feel free to leave. If your home is no longer there, I'm truly sorry for your loss. But do not come here for refuge and turn around and attempt to destroy our country -- the United States of America. Just leave!
Please don't take down the monuments, because they are sacred and valuable to our history. We don't have to like history, but we have to respect it and learn about it.
charlottesville ; reminds me of "the night they brought ole dixie down" the band . check it out .
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana
Keep tearing down history because you don't agree with it or history offends you and above will come back to haunt you!
George Orwell said it best in his novel, "1984". Also, Hitler got rid of all the statues/monuments that he didn't like too.
"Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every ...date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right." ― George Orwell, 1984
It is part of our history..they come down, then so does Mr. Rushmore and Martin Luther King. All are part of our history!! Keep it all.
It's history. Haters are controlling our country. You can't sweep history under the rug like it never happened
What is wrong with people?? This is our history. Whether we like it or not does not change it. Let's think about it, do these same people want all monuments relating to history destroyed? This is yet another sad reflection on our country.
Yes! Then we can start to burn books!
If you look back in history, the first slave owner and the one who made the most money from slavery was an African American man. He was the first slave owner and brought slaves to the country way back when. If slavery Still bothers you so many years later when it doesn't exist, then you need to leave the country. And just so you are aware since you are so up on your history, whites were slaves at o point as well, even though it was not in this country
The monuments should stay as a reminder of history. Removing them reminds me of ISIS destroying religious artifacts. Surely we are not at that level? You learn from history and become better for it, or you are doomed to repeat it. Out of sight, out of mind.
Go ahead and remove them that way slavery never happened. After the number 1 sellers of slaves were blacks.
Oh then we should be able to remove anything that has to do with Martin Luther King because he stood for nothing. Look around see anything has to do with slavery?
When our we going to stop pleasing the 1
What's next? Change the name of every school, street, avenue, municipal building, park, library - anything named for ANYONE involved in the Civi War to a "less offensive" name? Where do we draw the line between history and history hurting someone's feelings? Stop this insanity! It is history. Once all the monuments are gone and street, park, libraries names are all changed, trust me, this part of U.S. History will NOT be taught in schools.
Why is the naacp looking to stir up trouble? They want to take down monuments to fallen soldiers? I suppose that people whose ancestors were enslaved by the Roman Empire should all come together to have any Roman monuments torn down and should go after, oh I don't know, the City of Rome for money maybe. Sounds ridiculous, right?
No leave the Confederate monuments up history is history. The Confederate army consists of blacks, whites, and mexicans. All fighting for our rights.. It was not a fight for slavery, slavery was world wide.. Not just southern states of the U.S... Was there slavery Yes.. Was there Black Confederate soldiers Yes. Are there proud black southerners that are proud to be in Confederate States Yes.. Black white purple green whatever your race please read into history, you will find that people in this western area of the state's are tought that the Confederates were all bad folks.. Go to Tennessee and or Texas,Virgina, Alabama Mississippi you will see that these people are proud to be Black, White,Hispanic southern folks who RESPECT AND HONOR THEIR CONFEDERATE FOREFATHERS.. The people who threaten Mr Ducey to take down these monuments have no Respect for our HISTORY.. if they dont like our AMERICAN HISTORY then leave our beautiful country.. Nathan Bedford Forrest fought with his best soldiers who were Black and very Proud to fight next to him..and in 1869 became the Grand Dragon in the KKK TO DISASSEMBLE IT BECAUSE HE DID NOT AGREE WITH WAY IT WAS TOWARD BLACK FOLKS.. Spoke at NAACP AND AT HIS FUNERAL OVER 10000 BLACK FOLKS MOURNED FOR HIM... FUNNY THING IS slavery was big money back then and he N.B Forrest was once one of the biggest slave trader.. Dont use Youtube as a source of history PICK UP A BOOK look it up BY BATTLES go to Tennessee Battlefields.. These guides have the real deal literature that will back my message.. Thank you for letting us voice our opinions..AND PLEASE OUR SOUTHERN BATTLE FLAG WAS A FLAG USED IN BATTLE ... HELLLO THE CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG DOESNT KILL.. IDIOTS KILL..
Sean... we do have our monuments from WWII all over the US.
Hitler was not american nor did his views reflect the United States of America at the time.
If you go to Germany (which is the country Hitler was in, just in case you didnt know) they have monuments still... Just google WWII monuments in germany...
So let me ask you... should the world just delete all that from our books and get rid of the monuments that remind human kind of their faults in history?
If your answer is yes... your starting to parallel Iran.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.newsweek.com/irans-ayatollah-khamenei-posts-holocaust-denial-video-remembrance-day-420511%3Famp%3D1
Surely we as a country have more important things to worry about than destroying our history due to a bunch of biased outspoken minority uneducated people who think destroying our heritage makes the events disappear. The men and women who gave the lives for what they believed in need to be remembered. What's next Gettysburg plowed under for houses, where does this insanity end?
You shouldn't erase part of history. What if we asked the black community to take down the statue of Martin Luther King cause it was offensive to others left they do it.
I suppose we should have monuments about Hitler also!!! Ask the Jews how they would feel about that. Take them all down. Read about it in history books if you want to honor them for wanting to keep their slaves!!!!
We should not have to vote on removing a historical landmark,when it's very obvious in one comment that was made just how ignorant the "leaders " are being.
If the monument comes down then Martin Luther king Blvd should be as well. If we're all gonna be so damn ignorant to history.
"...They were secessionists, they were segregationists, they were haters, racial bigots".... really Roy? Your talking about something over 100 years ago (which im not saying your one specific topic of why that war happened is right or justified. But isn't that how we adapt and overcome as a society is by learning from history?) Look at how far we have come as a country. Compare it to today and Look at the modern day issues... who are the groups that are using race as a political agenda and segregating the races? (Its a pretty easy answer if you dont know... turn on the news tonight) If we want a colorblind America ... why don't we stop using race in our conversation and look at the substance of each individual? Isn'that what truly defines us as a person?
If your gonna go way back into history to change it, the Native Americans should have the first word on all of it...Don't you think? (There goes all of our history from General Lee to MLK)
Now for this Antifa movement... I can not believe some of these people may have grown up in our country and went to school. All I heard last night was about KKK, Racists and Trump. Gotta be honest, I saw pro trump people who were standing behind our country and discussing various topics(saying nothing about race)...they were not people running around in white sheets talking about race and hatred. So I do not even know how KKK gets brought into an event like that. (If it were a KKK rally, as that group does that sometimes, have at it, as that statement then applies) If those statements are in regards to a travel ban... well thats one thing I am currently for ,but also we need to have a plan that allows for people into this country and a guarentee that if you follow the process and meet the criteria, your coming in. For the people who want the borders wide open with no restrictions on that... Are you willing to house, feed, educate and provide healthcare to those people until they can get on their own feet? Plus guarentee the saftey of everyone? Cause if so, start the go fund me page so you can start all the collection of money to do that properly and also clean out some spots in your homes so they have a place to stay... if your not willing to put action to your words... what are you arguing about then? (This also kind of relates to immigration. A little bit. I know someone whos been here 15 years, is considered llegal, pays taxes and has never been in trouble. He has tried 3 times for citizenship and been denied... its cost him nothing but time money and aggravation... I do think there is something broken with that process. But documenting the people who are here is not only for US citizens protection ,but the immigrating individual as well. Ive been documented since i was born starting with a birth certificate and a S.S. Number.
We talk about free speech (not hate speech, but true free speech) yet when the opposing group to Antifa Gathers they are met with hatred, bricks and a movement to stop their right to free speech. (Shouting things that seriously dont apply. I even saw one sign that said "Your snake flag is stupid" they have a right to that opinion ,but i kind of think they do not understand its a flag for the men/women who defend our country and least time I checked they are all from different races and religions) Is that how this is all supposed to go? Where people have to have the same opinion on a matter and if not they are harrassed and assaulted? (Yes i have seen that from both sides, but my opinion is that most of the aggression is coming from the Antifa group)
IM NOT LEFT AND IM NOT RIGHT, IM ABOUT GOOD IDEAS AND THEY COME FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE. SO CAN WE ALL PLEASE PULL OUR HEADS OUT OF OUR A$$ and figure this out as a unified country?
Take them down. They fought against the USA. They fought to enslave millions. If this history is so beloved, build a museum somewhere, and for those that wish to "honor" these people, who cares. Not on public land.
What's next? Blow up Mount Rushmore?
Why should we take down our history because people have their panties in a bunch! People are to offended nowadays. Instead of being upset about our history why not use your voice for something positive like healthcare, education instead of rambling a bunch of nonsense. Grow up people and stop crying!
If we took everything out of the world we didn't like there would be nothing left to learn from the past , and give me a break deal with it people it's the past be better than the past and everyone needs to know what happen in the past .no matter if your white , black , yellow or red or purple or green.
It is history!
It does not make it right or wrong, but fact!