Subscribe

* indicates required
Okayplayer News

To continue reading

Create a free account or sign in to unlock more free articles.

By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy

New Alabama Law Makes It Illegal To Remove Confederate Monuments
New Alabama Law Makes It Illegal To Remove Confederate Monuments
Photo via WKRG

New Alabama Law Makes It Illegal To Remove Confederate Monuments

New Alabama Law Makes It Illegal To Remove Confederate Monuments Photo via WKRG

Several days after Mitch Landrieu gave an eloquent and powerful speech on the removal of Confederate statues throughout New Orleans, Alabama has now decided to make the removal of such statues illegal.

In a report from the Hill, a bill titled the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017 was signed on Wednesday by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R), which restricts the removal or renaming of any memorial streets or buildings on public property that have been in place for 40 or more years.

"I appreciate Gov. Ivey standing up for the thoughtful preservation of Alabama's history," State Sen. Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa), who first proposed the bill, said in a press release. "Contrary to what its detractors say, the Memorial Preservation Act is intended to preserve all of Alabama’s history ― the good and the bad ― so our children and grandchildren can learn from the past to create a better future."

At least nine Confederate monuments throughout Alabama will be protected under the Preservation Act, including a monument at the state Capitol in Montgomery, where Jefferson Davis was sworn into office as the only President of the Confederate States of America.

Although Allen says that the bill will not only preserve both good and bad monuments in Alabama but encourage people to learn about the state's past, many oppose the bill because it allows Confederate monuments honoring white supremacy to still exist.

"These racist symbols have no place on government property, where they counter our nation’s core principle to ensure liberty and justice for all," Rhonda Brownstein, legal director at the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in a statement. "By signing this bill, Gov. Kay Ivey indicates that lauding white supremacy is more important than demonstrating equality for all Alabamians."

Source via the Hill