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Senators Look To Remove Confederate Holidays
February 7, 2018
After more than a century, birthdays of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, along with a Confederate Memorial Day, would no longer be legal holidays in Florida under a bill approved by a Senate committee Tuesday.
Over the objections of people who argued the proposal (SB 224) would erase Southern history, the Senate Community Affairs Committee voted 4-2 — without debate or discussion — to support the measure. The bill would remove the Lee, Davis and Confederate days from a list of 21 legal holidays on the books in Florida.
However, the bill must still get through two additional committees to reach the Senate floor, while an identical House proposal (HB 227) has not appeared in committees.
Bill sponsor Lauren Book, D-Plantation, said her goal isn’t to erase history, but to undercut tributes to the Confederacy, “which upheld the institution of slavery and perpetuated inequality and division within our country.”
Florida has honored Lee’s birthday, Jan. 19, since 1895, the same year April 26 became Confederate Memorial Day on the state calendar. Davis’ June 3 birthday went on the books in 1905.
Lee is from Virginia. Davis is most associated with Mississippi.
Barbara Hemingway, of American First Team Manatee, saying President Donald Trump has “stood up for our national anthem and our beautiful statues,” asked lawmakers to stand up for “Florida’s history.”
“The people that want Robert E. Lee’s name obliterated from the civic landscape don’t even like people with the last name Lee,” Hemingway said.
Other speakers, distancing themselves from neo-Nazis and the KKK, said they were offended by efforts of outsiders without an understanding of the “legacy of the region” and with a desire to “make all things Southern invisible.”
“These men, these holidays are celebrations that I was raised upon,” said Mary Barlow of Lake City.
After another speaker compared Lee’s moral character to that of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., committee Chairman Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, cautioned speakers to keep close to the bill’s subject matter.
State legal holidays are not necessarily paid holidays for public employees.
Sunday is considered a legal holiday. Other legal holidays that are not paid holidays include Susan B. Anthony’s birthday, Good Friday, Pascua Florida Day to mark the discovery of Florida in 1513 by Juan Ponce de Leon and Flag Day.
Scott McCoy, senior policy counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said it is important to remember the history of the Confederacy and slavery, but “anything celebrating our shameful past has no place in our government.”
“It is past time for Florida to end its celebration of a treasonous government and two of its leaders who fought to enslave and oppress an entire group of people based on the color of their skin,” McCoy said.
The hearing on the removal of the holidays came less than a week after the Senate agreed to replace a likeness of Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith in the National Statuary Hall in Washington with a statue of civil-rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune (SB 472).
The statue exchange awaits action by the House (HB 139) which would make Bethune the first African-American woman to be honored in the national hall.
The Legislature voted in 2016 to replace the Smith statue during a nationwide backlash against Confederate symbols in the wake of the 2015 shooting deaths of nine African-American worshippers at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C.
by The News Service of Florida
Pictured: Robert E. Lee.
Comments
51 Responses to “Senators Look To Remove Confederate Holidays”
WAIT!!!!!!!!! HOLD ON FOR A SECOND AND LET ME PUT ON MY SURPRISED FACE!!!!!!!!!! JUST GO AHEAD AND TAKE YET ANOTHER BIT OF OUR HERITAGE AND HISTORY THAT OUR ANCESTORS FOUGHT AND DIED FOR!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!
@DennisWiggins – Dennis, thanks for the constructive post. I agree that Lincoln’s views were not as pure as many believe. As I stated earlier, I recognize that he thought deportation would be best for all concerned. I do, however, feel that his views evolved. The first line of the Gettysburg Address may indicate that.
I have read Lincoln’s 1st inaugural address. He does refer to slaves as being the property of the slave owner. Had he been asked, he also would have said that women may not vote. Both the status of slaves and the suffrage of women were issues decided by the courts, which he respected. I think in his address he was walking a fine line in an effort to preserve the union. I don’t think his words imply that he thinks slave ownership is just. Do you?
I will add the recommended book to my list of things to read. Thanks, I look forward to learning more about General Lee. The contention that he was so anti-slavery is not evident from what I have read thus far. He certainly kept slaves that he could have emancipated. I’ll do more reading.
Finally, if he was so anti-slavery, what were his motivations for sending so many men into battle? The easy answer is that he was fighting for State’s Rights, which is probably true, but which rights? I’m sure the answer is in the book you’ve recommended.
Peace!
God’s people let’s prayer for our Country, the believers and the atheists. The haters of all just and true…I am Southern Born and Breed and the South IS Going To Rise Again.
Erase black history month, black entertainment, NAACP,
Why is this such a big deal. I was born in Florida nearly 70 years ago and the only time I was ever off school or work for Robert E. Lee Day was the year I was working for Alabama Youth Services. I’ve never been off for Jefferson Davis Day or Confederate Memorial Day. I didn’t even know these holidays were on the books. I am, however, in favor of seceeding from Florida and joining Alabama. Sounds like a win/win for all of us.
This is not about slavery or the Civil war. THIS IS ABOUT THE REMAKING OF AMERICA!!!
It began as statue removal of Confederate monuments, but now The democratic party is calling for the removal of “ALL” historical figures who owned slaves.
Which is why now they are crying for the erasal of Andrew Jackson. If they can Demonize our Founding Fathers, then they can Demonize the Country these men founded.
In turn, they completely remake America.
When they have successfully demonized the founding fathers in the minds of our youth. Then, they have succeeded to make the God they served irrelevant.
The Ultimate attack is on The God of the bible.
@Simmerdown – Linoln was very racist. Not only did he desire to deport the freed slaves to a country designed just for them in South America but also he said unequivocally that they would never be equal to white people. If you will carefully and honestly read his FIRST inaugural address, you will see that he considered the slaves to be the rightfully property of the Southern owners. As for General Lee, he despised slavery. You should try reading authoritative books about The General. Might I suggest, Clouds of Glory: The Life and Legend of Robert E. Lee by Michael Korda, for starters?
Tabby, if it is on the internet it must be true. Lol
This entire politically correct abolish all remnant of southern history, is but another cog in the wheel of Obama trying to divide this nation. NO ONE truly had an issue with these monuments, or these holidays, until Barack Obama took office. And, when he goes to prison for the crimes he committed against this country, his legacy will erased.
So many here talking about the rewriting and erasing history now but some of the greatest rewriting of history already took place after the Civil War and was fueled by the Daughters of the Confederacy.
They raised money throughout the south to push and spread the “Southern Lost Cause Narrative” that made losing southerners appear to be honorable and heroic in defeat.
They staged rallies where opposing literature, newspapers and books were burned, they went into every southern state & school district and removed every book not favorable to the south.
That’s why an entire generation of southerners have a romantic fantasy about slavery not being so bad and how they were just protecting their lifestyles. They use the same keywords and phrases from 150 years ago when it was written by that organization.
There was slavery in Africa before there was in the U.S. and today there continues to be slavery, but no one cares. Only we the United States of America is held accountable. All other countries that had slavery are held in high esteem. And that’s the truth, so therefore label me…
@Simmerdown
I can’t comment about Lincoln’s statements on race or deportation because they wouldn’t get published. You can look them up yourself though. Lincoln thought deportation was a great thing. He wanted to keep separate the takes for a fact. It’s silly how people think he wanted equality, etc. They really need to research Lincoln and his racist views. He literally thought the blacks we’re like animals. Heck, even a quick internet search will reveal surprising info about Lincoln.
The politicians are only doing this to appease the folks who want to rewrite history and to ensure future votes. Most of them probably don’t even understand the history to begin with. The fact that they can legislate something to be removed DOESN’T change the actual history. It would be an absolute shame if this proposal comes to fruition and sets a frightening precedent that allows our foolish politicians to legislate the way history is written. What ever happened to truly free speech and free thought? Telling the citizens what to do, what they can say and what they can think is tantamount to a dictatorship. If we lose the right to record and remember history as it actually happened and to honor whom we choose, then will we really be free?
Folks should be careful about setting precedent with altering history. There were divisive people on both sides of this argument.
We can not change the past, but we can learn from it and do something for our future.
Forget about your immature offended feelings and removing statues and flags. That is money and time we do not need to deal with.
If you want to DO something productive for everyone, Google A21.
A21-ABOLISH SLAVERY IN THE 21st CENTURY. Christine Caine, Founder
A non-profit, non governmental organization that works to fight human trafficking, including ( sexual exploitation, trafficking, forced slave labor, involuntary domestic servitude and child soldiery.
Aiming to ” abolish slavery EVERYWHERE, forever “, in Australia, Bulgaria, Greece, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, no race excluded.
Most are young girls and boys stripped away from their parents.
Think about your child, grandchild, or great grandchild.
A21 is funded by donations only! Use the money for something that REALLY matters.
May the Lord Bless all who have eyes to see and ears to hear the cries of abused children, young men , young women and their brokenhearted
families who may never see them again.
I am concerned that we are disrespecting the families who have heritage that was part of the Confederacy. The history of this country should be an open book for all to see , both good and bad. The Southern fellas that served were not monsters, rather they were defending their beliefs even if we disagree. For the sake of Southern Families, allow them to honor their loved ones.
My own family came here not long after the Civil War from Italy, I was born in Brooklyn,NY and celebrate my heritage. True equality will respect Southerners rights to honor their own,and not offend them.
The members of this committee, all learned individuals I am sure, apparently have little more to do than spend tax payer funds sitting around fixing things which are not broken. How about some real help! This is just another example of people who believe they know what is best for the rest of us. STOP THIS MESS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Members of this committee should go do some REAL WORK quit this nonsense!
@Mike, Snowflake, huh? Nice, and predictable. Robert E. Lee was the executor of an estate that had slaves. He could have released them when he took over. He kept them on 5 more years, until he was mandated to release them. He didn’t own them, he just prevented their freedom and forced them to work. It was very nice of Mrs. Lee to help the SLAVES. She wasn’t helping to free them, just teaching them to read. She’s a true heroine. (Sarcasm)
@Tabby, It is true Lincoln thought it would be best if the freed slaves wanted to leave, voluntarily. He was trying to facilitate freed slaves relocating because he thought it would be best for them, and for our country. He did not intend to deport them. Your argument about Lincoln being more of a racist is difficult to support. Please try.
I could be wrong about all this. So could you.
You are so right. K thank you.
As the Social Justice World turns! Never thought this country would turn into a nation of babies. Every race of people on this planet has been discriminated against at some point in history. I guess that some get over it and move forward and others have something to blame their failures on. Pathetic!
I hope the senate will not remove these days from the list of legal holidays. No one is forced to acknowledge them, but they do remind us of our history.
The Civil War was not a minor conflict that can be ignored just because we are uncomfortable. When we remember and discuss the causes of the Civil War, we are reminded why men like Martin Luther King Jr. were necessary. As a nation, we wrestled with slavery and race and we learned from it. Maybe not perfectly, but we did make progress. Today we celebrate MLK day as a public holiday; we are all glad to commemorate a good man. We celebrate Black History Month and are glad to give many unsung heroes their due.
We should at least publicly acknowledge that there was a Civil War, and that 650,000 men on both sides made their decisions for a variety of reasons and died defending them. We need to acknowledge that General Lee was considered a national hero and try to understand why. We need to recognize that many Southerners still feel proud of their heritage, not because they support slavery, but because their ancestors were brave in battle and they respect that bravery.
If we begin to censor history, when will we know where to stop? I
No one in the USA has ever been a slave . The CIVIL WAR was not about slavery. It was about the south paying higher taxes. The last year & 1/2 was. I have read alot of history books & they all tell it this way . lets get real about our history. Just before the war between the states thier where slaves in the north. Slaves started biulding the white house .One more thing the whitehouse is not in the north. It is south of the MASON /DIXON LINE . Yall need to learn to read and understand.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a nice day.
The Civil War was not about slavery, but state’s rights. George Wallace’s actions were about state’s rights. General Sherman was about burning things down for no logistical reason. Just evil. Accurate history is no longer taught in our public schools. How could they be, since so very many today do not even know about our history? All of our institutions have been infiltrated by the enemies of this Republic………….Yes! “Republic.” This is that. Not, a Democracy. This country was established as a Federal Republic with checks and balances, which have been put aside for the last several years. Our government has acted outside of our Constitution when it has benefited their agenda. Our history is being rewritten. We need to learn where we came from and where we are headed.
The question here is a simple one:
is the institution of slavery so repugnant that by itself it justifies the Civil War?
yes. by itself, slavery was enough to warrant the destruction of the South and every value which it held.
as for the holidays and the statues, I’ve seen quotes to the effect that those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it.
when you realize the statues and the holidays were put up as reminders to the former slaves that they were to keep their place in society, you learn the lesson…
and the statues to heroes of a war they lost must go. along with their cursed holidays. because all men are free, and should not be reminded in this country that they were once slaves.
This the same thing that isis did they distroyed every religious symbol that did not fit there agenda.
Yes, let’s continue to venerate those who believed that owning people for economic reasons was a great ideal, to the point of wanting to form their own country by taking a large chunk from America. I can see why one would want to keep these statues if one were pro-slavery and anti-America.
These statues ARE a part of our history, but are a shameful part that don’t belong in the public eye; they belong in a museum, especially since they were raised during Reconstruction when former slaves were making strides and the statues were erected as a reminder of who really was in charge. They don’t teach this in schools, you have to read it on your own.
By the way, my family has been a part of the south since the 1700’s. I was born and raised here, lived here most of my life, and am proud of being a Southerner. But like dirty laundry, statues of American traitors don’t need to be on public display. Being in museums won’t affect my pride.
Awesome! Sounds like a great day and moment in Florida history. Those monuments were a testament to a one sided conversation about history, race and what it means to be American.
Growing up in the south there were separate schools, separate places to eat & drink, separate movie theaters, separate restrooms, separate places to worship, textbooks that only told one side of history and these monuments to people who were NEVER heroes to me.
These separations didn’t come by accident, they were created by some with the same thinking that wants to keep these testimonies to injustices on full display. I’m so happy a majority of the state seems to understand that this is a new age and we need to put those relics of the past in the museums!
This is maddening! History is just that-history. One cannot change what has happened. However, if the events are learned from and not repeated then the event served a purpose. STOP TRYING TO REWRITE HISTORY TO PLACATE TO SOMEONE’S DESIRE TO HAVE THINGS THEIR WAY ONLY.
If you are going to do away with any historical statues, holidays, etc., do away with them ALL! What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
LEAVE OUR HISTORY THE HECK ALONE
My relatives fought for the South in the Civil War. My grandparents NEVER flew a confederate flag at their home because they were Americans. I have been a civil war history buff since I was a child to learn more about my heritage. In that process I learned that under Davis and Lee’s direct line of command surrendering American Union troops who were black were murdered and tortured while surrendering. Davis even went so far as to issue an order that White officers who commanded black troops should be hanged. Lincoln’s eye for an eye executive order slowed down these ruthless murders, but in the end if there had been war trials like after WWII both men would have been executed as war criminals. How as Americans can we celebrate this conduct. General Lee was a gentleman who was important in healing the wounds of this nation, but the stain on him will never be washed out by revisionist history.
Per Democratic Attorney Scott McCoy, champion of multiple LGBT political initiatives over the years, “Anything celebrating our shameful past has no place in our government.” Interesting. Does he also want to eliminate the Democratic Party, the “party of slavery” back during the civil war? For the most part during that time, the Republicans (like Pres. Lincoln) were anti-slavery. That’s how the party began, in fact, to try and end slavery. It was the Democratic Party who fought tooth and nail to keep slavery going. They even asassinated Lincoln, but it was the Republicans ALONE who actually ended slavery by way of passing the Thirteenth amendment. The Fourteenth amendment gave blacks equal rights, while the Fifteenth amendment gave them the right to vote. The Democratic Party stood opposed to each of those life-changing amendments. Mr McCoy needs to worry about “cleaning” his own house- and, leave Florida history alone!
may GOD bless America and that we will never have those horrible days of slavery of any kind again.
simmerdown, most of the people that fought for the south just hated the damn Yankees invading their homeland, thy were poor farmers that never owned slaves but was fighting for their land’ as in the case of my family. do not put hate and prejudice at the top of the list. yes slavery of any kind is wrong. my great, ,great, great, great grandfather was kidnapped in London and sold in America as an indentured servant which is slavery for 14 years. do I repreation? if you read history you will see that Robert E LEE had a hard time deciding whether to fight for his homeland, the south, or the union. he was not a monster.
maybe we should just kick all of the southern states out of the union and then the problem would be solved. then people that don’t like the south could all move to the politically correct north and do away with GOD and country and guns and true history. you cannot change the past by ignoring it and pretending it never happened. we need reminders so we won’t repeat our mistakes of the past.
Furthermore, Abraham Lincoln was entirely more racist than Gen. Lee. Just look at all of his racist statements. His original intent to free slaves was only a pretext to deportation. Yet you celebrate him. His face is everywhere.
I know every generation has said it, although the country really is going to crap. So sad people have let themselves become for lack of a better term, brainwashed. Or trained. I suppose we’ll see just how trained when DHS takes over to form a new govt.
drain the swamp !!!
I don’t know why anyone is surprised, Florida hasn’t been a true Southern state in decades. Most of its population has no Southern heritage. The northern parts of the state may as well break away and become parts of Alabama and Georgia.
Stop this madness! Don’t try and erase history, that’s what Hitler did. Have we all forgot about Germany and the book burnings ?
I have always celebrated Robert E, Lee’s birthday every year when others are celebrating martin luther king’s birthday. Florida can still AND will celebrate Robert E. Lee’s birthday even though martin luther kings birthday is celebrated around that time frame as well.
Well simmer if you knew anything about history you would know lee did not fight for savory if he did why would he let his wife help the slaves. Lee did not own slaves and the North called on him to lead there army . So the next time you little snowflakes want to talk smack about the Heritage of the South do some real research.
Isis takes down statues too ,Maybe these groups are related.
Those who do not know history are destined to repeat it. Is this what we want? One statue removed, while replaced by another is ignorant. Whereas, side by side, they demonstrate progress. There will never be a Presidents day in my life, I take this very personal as Feb 22nd was my mother’s birth date. She was proud of being born on Washington’s birthday. The government needs to worry about the challenges of today! Every piece of history means something to someone. Erasing it will destroy our ability to reason. Is this what the government wants?
@THE DOER Your contention is that Davis and Lee did not fight to “Enslave and oppress,” apparently. What exactly were they fighting for, if not to do just that? Were they fighting for State’s Rights? If so, which rights were they trying to protect? Please, educate me.
The men who fought on the side of the Confederacy fought well and bravely. They should be remembered. The cause they fought for was not a just cause, in my opinion.
Peace!
Are we going to erase all history or just the parts that the people who like to play victim don’t like. So sick of the cherry picking over what should be done away with. Why not erase all history! That way there was no injustice done to ANYBODY and there will be nothing to cry about. This country has become a haven of crybabies and freeloaders that want to complain constantly or find a way to get something for nothing. They are miserable people who enjoy making others miserable too.
I sure hope we get America back!
Really, we have MLK roads across this country, MLK day, black history month ,Rapist Bill Cosby’s on tv still. I demand our southern history stays in place. Society cannot change history by blotting it out
I AM SO PROUD OF MY HERITAGE AND SOUTHERN HISTORY AND CAN’T BELIEVE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO CHANGE IT. I AM NOT PREJUDICE BUT THIS MAKES ME SO MAD AT THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE AND I AM A TRUE SOUTHERN BELLE AND I AM ALWAYS GOING TO BE!!!!
Making it a law prohibiting something that’s been on the books for over 100 years? Don’t we have enough laws on the books? I’m not for or against the so-called holidays, but actually making a law to prohibit it is taking it a little too far.
How very far this plan has come since it’s formulation, all those many years ago.
“Enslave and oppress?” You’ve got to be kidding me. I have a great idea. Let’s just rewrite history and change everything to satisfy everyone. Having said that, let’s do away with everything–no Black History Month. That offends me. No Mardi Gras parades. Those offend me. No CHRISTmas holidays. Those offend me. Our country has gone backwards in logic skills!
You can remove all the statues you want. It does not change how people feel and think. Its part of my heritage and i passed it on down to my kids. Hpefully they will do the same.
Choosing one aspect of the era 1861-1865 and using it to overwhelm and ignore the rest of the history of that era is stupid and offensive to those who know history and anyone capable of abstract thought should know such.. Lee and Davis were Christian men who made
great and varied contributions to this country; maybe this is more about removing Judeo-Christian symbols and memories than it is about historic slavery concerns.
But While they’re at it let’s abolish the pyramids, demonize their Egyptian history, and do the same the same to the Romans. After all, their societies had slaves as well.judging the past by the cultural values of the present is never a good idea. Weaponizing history for sake of short term political gain puts these politicians on a level no better than the Nazis burning books or Stalin’s henchmen. This is especially true considering most Americans don’t support taking down Confederate monuments or holidays. Voters should show these clowns the door at the next election.
Knee jerk reaction to ? Not that it matters. Politicians have an ever increasing agenda to erase what individualizes us. Once my generation starts dying, people will be under complete control. Believing anything CNN or Google tells them. Addicted to their phone/internet/tech. After being confronted with the fact the USA has peaked in it’s dominance and it’s empire on the slide to Countries like India/China the Pentagon has evaluated and decided the best course is literally to “increase domestic surveillance and propaganda”. Wow. Are you sheep?