This relic is a physical representation of the ideals of the Confederate and what it stood for. It has no place in a forward moving society. In 2020 why do we need a 27 foot reminder of White Supremacy? I often hear people say “It’s heritage not hate” and “We can’t erase history or it will repeat itself” but those statements and the Common Solider celebrated the idea of slavery and the hate for an entire race of people. The way to keep history from repeating itself starts by showing solidarity and acknowledging the wrong doings of the past. Not holding on to a symbol of a lost war. We must remove this statue and begin to unlearn the years of hate that it represents.