This petition is seeking equal representation, for all individuals within the community of Franklin, Virginia.  Confederate symbolism does not echo the morals and values of which Americans live by.  And as such, confederate symbolism should not stand front and center as representation of any place in the United States in 2020. It’s time for change. Change is happening around the world as we speak. Many individuals will argue that it’s about preserving history. I agree.... All parts of history should be maintained. But the location of such artifacts speaks volumes. And the United States Supreme Court said themselves, monuments placed in public places are a form of government speech. With that, I would request for the members of the board to ask themselves, what message is being sent to the resident’s of Franklin County and its’ visitors, by allowing this form of representation to cast a shadow upon Main Street and its’ court house doors?

     There is an indisputable trend of support of the Confederacy from 1861 to present day by individuals and groups that believe in white superiority and the oppression of colored people.  African-Americans will never be free in America until America wins the Civil War. The war on the battlefield ended 160 years ago for everyone else, but it has continued to be waged against us on jobs, at schools, military bases, and courthouses to name a few, to this day. America has already began, laying to rest, the vestiges of our domestic enemy. Most notable, the statues that have been LEGALLY removed in Norfolk Virginia, Louisville Kentucky, Jacksonville Florida, Alexandria Virginia, and Mobile Alabama, as well as a host of un-removed statues in other cities that local officials have already vowed to remove. That is indicative of compassion for their entire community, not just a select few. It appears that the people of Franklin County share the same sentiment for its’ own people as well, given the recent ban of the Confederate Flag from the public school dress code by the school board. Leader of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, General Robert E. Lee himself, was opposed to Confederate memorials. He penned a letter in 1866 stating that the erection of such monuments in this country, would have the effect of retarding, instead of accelerating our accomplishments.

     This petition is a request for a vote to remove the statue of the Confederate Soldier, the cement base bearing the engravings of the Confederate flag, and all plaques and/or symbols pertaining, from the courthouse building and lawn. And we request that it not be destroyed, as we agree that it is a part of history. But, to be relocated to the Jubal A. Early Preservation Trust of Hardy, Va., or donated to a museum or public cemetery.