As of recent events, we’ve seen multiple confederate statues vandalized in Luray, Virginia in response to the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd.

I propose the statues be removed and placed in museums where they belong for the following reasons:

1: no longer publicly accessible and therefore cannot be vandalized.

2: the monuments, to some, glorify white supremacy.

3: the monuments, to some, memorialize a treasonous government whose founding principle was the perpetuation and expansion of slavery.

4: onlookers, tourists, and even residents may find the continued preservation on public sites and roads insensitive.

The statues should be removed and placed rightfully in a museum to avoid further vandalization, upset to those sensitive to the racially charged past, and “preserve the artifacts and their cultural heritage”.

“These statues were a part of … terrorism as much as a burning cross on someone’s lawn; they were erected purposefully to send a strong message to all who walked in their shadows about who was still in charge in this city.” - Mayor Mitch Landrieu, New Orleans