Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz has joined the campaign to eradicate Confederate history wherever it may be found. Fox News reports that the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Commitee (DNC) is eyeing three street signs in Hollywood, Florida that honor the memory of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and John Bell Hood.
The Florida Democratic representative requested that Hollywood’s city council change the names, for which the city has provided preliminary support with a 5-2 vote in favor. Hollywood is included in Wasserman Schultz’s congressional district.
The proposal to remove Confederate names is the latest initiative in a series of attempts to erase the memory of Confederate leaders from street, parks, and even military bases like Fort Hood. Advocates of the historical airbrushing say the U.S. should not commemorate Confederate leaders because they fought for slavery. Critics say it is censorship and the dereliction of Southern heritage.
Wasserman-Shultz also wants a statue of Floridian Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith taken out of the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. Democrats want the Florida legislature recalled to debate the matter.
The Sun-Sentinel reports that a letter has been sent to Florida Gov. Rick Scott and other GOP leaders in Florida denouncing the statue.
“We must denounce symbols of white supremacy and stand up for love and compassion — not just with our words, but with our deeds,” reads the correspondence. “No family visiting our nation’s Capitol should have to explain to their child that the statue representing our state honors someone who fought for a philosophy built on hatred, inequality and oppression.”
Legislation is already on hand to put a statue of Mary McLeod Bethune in place of the Smith monument. Bethune was the daughter of former slaves who founded today’s Bethune-Cookman University.
Wasserman Shultz has recently been in the news because of her refusal to fire former IT aide Imran Awan’s in regard to his mounting legal issues. She had to resign as DNC chair because critics said she was demonstrating bias for Hillary Clinton’s presidential candidacy, while thwarting the candidacy of Bernie Sanders.
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