Jay GreesonOK, let me get this straight:
Some people do not want the statue of Gen. A.P. Stewart in front of the Hamilton County Courthouse because, mainly, his presence reminds too many of us of slavery and racism.
I can understand that.
Stewart was a Confederate officer, and not a very good one, to be frank. Still, his role in creating and establishing the historic park at the Chickamauga Battlefield is a noteworthy accomplishment.
I understand the opinion of those who see any signs of the Confederacy tainted with the unwashable stain of slavery and racism.
It was a dark time for our country, and one that I understand many among us want to forget.
Well, strike that, a time that many of us do not want to be reminded of on a daily basis.
OK.
When the County Commission voted down the logical proposal to move Stewart's statue to the Chickamauga Battlefield, Commissioner Greg Beck suggested that an eagle or other symbol of our freedom take the place of Stewart's statue.
Beck has the experience, the elegance and the delivery to make you want to seek his opinion on everything from breakfast suggestions to race relations.
And his suggestion made a lot of sense.
But if we are condemning reminders of the worst social and racial times, why are we having conversations about raising monuments of those very circumstances?
Ed Johnson was hanged on the Walnut Street Bridge. He was the victim of hatred and killed by a racist mob.
There is a strong movement to raise money and get public funds to erect a memorial to Johnson.
If the statue of Stewart is a painful reminder of a painful time, couldn't the same be said of a Johnson memorial, especially if it is placed on the Walnut Street Bridge, a locale with far more traffic and eye-time than the courthouse?
If that's the goal, OK. Reminding people about history - good and bad - is important, if for no other reason than remembering it can often help us avoid repeating it.
That seems especially important today, considering that race relations in our country seem more strained than at any point since the 1960s.
But if we are looking to honor Johnson and an awful memory, how can anyone be for removing Stewart's statue?
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and 423-757-6343.