Racism Prevails - And Response (2)

  • Saturday, October 14, 2017
County Commissioners Chester Bankston, Jim Fields, Joe Graham, Randy Fairbanks, Greg Martin and Tim Boyd.

You voted right down the racist line - six whites to two blacks.
None of you had the spine to be decent and assist this struggling with racial bias city and county to give the other than white people something to be optimistic about.
 
Why should you though? Racists have to keep the natives, minorities, frail, and powerless in their place.
 
I asked a family member a question regarding: after 400 years of slavery, murder, abuse, discrimination, prejudice, and oppression, when will the persecution stop? The family member said "never".  After the Commissioners vote to keep their racist symbol up on county property, which we all pay taxes for, I am inclined to agree. 

Thanks Commissioners for your voting of, and stating the obvious in this town. Racism and oppression win again.

Edward Davis 

* * *

First off Mr. Davis, how is it that suddenly our commissioners are racist for voting what they feel is right?

You said "400 years of slavery" the last time I checked our nation was created in 1776. By my math that comes up to 241 years. Slavery was done away with 153 years ago. Your math just doesn't add up. So for the first 88 years of our country there was slavery. It was a terrible thing and no one would argue that.

I just fail to understand one simple issue involving the statue in question. The thing has been there for 98 years so why is it that just within the last year has anyone become offended by it? I bet you had no idea it was even there or of whose likeness it was. I doubt seriously that you could give one single fact about the man's life other than that he was a Confederate soldier.

We certainly have more pressing issues to deal with in our community than a statue. For instance, why don't you write a letter to the Chattanoogan.com condemning the gang violence right here in our city? I'm pretty sure you should be much more offended by the gang violence than the statue and our commissioners' votes about it.

Mike Cox 

* * * 

Mr. Cox, 

What you are witnessing is the new era of reverse racism.  If due process does not fit ones prerogative, it is much easier to blame the race of the individual who voted against your beliefs rather than accept what the majority has voted.  Mr. Davis proves that point with his comment, “You voted right down the racist line - six whites to two blacks”.  I guess in his eyes if it had been reversed and fit his agenda that would have been just fine and by no means racist. 

It is sad some people are confusing Democracy with racism and that is scary at best.  As for the statue of General Stewart, I did not know it existed on our courthouse lawn until a few months ago.  So to educate myself on the topic, I researched General Stewart and was impressed to learn he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1842, was a professor at Cumberland University at Lebanon and at the University of Nashville and was appointed to both the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park as a commissioner.  As for his time in the confederacy, he openly opposed slavery and the secession of Tennessee and only joined after Tennessee officially seceded to protect state’s rights.  He is a part of Tennessee and Chattanooga history and next time I am downtown I will take the time to visit his monument to educate myself even further. 

The bottom line is the more our society takes time to educate themselves, the better off we all will be.     

Chris Morgan

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