Rep. Gerald McCormick, commenting on a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest that stands in the Tennessee statehouse in an address to the Pachyderm club on Monday, said that Forrest was a violent, vicious man who made his wealth as a slave trader.
The copper bust of Forrest, who was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army, stands between the Tennessee House and Senate chambers and has a been a point of contention for several legislators and residents for several years, even more so since the tragic shooting of nine black church-goers in Charleston earlier this month.
Rep. McCormick said, “He was a brave soldier, and a brilliant tactician. But before the war, he also set up a little shop in Memphis where he had human beings chained together, and he sold them.”
He also said that several members of the Black Caucus had approached him as the majority leader almost four years ago to express how offensive its presence in the statehouse was to some. He said that he had to consider what it was like for some legislators to walk by this, given Forrest’s controversial legacy, especially since the building itself was built at least in part with slave labor.
However, Rep. McCormick also said that he is not in support of “knee-jerk” reactions that he thinks go too far, such as banning the Confederate flag from usage on license plates. He said it would be best to put off the issue of the bust until things “calm down” or settle.
“We can’t erase history...but I’m not going to apologize for not defending a man who literally bought and sold human beings on the street corner,” he said.
Rep. McCormick also commented on Tennessee legislators’ responses to the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage in late June, saying that he and others would like to figure out how residents with conflicting beliefs may be able to stay within their beliefs while following their consciences.
He pointed to an ad hoc committee which has been called and is being headed by Rep. Susan Lynn to examine possible options for religious organizations allowed by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Though Rep. McCormick said it is unclear whether there are any applicable provisions or liberties guaranteed by that act, he also said that the committee would be looking at it closely so that they could be prepared to defend their constituents' rights and desires in the coming weeks.