Remove this Confederate plaque and its lies from the Texas Capitol
There are almost daily reminders of the racial tensions simmering in our country: white nationalist protesters on the anniversary of Charlottesville; police confrontations with black citizens; the ongoing NFL kneeling standoff.
All the more reason, then, we should put history in perspective and reject monuments that attempt to ignore, even camouflage the truth, about ugly events of our past.
So, here’s one of those truths we should just accept: Texas left the Union and joined the Confederacy in part because those early Texans supported slavery.
The proof is in a declaration adopted at the Texas Secession Convention in 1861. It states, “...the servitude of the African race, as existing in these States, is mutually beneficial to both bond and free, and is abundantly authorized and justified by the experience of mankind.”
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus refers to that declaration in calling for the removal of a plaque from the State Capitol because it claims slavery was not an “underlying cause” for the War Between the States.
There are other less deceptive Civil War monuments on the Capitol grounds. But Straus has called for the removal of this one erected by Children of the Confederacy sometime in the 1950’s because he believes the State should not “promote falsehoods” when we know better.
We agree.
Straus is asking Gov. Greg Abbott to call a meeting of the State Preservation Board, which maintains the Capitol grounds and buildings, to take up this matter.
It’s unclear why the Governor hasn’t done that already. We think he should.
Allowing the plaque to remain on display in our most prominent, public building sends a sad and unacceptable message, that as Texans we are unwilling to acknowledge the insupportable events of our history as well as the heroic ones.
Allowing the plaque to remain may also send a subtle message that encourages segregationists who seek to divide us.
We’re not saying you have to destroy the plaque. The story of why it was created and by whom is also part of our history. Put into context with the facts it could help us understand why the Children of the Confederacy told such a whopper.
But there’s a better place than the Texas Capitol for this history lesson to play out.
This story was originally published August 14, 2018 at 6:08 PM.