U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander has joined demands to remove a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, reports WKRN News 2.
The Tennessee Republican spoke to reporters Tuesday about the issue when he was in Nashville for an event.
Alexander said the Civil War can be remembered at museums, birthplaces and battlefields, but that “a place of honor” should be for Tennesseans “who inspire all of us,” such as Roots author Alex Haley, Senator Howard Baker or World War I hero Sgt. Alvin York.
The bust of Forrest was installed at the Capitol in the late 1970s. In 1980, when Alexander was Tennessee governor, he was against removing the bust. Acknowledging that he has changed his mind, Alexander said Tuesday that when he was governor he “thought it was more important to appoint the first African-American Supreme Court justice in Tennessee, which I did. More important to pass the Martin Luther King holiday, which I did. More important to (appoint) the first black chancellor in the state, which I did.”
Bill Haslam, the current Tennessee Republican governor, as well as activists, have called for the removal of the controversial bust.
A Tennessee native, Forrest was a slave trader and lieutenant general in the Confederate Army known for his brutality. Later in his life, after becoming a Christian, he renounced his past cruelty and promoted racial equality, according to some accounts.
The debate over the bust of Forrest is part of a larger push nationwide to take down statutes and memorials of Confederate historical figures as well as those honoring America’s founders.
There is no good reason to move the bust of Forrest! It’s time for the politicians to quit kowtowing to special interests groups and quit trying to destroy history! Poll after poll shows that the majority of Americans want to keep Confederate monuments! Consequently the politicians need to do what their constituents want and keep the monuments!
Just vote these anti White anti Christian anti American anti History anti Common Sense Pandering POS SJW GOP Rinos Out of office PERIOD!!!
Take down statutes? PC politicians. Drain the swamp.
Lamar Alexander is a political whore who is terribly uneducated about Nathan Bedford Forrest…. and first white man to ever be asked by what is now the NAACP, to speak at their meetings. Alexander is an idiot and a bicrim of revisionist history.
I was in Nashville last year, and I took some pictures of the bust. I hope it remains in the building because I will be going to see it again this September. The South will always be Confederate, which is something I support when I come to the USA. God bless Dixie from Wales,UK
SO VERY RIGHT THAT ALL THE STATUES BE LEFT ALONE. THE ONES THAT ARE DESTROYING THEM HAVE NEVER LEARNED THE WORD “NO ” NOT YOURS” “KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF” HAVE NO IDEA WHO THAT PERSON WAS OR DID” THESE ARE THE ‘DO NOT KNOW ANY THING!” ” THEY DO NOT WANT ANY ONE ELSE TO KNOW ABOUT.” THESE YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO GROW UP AND LEARN TO LEAVE THINGS ALONE AND I PRAY THAT THEY NEVER HAVE TO PROTECT THEM SELVES FROM SOME OTHER COUNTRY WHO WHATS TO TAKE OVER. THEY WILL JUST ALL LAY DOWN IN THE STREET AND LET THEM TAKE OUR BELOVED COUNTRY OVER WITH IN 24 HOURS!!!
Crooked as a dogs leg.
Nothing worse than a politician.
He should stick to what his gut tells him and not what the pressure of others leads him to do .
Lamar Alexander has always been spineless , he has never stood with the people of Tennessee since he got into politics in about 79 or 80. He flips and flops on every decision he has ever made. My family always said he was a little weisel always looking after his own objectives rather than the people of Tennessee. He’s a sad excuse for a Tennessean , sure will be glad when that demo publican is gone.
Can’t wait to vote you out of office Senator Alexander. We have laws in place, protecting all Monuments and Statues, Confederate and Union. People such as yourself are the problem not the solution.
Leave it there as history . Lamar and Bill need go
Lamar Alexander is no friend to the south! He needs to learn his southern history! These crybaby liberals have ran freedom of speech into the ground. What about my freedom of speech? Mine shouldn’t be any less than their’s. And I’m saying the bust needs to stay! It’s history! Leave it alone. No one alive was a slave in 1861-1865. No one alive was a slave owner in 1861-1965. It is sickening that you Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker are a part of the south being demonized. If y’all would do your homework you would know that the largest slavery port was in New York. Slavery was a terrible thing! But, there were far more slaves in the north than in the south. Sherman even kept his slaves a year after the war ended. It’s a crying shame that both of you are not standing for your southern heritage. Do some research! N.B.Forrest is not the KKK leader of what you see today. They formed after the war to help rebuild the south. It evolved over time into the hate group you see today. N.B. Forrest, illegally taught black people how to read and right. Robert E. Lee gave slaves land so they could assemulate to there new freedom. The Abbeville Institute is a great learning too.
Thank you. How sad this is, pandering to the mobs. They don’t know their history.
[…] In recent days, Tennessee Republicans such as Gov. Bill Haslam and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander have called for the removal of a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the state Capitol in Nashville, and U.S. Sen. Bob Corker […]
How is could an advocate for newly freed slaves NOT “inspire all of us”? Alexander is as detached from this history as he is from healthcare.
At least somebody finally mentioned Forrest’s civil rights activities at last. He was cleared of brutality charges by a U.S. Court. He wasn’t there. What he was known for was good trearment of the slaves he was associated with. He also wanted the KKK disbanded and the costumes destroyed when some members started to misuse the social club to terrorize blacks. If there is any admirable Tennessee Confederate to promote it’s Forrest. Perfect example of combating racism after the war, which did not address racism at all. Even Lincoln believed that blacks were fundamentally inferior. This information is easily available and needs to be told more widely to counteract increasing charges of Southern ignorance and moral inferiority of Confederacy supporters.. The determined ignorance of elected officials, as well as
destructive “protestors,” in spite of correction, is embarrassing and reprehensible.
both SCUM!
Goodbye Bob and Lamar! TN history is important so we remember the sacrifices made on both sides of this issue…never to repeat the wrong again! Our governor and US Senators have become too self absorbed. We are still a nation of laws. Read the code.
U.S. Code › Title 18 › Part I › Chapter 65 › § 1369
18 U.S. Code § 1369 – Destruction of veterans’ memorials
US Code
Notes
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(a) Whoever, in a circumstance described in subsection (b), willfully injures or destroys, or attempts to injure or destroy, any structure, plaque, statue, or other monument on public property commemorating the service of any person or persons in the armed forces of the United States shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
(b) A circumstance described in this subsection is that—
(1) in committing the offense described in subsection (a), the defendant travels or causes another to travel in interstate or foreign commerce, or uses the mail or an instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce; or
(2) the structure, plaque, statue, or other monument described in subsection (a) is located on property owned by, or under the jurisdiction of, the Federal Government.
72 STAT.]
Public Law 85-425 MAY 23, 1958
AN ACT
To increase the monthly rates of pension payable to widows and former widows of deceased veterans of the Spanish-American War, Civil War, Indian War, and Mexican War, and provide penslons to widows of veterans who served in the military or naval forces of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.
[H.R. 358
Veterans’ widows. Pension increase.
71 Stat. 106 107 38 U S C 2431 2432
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That the Veterans’ benefits Act of 1957 (Public Law 85-56) is
amended:
(1) In section 431, strike out the figure “$52.50” and insert the figure “$65”.
(2) In subsection 432 (a), strike out the figure “$54.18” and insert the figure “$65″,
and strike out the figure ‘$67.73” and insert the figure “$75’.
(3) Section 432 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection:
“(e) For the purpose of this section, and section 433, the term ‘veteran’ includes a person who served in the military or naval forces of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, and the term ‘active, military or naval service’ includes active service in such forces.”
(4) In section 433, strike out the figure ‘$48.77″ and insert the figure “$73.13” 38 U S C 2433, 2434.
.
(5) In subsection 434 (a), strike out the figure “$54.18” and insert the figure “$65”, and strike out the figure “$67.73” and insert the figure “$75”.
(6) In section 435, strike out the figure “$48.77” and insert the figure “$73.13”. 38 usc 2435
(7) In subsection 436 (a), strike out the figure “$54.18” and insert the figure “$65”,
and strike out the figure “$67.73” and insert the figure “$75”. 71 stat 108 38 USC 2436 2437
(8) In section 437, strike out the figure “$62.31” and insert the figure “$73.13”.
(9) Immediately above section 411, insert the following:
71 stat. 105.
CONFEDERATE FORCES VETERANS
“SEC. 410. The Administrator shall pay to each person who served in the military or naval forces of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War a monthly pension in the same amounts and subject to the same conditions as would have been applicable to such person under the laws in effect on December 31, 1957, if his service in such forces had been service in the military or naval service of the United States.”
Effective date.
SEC, 2. This Act shall be effective from the first day of the second calendar month following its enactment.
Approved May 28, 1958.
The government doesn’t, nor can it, discriminate between veterans of different wars, so any law covering one statue or monument would have to cover all statues and monuments,
regardless of which war the statue or monument honored the veterans of that war.
@83ragtop50 you are so right! Alexander doesn’t care about the history of Tennessee. Or its citizens.
He’s a privileged wealthy elitist from the eastern part of the state (think Haslam, La Raza Randy, Corker) who was groomed for politics, starting with Boys State in high school. A PR firm told him he was out of touch with Tennesseans and to put on a casual checked shirt and walk across the state if he wanted to be governor! He smells like a D.C. swamp creature.
It is time to remove Alexander. He has pandered to the left much too long already. Thank goodness I have moved away from Tennessee and no longer must put up with Alexander in our government.
Lamar thinks he is safe because he isnt up until 2020–he is going to be replaced then, he just doesnt know it now. RINO HUNTING SEASON opens next year–we get Corker OUT. Hopefully there is a yet-unannounced heavyweight about to enter the race and challenge that loser–PLEASE PLEASE HURRY
He needs to be gone NOW! If he can’t stand up for his own beliefs and caves to Demonrats, how is he going to stand up for yours?
How much longer do we have to put up with Mr. Alexander? He had already become a RINO when I arrived in Tennessee in 2006. He should be removed not the bust of General Forrest.