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2 Bills in Georgia Target Confederate Monuments, Stone Mountain

A bill filed in the Georgia House of Representatives this week would remove protections for Confederate monuments on public property in the state of Georgia. 

A bill filed in the Georgia House of Representatives this week would remove protections for Confederate monuments on public property in the state of Georgia.

Pro Roof GA

The bill is co-sponsored by fellow Democrat state representatives Mary Margaret Oliver, Shelly Hutcheson, Teri Anulewicz, Sandra Scott, and Derrick Jackson.

House Bill 175, which has not yet been assigned to a committee, strikes language from OCGA 50-3-1 which currently prohibits the removal, relocation, or defacing of publicly owned monuments, plaques markers, or memorials which are dedicated to, honor, or recount the military service of any past present military personnel. HB 175 strikes the protections for monuments and plaques related to the “Confederate States of America or the several states thereof.” Currently, it’s a misdemeanor to deface, defile, remove, or relocate monuments on public property.

If passed, statues and memorials on public property related to the Confederacy would no longer be protected or and acts against them would not be punishable under Georgia law.

Additionally, the bill amends language related to Stone Mountain. Current law ensures that the faces on Stone Mountain can never be removed, altered, concealed, or obscured and OCGA 50-3-1(c) says Stone Mountain “shall be preserved and protected for all time as a tribute to the bravery and heroism of the citizens of this state who suffered and died in their cause.”

But HB 175:

  • strikes those protections of Stone Mountain, and
  • reads that no publicly or privately owned monument shall be on public property, and
  • instead directs such monuments to be displayed in state-owned museums.
  • Strikes language that ensures the Confederate flag is not prohibited from being flown on public OR private property, including decorative or patriotic purposes, either inside or outside of any residence, store, place of business, public building, or school building (which is currently protected in OCGA 50-3-10)
    • NOTE: This would not prohibit the flying of the flag on private property but would not offer it the same protections as the US flag on private property, meaning it could be restricted by local governments and Homeowner’s Associations.
  • Strikes language would claims that the Stone Mountain Memorial Association’s responsibility includes “maintaining an appropriate and suitable memorial for the Confederacy”

You can read the bill here.

[Contact the sponsors of HB 175 by email at: renitta.shannon@house.ga.gov, derrick.jackson@house.ga.gov, sandra.scott@house.ga.gov, mmo@mmolaw.com, teri.anulewicz@house.ga.gov, shelly.hutchinson@house.ga.gov }

Former state representatives Jason Spencer and LaDawn Jones in 2017 discussed dropping legislation that would have empowered local governments, on their own accord, to either sell the monuments to a private entity with a bonafide interest, or to give the monuments to Stone Mountain for safe keeping. Spencer called the measures approach “Jeffersonian” in that it would have allowed for local control based on the desires of the citizens and their representatives.  Additionally, Stone Mountain would be converted from a “Confederate monument” to “historical monument” recognizing the role Georgia played in the Civil War. The bill never fully came to fruition and neither of the two are serving any longer.

But a second bill filed in the Senate may permit something similar to what Spencer and Jones discussed in 2018. Senate Bill 51 by Senators Elena Parent, Jen Jordan, Nikema Williams, Ed Harbison, Harold Jones, and Sheikh Rhaman, would allow the monuments to be moved if the local entity adopts a resolution to do such.

You can see Senate Bill 51 here. It has been assigned to the Senate committee on Government Oversight.

[Contact the sponsors of SB 51 by email at: elena.parent@senate.ga.gov, jennifer.jordan@senate.ga.gov, nikema.williams@senate.ga.gov, ed.harbison@senate.ga.gov, harold.jones@senate.ga.gov, sheikh.rahman@senate.ga.gov ]

Jessica Szilagyi is a former Statewide Contributor for AllOnGeorgia.com.

64 Comments

64 Comments

  1. Claudia

    February 7, 2019 at 8:02 pm

    Wow! So the bill would effectively lead to the possibility that my local government can control what I do in my house??? Seriously??? So when are they starting to burn books and get rid of “Gone with the Wind” and associated film, historical markers and houses, etc… ?? This is insane…

    • Wendy Hayslett

      February 8, 2019 at 2:33 am

      God Help Them- If they try to do this to My Family!!! These Evil-Ass, Racist, Hate Groups Who Are Destroying America- I told You to Stand Up To Them!!!! I told you They Would Not Stop!!!!

    • Ann Bourn

      February 8, 2019 at 3:37 pm

      I agree too much power and authority against the American people, Families and Heritage! 😥

    • Donkey Haute

      February 8, 2019 at 4:43 pm

      No, it just removes special protections. But you know that already.

  2. Gwen Barber

    February 7, 2019 at 8:15 pm

    How can this bill be stopped? Please advise.

    • Jessica Szilagyi

      February 7, 2019 at 11:05 pm

      You can contact the sponsors of the bill. Once the bill has been assigned to a committee, you can contact the committee members as well.

  3. Deanna jolley

    February 7, 2019 at 8:37 pm

    This is wrong…. Leave our Heritage alone, I’m proud of our monuments. There is always someone getting bullshit started, I live by the Bible and our Heritage, and always will……

    • William

      February 8, 2019 at 8:29 am

      If white Christians loved Jesus more than they hated African-Americans we’d never have had the confederacy in the first place.

      • Mary stevens

        February 9, 2019 at 4:10 am

        War was not about slavery. Read Lincoln’s inaugural address. Read Corwin Amendment. Read the first emancipation proclamation.

        • Wayne Cash

          February 10, 2019 at 12:05 am

          Your talking to the most arrogant, ignorant, UN American people alive the ignorant sorry ass democrat white and ignorant sorry ass democrat black.

      • Tom McClaugherty

        February 9, 2019 at 9:59 am

        Compromise; Want to erase history but to Racist to be fair? How about ALL Martin Luther King mentions be removed. ALL Jessie Jackson, Big Al Sharpton and any other Racist out to make a name for themselves and get RICH.
        Eliminate all of these as a show of gesture, when you are UNWILLING to eliminate every road in the Country that bears the name of Martin Luther King, THEN you will feel the same as we do, it’s history, DON’T change it or rewrite it.

      • Timothy

        February 9, 2019 at 10:13 am

        If you knew anything you were talking about, then you know the bible condoned slavery.

        • MaryAnnie Hughes

          February 9, 2019 at 3:36 pm

          Wrong! The Bible records slavery. Please show me the Scripture that says, “and God said let there be slavery”‘ or “thou shalt be or cause to be a slave”.

      • Phaedrus

        February 10, 2019 at 5:51 am

        In reply to the painfully ignorant comment that “If white people loved Jesus more than they hated blacks…” approximately 460,000 white christian men sacrificed their lives attempting to preserve the Union and end slavery.
        But your race warlords don’t want you thinking about that, or anything else. Just continue to hate.

  4. Brian

    February 7, 2019 at 10:05 pm

    They can’t promote jobs and prosperity in their districts so they go after historical monuments. When they go to Greece and Italy on vacation do they demand and protest the slave owning ancient societies which millions of tourists expect to see?

  5. Nelda Smith

    February 7, 2019 at 10:12 pm

    DEMONCRATS, OF COURSE! DON’T TOUCH ANY OF OUR MONUMENTS! We have had ENOUGH of the Democrat Insanity. It is time to lock these Pedophiles, Murderers, Baby Body Parts Salesmen, Thieves, and Child Sex Traffickers up ! There is no punishment too harsh for these murderers and traitors against The USA’s Citizens!

    • Danny Ray stanaland

      February 8, 2019 at 9:58 am

      AMEN Nelda Smith

      • SGT

        February 12, 2019 at 12:17 pm

        Yes! I say we start protecting these statues with force.

  6. Shirley

    February 7, 2019 at 10:13 pm

    Stone Mountain is a work of art. What’s next, Mount Rushmore because they are four old white men?

    • Justsaytruthnow

      February 9, 2019 at 1:17 am

      They are not just 4 old men, they are 4 old republican Presidents.

      • MARK WOLCHKO

        February 11, 2019 at 5:39 pm

        Washington and Jefferson were not Republicans. Washington was a Federalist, an Jefferson was an Anti-Federalist. They were on opposite sides of our Original Political Debate. Please know History if you intend to Comment. You do not just say truth now.

  7. William Perkins

    February 7, 2019 at 10:20 pm

    Stone Mountain. One can draw the conclusion that the image of the men with their hats off is a sign of surrender. That they are acknowledging their mistakes. Therefore, those that are demanding its removal support the return of slavery.

  8. Marlene Squires

    February 7, 2019 at 11:33 pm

    This is our history!!! Good or bad it is what it is and we want all future generations to avoid past mistakes. Everyone should know that statues and monuments are stern reminders of what happened and not to repeat it!!!

    • Ga Peach

      February 9, 2019 at 11:40 am

      AMEN!!! History made us what we are now………..will we tear down the Pyramids because Egypt probably used (at least partially) slaves to help make these? You must not destroy history…..it gives us a standard of how to conduct ourselves with honor in the future!!

  9. Peggy Fulford

    February 7, 2019 at 11:39 pm

    Leave our monuments alone, our history is going down the drain because of Democrats.

  10. JAMES JOSEPH KERLEY

    February 7, 2019 at 11:51 pm

    Stone Mountain isn’t going anywhere!The damn Republicans in Georgia had better kill that bill dead,because anything short of that will be political suicide!This will cause an up rising you people are not going to be able to handle.The Georgia Republicans had better stop this now before it does get out of hand!PASS THE LAW PROTECTING OUR HISTORICAL MONUMENTS… NOW!!!

  11. Gwen

    February 7, 2019 at 11:53 pm

    What is wrong with these racist Nazi government politicians. Leave our American HISTORICAL moments alone!

  12. gary davis

    February 8, 2019 at 12:50 am

    I don’t live in that state im going leave amessage any way that’s all a bunch of malarkey they should never remove any statues are mountain things are rather any confederate flags leave them where they are there not hurting any thing I live in la the stupid government removed all the statues in new orleans la whitch is crazy an getting back to the dixie flag id druther see it fly than the American flag yoou see im have in indian an wanna talk about the American flag guess what all those Indians seen right before they got killed you guessed it but I don’t hold nothing aganst the American flag are any flag an all that happened avery long time ago when is this all going to stop now see if every one who had something against the American flag are any thing American would you start takeing all that down to its got to stop sooner are later just my thought

  13. NOYB

    February 8, 2019 at 1:12 am

    So sick of this anti-memorual monuments nonsense!! Stop lying about them and leave them be! Furthermore, the carving IS Stone Mountain!!!

  14. Vonkaos

    February 8, 2019 at 3:52 am

    Modern day democrats equals the Taliban…

  15. Patricia L. Summers

    February 8, 2019 at 5:31 am

    Now just as soon as. all monuments are torn down, all movie, books an such are burned. We will b rid of our problems won’t we. Well! wont we. America is in a war right on our own soil, it is a civil war. If the media would quit feeding the hungry bear so much of this would go away. Talk about right being taken. Don’t I have a right to look at monuments of history , if someone else has the right to destroy. You can not erase history.

  16. James Gay

    February 8, 2019 at 8:22 am

    I WILL FIGHT FIRST FOR OUR UNBORN CHILD AND BORN CHILDREN. THESE LIBERALS ARE GOING TO BE STOPPED IN EVERY THING GOD HAS GIVEN US .

  17. Steven F Hale

    February 8, 2019 at 8:25 am

    In typical HYPOCRAT form, these Morons are all about dictating to everyone else while always making excuses for themselves and the Fools who follow them.
    This is what the Death of Freedom looks like, Folks.

  18. David

    February 8, 2019 at 8:38 am

    He who destroys the vestiges of history, invite the same (now hidden) historical miseries to be inflicted on his children and their children- IF they are ever begotten.

  19. James Gay

    February 8, 2019 at 8:40 am

    We will stop liberals for using our history as HATE our CHILDREN are SLOWLY losing history they are not being tought about our past . TRUTH DURING THE CIVIL WAR HATEFUL ACTS HAPPENED ON BOTH SIDES HISTORY WILL SHOW THIS .BURNING HOMES PROPERTY AND KILLING WOMEN AND CHILDREN ON BOTH SIDES. YOU CAN’T WIPE OUT OUR HISTORY THAT BELONGS TO OUR CHILDREN.

  20. Usunder53

    February 8, 2019 at 8:43 am

    These people need to be put in a straight jacket Why do they work so hard to take away our freedom after all the men, women and innocent lives die that we may be a free country. I will fight & die for my freedom.

    And targeting Stone Mountain is the racist side of the government. There has never been anything racist about that monument that isn’t made up by the race baiters of America. The democrats puppets never thought of anything like that until they were told to think that.

  21. Mark Fread

    February 8, 2019 at 9:45 am

    This is our history leave it alone, what would happen if all MLK statues and monuments and road sign became offensive would you not cry racist if we demanded they be removed ?? yes you would, leave our history alone. This history has been here for over 150 years and it just now offends the weak minded. If you do not like the history move to another country where you may get your way.

  22. Edward Kenimer

    February 8, 2019 at 10:25 am

    Do Not Pass This Bill

  23. Ken

    February 8, 2019 at 10:38 am

    Racisim at its finest.
    Lets go on and remove the MLK, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington monuments as well.

  24. Willy

    February 8, 2019 at 10:54 am

    Sheikh Rhaman?! LOL. This guy immigrated from some benighted culture and then wants to denigrate Georgia’s history.

  25. Patrick

    February 8, 2019 at 11:16 am

    They are the same Ideology as ISIS , destroying Historic artifacts of A Thousand Years * what a disgrace to the Human Race ! Stand up People ! Or your Home will be next !!

  26. Margie Hollister

    February 8, 2019 at 12:29 pm

    Dumb black cunts.

    • Bobby Brooker - Georgia

      September 12, 2019 at 4:36 pm

      There you go Margie Hollister !! Now you’re gettin’ to the real problem !! All they are is an IGNORANT MOB !! THEY DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT A TOWN, A STATE, A POLITICAL PARTY OR THEIR CHILDREN !!! THEY’RE TO IGNORANT TO GET ANY POSITIVE ATTENTION THROUGH A JOB OR BY ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING THAT WOULD BENEFIT AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY !! ALL THEY DO TO GET ATTENTION IS SHOW THEIR IGNORANCE ABOUT THINGS THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT !! AN IGNORANT MOB HAS NEVER DONE ANYTHING FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE !!! NEVER !!! I DON’T MIND PEOPLE OBJECTING TO SOMETHING , “IF” THEY DO IT THE RIGHT WAY !! , BUT AN IGNORANT MOB HAS “NEVER” DONE “ANYTHING” THE RIGHT WAY !!! 75 % OF THESE IGNORANT MOBS DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY ARE SHOWING THEIR IGNORANCE ABOUT !!! WHITE OR BLACK , THESE IDIOTS ARE CAUSING EVERYBODY UNDESREVED PROBLEMS !! YEAH , THE BLACKS TOO !!! I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE “ALL” OF THE mlk CRAP REMOVED FROM OUR COUNTRY !! IT OFFENDS ME !!! IT’S RACIST !!! STOP THE MOBS , BY WHATEVER MEANS !!!

  27. Karen

    February 8, 2019 at 1:04 pm

    This is what happens when idiots are put into office. This is part of our country’s history and I’m getting so sick of people destroying history. Beware – these people want a socialist nation and are trying to get rid of every reminder that the people not the politicians are this country and the people can stand against a tyrannical government.

  28. Alice Baker

    February 8, 2019 at 1:24 pm

    How can they do this ? Looks like the people could vote on this. This is one reason Stacey is not our governor. This would have been first thing on her agenda. This needs to be stopped.

  29. joy kirby

    February 8, 2019 at 1:29 pm

    what is next! leave our monuments alone.!!!! what would they say if people wanted to remove MLK from everythg.i m sick of these baby killing hating everyone who does not agree wth them [demon] crats

  30. Curtis Loew

    February 8, 2019 at 1:31 pm

    “Nationalism, within proper limits, has the divine sanction; an imperialism that would, in the interest of one people, obliterate all lines of distinction is everywhere condemned as contrary to the divine will. Later prophecy raises its voice against the attempt at world-power, and that not only, as is sometimes assumed, because it threatens Israel, but for the far more principal reason, that the whole idea is pagan and immoral.

    Now it is through maintaining the national diversities, as these express themselves in the difference of language, and are in turn upheld by this difference, that God prevents realization of the attempted scheme… [In this] was a positive intent that concerned the natural life of humanity. Under the providence of God each race or nation has a positive purpose to serve, fulfillment of which depends on relative seclusion from others.” ~ Geerhardus Vos in Biblical Theology

  31. Kai Guettner

    February 8, 2019 at 2:15 pm

    How about you demoncrats actually do your jobs and do for the people and not for yourselves. You have GA citizens out of work, GA citizens in poverty, GA roads that need to be fixed, GA bridges that need to be fixed, GA small businesses that need tax breaks, GA citizens dying from opioids and other drugs, GA crime rates that are going up, illegal aliens running around everywhere, so called Muslim refugees who are refusing to assimilate being placed in communities in your districts that didn’t have a say in whether they wanted them in their communities or not, and so many more things that need real attention. Yet somehow, tearing down our history (good or bad) is your top priority. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Erasing history only helps the conquers. You do realize these are the same tactics that the Nazi’s used before they enslaved an entire continent, started a World War and murdered millions of innocents? You do realize that, don’t you?

  32. BOBBY CORDELL

    February 8, 2019 at 4:07 pm

    Iqnorance is all that runs for a political office , ashame these people are so stupid they understand no history only have contempt for anyone that disagrees with their PC iqnorance, our schools are failing use due to liberal teachers that are also iqnorant being taught by a socialist professor , thats overpaid by us, the taxpayer.

  33. Sam Adams

    February 8, 2019 at 4:55 pm

    I could care what a bunch of Socialist/Democrats want.
    If they don’t like our monuments, they can go back up North
    where they came from. We don’t need a bunch of Poodle walkin Yankee’s
    making laws in the South. Go home.

    • Warren Garman

      February 9, 2019 at 2:30 pm

      Do you think that you have the right to call the people trying to pass this bill a bunch of Yankee’s? There are a lot of northerners who lived in the south and many that have never lived there, but they all still want our history left alone, whether it be north or south. The only ones trying to destroy history are the DAM DEMOCRATS!

      • Sherri Kelly

        March 4, 2019 at 11:55 am

        I don’t agree with your statement I was born and raised in Ohio but have been in Georgia for over 35yrs and consider myself a southerner now and don’t agree with tearing down monuments they are a part of our history good and bad and should be left alone

  34. Brenda Joyce Taylor

    February 8, 2019 at 5:21 pm

    Please do not touch Stone Mountain — please quit trying to erase history.

  35. Robert

    February 8, 2019 at 5:38 pm

    Revisionist history! What purpose? History cannot be erased by burning books and removing markers and statues! I pray we can kill this thing,and hope the sponsors are not re-elected. They do notrepresent our views! They represent the democratic turn to the left to place America into a downward spirialing big government take over and killing states rights. This is not Constitutional … and that is exactly what the Democrats want … to weaken or delete the Constitution! We must stand together and fight these acts of atrocity on our history and culture

  36. William Bernos

    February 8, 2019 at 5:38 pm

    The war happened and there were heros on both sides. These are ignorant people in politics these days. Just look at their faces and tell me they know anything about the civil war with the exception of what they’ve been told of slavery. Its strictly a destruction of anything they disagree with.

  37. Ralph Montigny

    February 9, 2019 at 9:19 am

    These democommies want another civil war,they think they can win this time,they can’t.
    From a Son of the Confederacy

  38. Malcolm Walker

    February 9, 2019 at 11:25 pm

    The democrat politician need to think about how good things are in our World here in the U.S. right now, It looks like they don’t know anything about History, Ask them if they have ever heard of the PAX ROMANA? GOD is the only one that can take your life, I see a time of trouble like never before or ever again where people will beg to die and death will flee from them, that is what I see and it is not good, (THINK) THERE IS NOT ANYTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN. (I’m from the TENNESSEE MOUNTAINS) MAN WALKER F.B. title

  39. William

    February 10, 2019 at 1:41 am

    Its suck

  40. George

    February 10, 2019 at 8:23 am

    Ignorance abounds in The Georgia House of Representatives, pity the people who Voted these ignorant asswipes into office.

  41. John W Dove

    February 11, 2019 at 11:41 pm

    Fuck Y’all. Try coming onto my property to take anything. The first five will meet their maker. Sorry ass snot nose cocksuckers that thinks their shit dont stink always trying to stir up something. Leave the shit along and you wont hear a damn thing about it. Nobody cares until yall suit wearing fuckers decide that yall give a shit. Do something that will make a difference. Create or find jobs, lower taxes, help more with medical and prescriptions. Help the homeless, open more drug treatment facilities. Do something to bring our communities together. Build a wall on our Southern border. Do something moving forward, the past is gone and we can never change that. Remember this, take one monument down then go on to downtown Atlanta and take down the MLK statues monuments. While you’re at it, go ahead and start a civil war in Georgia.

  42. Joel

    February 13, 2019 at 12:38 am

    This is just another way the Democrats are trying to make people forget history. The took history out of schools so the young would never learn about what they did so now they will make the same mistakes over again.
    Statues and monuments are all part of history, destroying them doesn’t erase history, it just says that they don’t care about America and only care about themselves.

  43. james kinney

    February 17, 2019 at 8:26 pm

    When are we going to burn the books ?

  44. Jackie Scarboro

    June 16, 2020 at 9:42 am

    Leave our heritage alone,,, Please ,Let the laws stand ,,ITS ABOUT HERITAGE NOT HATE

  45. Jackie Scarboro

    June 16, 2020 at 9:47 am

    Please DONT MAKE THINGS WORSE THAN WHAT THEY ALREADY ARE,,NO MORE DESTRUCTION,, LET THEM STAY

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