‘Melt It Down!' Or ‘Put It Back!' Texans Weigh in on What to Do With Confederate Plaque

AUSTIN — Nearly 100 Texans have submitted ideas for what to do with a Confederate plaque removed from the state Capitol last month.The Children of the Confederacy plaque was erected in 1959 and claimed that slavery was not the underlying cause of the Civil War. After calls for its removal gained momentum last year, state leaders voted in January to remove the plaque. But they haven't yet decided where it should go. Two weeks ago, the State Preservation Board agreed to open up public comment for 90 days. Board staff confirmed it has received nearly 100 emails and calls since then.Just more than half of those citizens supported the plaque's removal and called for it to be put in a museum or destroyed, according to copies of emails The Dallas Morning News received under the Texas Public Information Act. Another 40 or so comments oppose its removal or ask for it to be re-erected. A small number are neutral.The most common suggestion thus is for Children of the Confederacy plaque to be relocated to a museum. Several respondents said either the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum or the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn. would be appropriate choices. A number of other people suggested it be given to the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the national organization based in Richmond, Va. The Children of the Confederacy, which raised $201 to install the plaque 50 years ago, is an auxiliary of the UDC.One woman suggested the state give it to her so she can hang it in her home. Below are a sample of the comments submitted to the state since Jan. 25. All 95 comments can be read here, here and here.  Continue reading...