For nearly two hours people spoke during the public comments section of the Caddo Parish Commission meeting about removing the Confederate Monument from in front of the Caddo Parish Courthouse.
Red Dukes wanted to keep it. He said, “By removing a monument you’re removing a headstone and a monument that was erected to those soldiers who perished and died.”
Margaret Edminson is 81 years old and remembers the days of seperate water fountains and signs dividing the town. She said “We already have enough reminders of things that you might say are in the past that are in the future.”
Dottie Bell added “Everybody breaking everything down into a race issue but people don’t understand it’s about humanity. Its whats right.”
Commissioner Mario Chavez made a motion to put this issue on the ballot in a special election but that was voted down. A vote was called and the reolution to remove the monument passed 7-5.
R.J Johnson, Chairman of the monuments Citizens Advisory Committee said, “I’m hopeful that this will continue a diaglogue between all sides of that issues so we can dtermine what is our next move as a community.”
Now the Caddo Parish Commission will have to figure out where to move the monument and how they will pay for it.
The Commissioners votes were as follows:
District 1 – Douglas “Doug” Dominick– No
District 2 – Lyndon B. Johnson-Yes
District 3 – Steven Jackson-Yes
District 5 – Jerald Bowman-Yes
District 6 – Lynn D. Cawthorne-Yes
District 7 – Stormy Gage-Watts-Yes
District 8 – Mike Middleton-No
District 9 – John E. Atkins-No
District 12 – Louis Johnson-Yes
