Gov. Roy Cooper calls for Confederate statues to come down in North Carolina
RALEIGH, NC (WECT) - Governor Roy Cooper said Tuesday it's time for Confederate statues to come down across North Carolina and outlined a plan for their removal.
The governor shared his thoughts in a post on Twitter, along with a corresponding blog post.
Cooper's call for the statues to be removed from state property come following the unrest in Charlottesville last weekend.
"Charlottesville could have been Raleigh, or Asheboro, or any other city in North Carolina that is home to a Confederate monument. I don't pretend to know what it's like for a person of color to pass by one of these monuments and consider that those memorialized in stone and metal did not value my freedom or humanity. Unlike an African-American father, I'll never have to explain to my daughters why there exists an exalted monument for those who wished to keep her and her ancestors in chains." - Governor Roy Cooper
The governor put forth a plan for the removal of statues.
He said he believes the North Carolina legislature must repeal a 2015 law that prevents removal or relocation of monuments.
Second, he is requesting that the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources determine the cost and logistics of removing Confederate monuments. He asked for alternatives for their placement at museums or historical sites.
Cooper also came out against a bill that grants immunity from liability to motorists who strike protesters.
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