The Madison County Courthouse is supposed to be a place of justice for all. As a place important to citizens of all backgrounds, the courthouse square is not the appropriate home for a monument honoring "the heroes who fell in defense of the principles which gave birth to the Confederate cause." The Confederate cause was to take up arms against the United States government in defense of slavery.

Move the Confederate monument to a museum where it can be explained in a historical context. Or move it to Maple Hill Cemetery to stand watch over the Confederates, known and unknown, resting there. Or put your heads together and designate some other spot of ground for Confederate memory. But remove it from the courthouse square, which is the symbolic heart of local government.

Huntsville, the county seat, is a forward-looking city with important ties to federal government. Since the early rocket days, Huntsville's identity has remained rooted in science and technology. Influenced by the presence of two African American colleges as well as NASA, the Army and related industries, Huntsville was the first city in Alabama to integrate public schools and facilities. As a leader for the region, Huntsville should lead the way in retiring the symbols of slavery and white supremacy from the public square.

Understanding Civil War history is important, but this monument does not represent true history. It represents the glorified myths of the "Lost Cause" that dominated twentieth century thought in Alabama, ideas that have been debunked by serious scholars.

As we approach Alabama's bicentennial year, the people of Alabama will be grappling with our histories and our myths. We must honestly acknowledge the brutality of slavery and racial discrimination because the effects still resonate in today's society. We need to preserve and learn from real history. We cannot move forward together as long as we cling to misunderstandings about the past.

Huntsville and Madison County, let's lead the way!

Sponsoring Organizations: Tennessee Valley Progressive Alliance, North Alabama Peace Network, Know Huntsville, Huntsville Progressive Letter Writers, Huntsville African-American History Project, Indivisible Athens Alabama, SURJ Huntsville, Alabama Solutions, Green Party of Madison County, REACHsv

Photo credit: Nikki DeHollander