Cities around the country are moving to remove symbols of the Confederacy from public places.
And on Tuesday, St. Petersburg removed a marker in honor of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. But on Wednesday, a Hillsborough County commissioner will propose banning the removal of any memorials in that county.
Commissioner Stacy White plans to introduce a billthat would ban the relocation of any public memorial or monument. The "Hillsborough County War Veterans' Memorial Protection Ordinance" would also prohibit the renaming of streets, bridges, buildings or public property named or dedicated in honor of military figures or U.S. Presidents.
The move comes on the heels of protests that persuaded commissioners to relocate a Confederate statue on the grounds of the Hillsborough County Courthouse.
White declined to be interviewed, saying in a statement: “One of my colleagues has scheduled an item on this Wednesday’s agenda to once again discuss downtown Tampa’s Confederate monument, Memoria in Aeterna. Needless to say, there has been much discussion from the public surrounding this item. One such topic of discussion is whether or not to send this matter to the people and hold a referendum to determine the fate of the monument. As I always do, I am in the process of doing my homework and analyzing information from my constituents so that I am prepared for Wednesday’s discussion, along with whatever action might be taken.”
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Times is reporting members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans are now standing guard over the Confederate monument. This comes after protestors toppled a Confederate statute in Durham, N.C.
