Since 1922 the statue of Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith has stood in the U.S. Capitol Building as one of the two figures that represent Florida in National Statuary Hall.
If some lawmakers get their way his figure will be replaced. Some suggestions have included: industrialist Henry Flagler, entertainment pioneer Walt Disney or environmental legend Marjory Stoneman Douglas as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.On Wednesday the Florida House took the first step to replace his statue.
Even though there has been a backlash against confederate flags and memorabilia after the mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, Representative Jose Felix Diaz (R-Miami) says that is not his motivation.
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Diaz told the House Economic Development and Tourism Subcommittee before the bill was passed unanimously:
Then what is it? Diaz claims he was working on the bill prior to the shooting in South Carolina because he has been questioning the statue’s presence in statutory hall since he toured the U.S. Capitol when he was in high school.Edmund Kirby Smith was a general in the Confederacy, but that is not why I’m filing this bill.
Some people are complaining the removal of confederate flags and statues are a blatant attempt to erase history and should not be permitted.
