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July 28, 2020 <br /> <br />7. Just move it. The public has made their mind up already. It will never be safe and the <br />fact that one of the soldiers fell on a citizen is bad enough. Portsmouth really doesn't <br />need to leave this monument in public sight as a painful reminder. Even if you do restore <br />it, it needs to be somewhere safe, like a museum. I've heard more charming ideas of <br />⛲ <br />what to put in its place. A fountain , a willow tree �, Missy Elliot, all 3 of these... Out <br />with the old. In with the new! <br /> Michael Thornton <br />1306 Marshall Avenue, Portsmouth <br /> <br />8. Because of the pandemic, we are unable to meet you face to face to express our <br />concerns regarding the monument. As for my ancestors and my history perspective, <br />the monument represents enslavement of an entire race of people. It represents <br />treason against the union when preferring to fight a civil war rather than free slaves. It <br />represents, rape, murder, lynching, whippings and so much more to so many Blacks. A <br />group of Africans, chained and enslaved brought here against their free will to help build <br />and work the land is my historical perspective from books I have read. The monument <br />on Court Street was used as a slave whipping post. The monument represents hate to <br />me and not heritage. As many other cities, counties and towns are doing, I ask you to <br />please vote to remove the stain that for many of your citizens represents a time in history <br />better put to rest in a cemetery so we may begin to heal this great city and make it the <br />city that shines just a little brighter for all its people. <br />Costella B. Williams <br />21 Shamrock Drive <br /> <br />9. The City of Portsmouth must remove the Confederate Monument. We are trying to <br />bring a revenue-generating casino to Portsmouth and we have to make this city inviting <br />to all people. We cannot do this with a monument that honors traitorous men who <br />waged war against the United States government so they could deny human rights to <br />others. <br /> <br />The monument insults the service and sacrifice of the men and women who are <br />stationed at the Coast Guard base located in Portsmouth as well as presents them with <br />a cruel paradox, for Portsmouth is the home of a major U.S. military hospital <br />(Portsmouth Naval) which provided life-saving medical care to U.S. soldiers during the <br />Civil War, and right down the street is a Confederate monument, which honors and <br />glorifies the misdeeds of the traitorous men who put those same U.S. servicemen in <br />the hospital. This makes no sense whatsoever! No elected U.S. official should ever <br />support this type of madness. Times have changed. This city has changed. We have <br />to move Portsmouth forward for the betterment of all in our beloved city. Portsmouth <br />must wake up and get on the right side of history. Let us erect a monument that is <br />respectful of all people in our diverse city. <br />Randy Singleton <br />4351 Heron Point <br />Portsmouth, VA 23703 <br /> <br />10. Leave the monument where it for it does not belong to the city. Have it repaired, <br />build an 11 foot fence around it and put up a no trespassing sign on all sides of it. It <br />is a tourist attraction. I have a friend in TN who said there is nothing to go see in <br />Richmond now the monuments have been torn down. A judge has issued a 60 day <br />stay and Stoney can not take down the remaining one. It is wrong to destroy white <br />history. No one is trying to tear Martin L. King monuments down. His character was <br />flawed for he cheated on his wife Coretta. The war was not over slavery, but <br />economics. Several tariffs were imposed. John Quincy Adams imposed the "Tariff of <br />Abominations" which caused what the south bought to go up much as 30%. 60,000 <br />blacks fought for the south for they didn't want the north coming down and tearing <br />everything up. Some stayed on after they were freed and were paid. 99% of the war <br />was fought on southern turf. They were fighting for their homes. Most were <br />drafted. The yankees burned their homes to the ground, took their livestock, food and <br />raped the women. <br /> Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to cripple the south financially. Only <br />6% of the south owned slaves and I think they were plantation owners for poor people <br />could not afford them. They were expensive. My great grandpa Sullins fought for the <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />