Texas Confederate Vandalism & a Georgia law to protect it

February 18, 2019

Collins Parker,

DALLAS/ATLANTA (WDEF) – A vandalism case in Texas actually highlights an issue in Georgia right now.

Over the weekend, a vandal painted a political and obscene message onto a Confederate War Memorial in Dallas.

The message was a four letter word.. strung out with a couple of additional K’s “(***KKK) Trump Freedom.”

The Memorial has been in downtown Dallas for 120 years now, but the city council voted to have it removed.

Work crews were blasting the message off the memorial today, while the debate goes on about the monuments future (see video above for more information).

Meanwhile, 780 miles to the east, Georgia lawmakers are debating protecting more monuments from vandals.

In fact, Northwest Georgia’s own state senator, Jeff Mullis is sponsoring it.

It got it’s first presentation in committee last week.

Senator Mullis is proposing changing the law already on the books to protect more historical monuments from those who would destroy, damage or even move them.

Military monuments and memorials are already protected. His bill would extend that to all monuments, whether they be religious or historical, both public and private.

“This legislation was not introduced to cause a partisan dispute over specific monuments; it’s more personal than that.”

As we told you last week, Sen. Mullis offered the bill after the attack on gravestones, flags and markers at a Ringgold cemetery last year.

“Keeping historical monuments erected throughout our communities doesn’t mean that anyone has to agree with the message behind the monument. It is, however, a part of this country’s and state’s history and it is important that it is remembered, whether it be good or bad.”

“I know that not everyone is going to agree with this bill, or maybe not even fully understand its intent, but the history of our nation and the dignity of the deceased lies within these monuments that have become an unfortunate societal game.”

Sen. Mullis encourages input from the community on the bill. You can reach him at his office in Atlanta at 404-656-0057 or by email at jeff.mullis@senate.ga.gov.