Editorial: Change Confederate Named Public Buildings and Parks in Eagle Pass, Texas
The current American movement against systemic racism, police brutality and use of excessive force, and equality under the law ignited by the tragic death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota by four police officers while one of them pinned his knee on his neck, as well as other African-American and Latino people killed by police brutality or excessive force in the United States, has swelled to a national call for removing monuments and statutes, renaming public buildings and parks, and objects named after a person who fought for and/or defended the Confederate States of America.
Many cities, counties, states, and public institutions are removing and/or renaming public places, buildings, monuments, parks, or objects honoring Confederate figures such as the City of Houston, Texas, the State of Virginia, Clemson University in South Carolina, University of Alabama, City of Jacksonville, Florida, and many others.
In some cities, protesters have toppled and removed monuments and statutes honoring Confederate figures.
NASCAR agreed to remove the use and display of the Confederate flag in all merchandise, race cars, insignias, and emblems.
Even the U.S. Secretary of Defense stated that he would consider renaming U.S. military bases that honor Confederate military leaders, and the U.S. Marine Corps announced a ban on Confederate symbols in public places and facilities. The U.S. Senate approved a committee to review the renaming of military bases named after Confederate figures.
U.S. House of Representative Speaker Nancy D. Pelosi requested that all statutes displayed in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building of Confederate figures be removed from public display.
The U.S. Civil War war arose because the southern states wanted to continue with slavery of African-Americans as a form of their economic, political, and legal systems. The Confederates perpetuated racism, segregation, inequality, inhumanity, and immorality. They were on the wrong side of history, morality, Christianity, and mankind. Unfortunately, its effects continue to affect the United States until all vestiges of it are removed.
Although the City of Eagle Pass came under control of the Confederate States of America for a few short years as a port for shipping supplies to the Confederate Army down the Rio Grande to the Gulf of Mexico, Eagle Pass became known as a sanctuary where African-Americans and people of color could seek refuge from the draconian southern states seeking to enslave them and later built a U.S. Army military base known as Fort Duncan, whose ruins still remain in downtown Eagle Pass. Eagle Pass always has been loyal to the United States.
Many Eagle Passans have always silently wondered and agreed that these public institutions and parks named after Confederate figures should be renamed, but did not do so publicly for fear of retaliation. The time for change is now. The momentum sweeping the United States is the correct historical and political moment to take action.
The Eagle Pass Independent School District has one public elementary school named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee located on South Monroe Street in Eagle Pass, Texas. General Robert E. Lee betrayed his allegiance to the United States of America and the U. S Army when he chose to defend the Confederate States of America during the Civil War for the purpose of propagating the barbaric and inhumane trade of slavery in the young United States of America. General Robert E. Lee committed treason upon switching to the Confederate States of America after serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army and becoming Commander of the Confederate Army resulting in the death of over 600,000 Americans. No person who betrayed and committed treason against the United States should have a public school, building, monument, or object named in his or her honor.
The time has come for the Eagle Pass Independent School District Board of Trustees to immediately rename the Robert E. Lee Elementary in honor of a local or American hero who valiantly fought and/or positively contributed to our community, State of Texas, and/or the United States of America.
The City of Eagle Pass, Texas has a public park named after Confederate General Joseph O. Shelby on the banks of the Rio Grande River in downtown Eagle Pass. Similarly to the Eagle Pass Independent School District, the Eagle Pass City Council should immediately rename Shelby Park in honor a local or American hero who has positively contributed to the history and/or heritage of the City of Eagle Pass, State of Texas, or United States.
The City of Eagle Pass also has a large painting of Confederate General Joseph O. Shelby with his Confederate soldiers burying the Confederate Flag in the Rio Grande displayed in the main lobby of the Eagle Pass City Hall. This painting of General Joseph O. Shelby, too, needs to be immediately removed from the main lobby of City Hall. City Hall is the community’s symbol of a democratic form of government and the painting of a Confederate General and soldiers is an insult to democracy and local citizens. This painting is embarrassing that it is placed in our hall of city government and sends the wrong message about what our community stands for to local citizens and visitors. The painting should be placed in the Fort Duncan Museum or donated to the Texas Institute of Texan Cultures or destroyed.
All Eagle Passans and Maverick Countians in support of renaming or removal of these public institutions, parks, monuments or objects in Eagle Pass named after a Confederate figure should write, email, or phone the Eagle Pass Independent School District Board of Trustees and the Eagle Pass City Council to take immediate action.
