The Civil War is often attributed to fighting for state's rights over government control, but the heart of the issue was always slavery. Missouri had a unique position as a border state, but Cape Girardeau largely stood as a Union City. No matter what the "heritage not hate" believers claim, the Confederate Stance and flag represent nothing other than racism - and thus, its position in Cape Girardeau is ahistorical. In addition, the placement of this monument was initially at the foot of the old bridge to send a threatening message to all who enter - clearly, this is not a stance that we want to uphold. 2020 has been a tumultuous year for politics, but has succeeded in bringing an issue that truly matters to the forefront - that is, of course, the movement of Black Lives Matter, and the injustice of excessive and targeted murders of innocent black citizens at the hands of an oppressive police force. As of June 6, the Marine Corps has banned the Confederate Flag, and while this is a step in the right direction, it is vital that Confederate Monuments must be eradicated as well. Help Cape Girardeau stand on the right side of history by removing our 1931 Confederate War Monument, and affirm our city's stance that racism has no place here.
Photo Credits: By Larry J. Summary, Cape Girardeau Missouri - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3790428
Update #14 years ago
hello, i am thankful for your responses, and am proud to announce that the issue will be decided at City Council (July 6). we have the support of the historic preservation society, and over 500 signatures from cape county. if you can spare a few minutes, sending an email to our city council members could be vital. "i, name, a resident of cape county support the removal of the confederate monument for its racist history."
https://www.cityofcapegirardeau.org/departments/government/mayor__council
