It has been nearly four years since Congress' mandate and the
DOD has only until Jan. 1 to finish the job.
Honor Fourth of July by removing Confederate names, symbols from
military bases
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Rivka Maizlish Read the full piece here
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Friend,
Over three and a half years ago, Congress voted by an overwhelming,
bipartisan majority (86-14 in the Senate
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) to strip the U.S. military of names and symbols that glorify and pay
homage to the "Lost Cause" of the Confederacy.
It is embarrassing that our country ever had military bases named
after men who waged war against the U.S. to defend the institution of
slavery and maintain white supremacy.
When Congress passed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act,
there were nine U.S. military bases named for Confederate officers and
nearly 800 other examples of Confederate iconography - including
flags, statues and building names - on military property.
This past September, the Defense Department's Naming Commission
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came up with names of real American heroes to replace the Confederate
names for military bases. Since then, the Defense Department (DOD) has
renamed five bases. In early June, Fort Bragg in North Carolina
- named for Confederate General Braxton Bragg - became
Fort Liberty. An enslaver in Louisiana, Bragg was known for being a
cruel and sadistic general. He was also a failure as a military
strategist, suffering repeated losses that hastened the defeat of the
Confederacy. There is no reason to honor this man, and every reason to
purge our military of all symbols of white supremacy.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has been pushing to remove Confederate
symbols from all public property for nearly 10 years, and we recognize
the progress that the DOD has made. But the fact remains that it has
been nearly four years since Congress' mandate. The DOD has only
until Jan. 1 to finish the job. We call on military leaders and the
Biden administration to take swift and decisive action in the coming
months.
The DOD must be especially firm and decisive, because those defending
the legacy of treason and white supremacy are pushing back. On June 9,
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis promised
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to change the name of Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg if he is
elected president. Former Vice President Mike Pence followed suit. An
adviser to Pence defended this position, stating that
"Mike's view is that we should be learning from history,
and not trying to erase history."
Read More
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In solidarity,
Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center
The SPLC is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond,
working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy,
strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of
all people.
Friend, will you make a gift to help the SPLC fight for
justice and equity in courts and combat white supremacy?
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