UNC system rejects $5M plan to house Confederate statue

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


By JONATHAN DREW
today

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s public university system rejected a proposal Friday to build a $5 million structure to house a toppled Confederate statue, opting instead to “go back to the drawing board” to figure out what to do with the monument.

University of North Carolina System Chairman Harry Smith said cost was a primary concern in turning down the proposal to move the statue known as “Silent Sam” into a new building on the outskirts of the Chapel Hill flagship campus. The statewide Board of Governors passed a resolution Friday to have several of its members work on a new plan that’s due in March.

Smith didn’t indicate where the statue could end up, but said he believes any move off campus would require changes to a strict state law on historical monuments.

“The $5.3 million dollars is, I think, pretty tough for a lot of us to swallow,” he told reporters. “We’re going to go back to the drawing board, in a team-like approach, and try to get it right.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/95301707e04a45b09b00634847c59d30

[Marcuse]

1. How about $1,000 worth of dynamite.

[Wolf Frankula]

2. What it needs is a gallows with a noose.

Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open Court. The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason."

Being a Confederate voluntarily is treason. By tradition treason is punished by hanging.

Wolf

(What is your Confederacy, your Secession? It is that poor white men shall fight and die, so rich white men may own slaves, and look down on poor white men.)

[marble falls]

3. For $1K a year they can store it in my garage ...

of course I will hammer it down into small pieces so to be better displayed in the closet.

[dalton99a]

4. House it in a landfill. Dump it in the first truck available

[mr_lebowski]

5. When this $ number came out a few weeks ago I said "NO FREAKING WAY this is happening" ...

Glad I was right. What a JOKE.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

6. Melt it down.

[brush]

7. Yep, that's the most sensible solution. Hope they finally arrive at that decision.

Way past time to stop honoring traitors.

[packman]

8. I'll take on the job - hammer and chisel

and even pay for the hammer and chisel

[stuffmatters]

9. Wow, 5M would fund so many scholarships in perpetuity

I thought UNC was an institution of higher learning not a mechanism for perpetuating ignorance.

[paleotn]

10. House it temporarily in a garbage truck

Then recycle it into something useful instead of a monument to traitors and racists.

[Takket]

11. students all over the nation are being crippled by college debt........

and we're debating spending 5.3 million to HOUSE A STATUE????????????? Are you fucking kidding me??????????????????? How many kids could that help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Melt the fucker down!!!!!!!!!!!

[GulfCoast66]

12. I understand state law says they can't remove it. From campus Got it.

But does it say how it should be displayed?

Just dump it out in a green area somewhere. I’m sure the art majors at UNC could get creative.

[Jake Stern]

13. How about putting it behind the maintenance shed?

Still "on display" just takes a little more time to find it.

[BlueWI]

14. Auction it off and fund scholarships.

Maybe Steve Wynn has a display room somewhere. Move the statue to an appreciative audience and earn a few dollars - why not??