“The Historic
Properties Advisory Commission by law has control over the statues in
the Rotunda of the State Capitol, and recently I asked the Commission to
review the appropriateness of the Jefferson Davis statue remaining in
the Rotunda," Beshear said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The Commission received thousands of public comments and consulted
with state historians. After reviewing all the information, the
consensus it reached is that the Jefferson Davis statue represented a
part of the state’s history and will remain in the Capitol. However, the
panel voted to establish a committee that would determine ways to
ensure the statues, including Jefferson Davis, are displayed in the
appropriate historical context.
"While many Kentuckians feel that it would be preferable for the
Jefferson Davis statue to be in a museum setting, the addition of this
educational and historical context is critical. The generations to come
must understand the enormous toll of the Civil War that tore apart this
nation and the tragic issue of slavery at the root of that war.
"Kentucky played a unique historical role as the birthplace of the
presidents of both sides of the conflict. We must ensure that dark
chapter of our nation’s past serves to educate in ways that ensure such a
tragedy can never happen again.”
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