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Protesters Topple Monuments Amid Calls for the Removal of Confederate Symbols

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3 years ago

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  • Confederate and other slave-related monuments across the country—and even internationally—are being defaced and torn down by protesters.
  • In Richmond, Virginia, a judge ordered a 10-day injunction against Governor Ralph Northam after Northam announced plans to remove a statue of General Robert E. Lee.
  • The Marine Corps has now banned the use of the Confederate flag, saying it has been “co-opted by violent extremist and racist groups.”

Protesters Are Toppling Confederate Monuments

Amid the massive surge of calls to end police brutality following the death of George Floyd, protesters are also renewing efforts to remove Confederate monuments and symbols.

In many cases, protesters have started taking the situations into their own hands by defacing the monuments with messages like “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace.” In other situations, protesters have skipped waiting for their local governments to remove them—a process that can take years in some areas—and toppled the statues themselves.

On June 6, a statue of Confederate General Williams Carter Wickham in Richmond, Virginia, was pulled down by protesters. In Birmingham, Alabama, protesters tore down a similar Confederate statue on May 31.

The removal of statues invoking the idea of slavery hasn’t only occured in the United States. In Bristol, England on Sunday, protesters tied ropes around a statue of Edward Colston, a local merchant who made most of his fortune from trading slaves in the late 1600s. They then pulled that statue down before rolling it down the street and dumping it in the harbor. 

In several images, black protesters stood atop the base of the monument where that statue had been.

Some, such as Prime Minister Boris Johnson, called the protesters’ move a “criminal act” and promised to prosecute the individuals involved. 

Others, like one of the protest’s organizers Katie Finnegan-Clarke, told NPR that she found the action “poetic.” She added that Colston’s statue had been “dragged across the city and essentially thrown overboard into the water,” similar to how “so many people had suffered under his regime during the slave trade.”

Back in the U.S., overnight on Monday, local news agencies in Jacksonville, Florida reported that the monument of a Confederate infantryman had been removed. According to the city’s mayor Tuesday morning, he plans to take down more statues around the city. 

In Fredericksburg, Virginia, the city removed a 176-year-old slave auction block from downtown after it was defaced. 

In Mobile, Alabama, Mayor Sandy Stimpson said the city decided to take down a statue of a Confederate naval officer after it was defaced. In a tweet, Stimpson addressed a common issue many take with removing statues, saying the move “is not an attempt to rewrite history.” 

The University of Alabama began removing plaques on Monday dedicated to students who served in the Confederate army and student cadet corps. It was also later reported that the university is reviewing all building names, with the Student Government Association urging it to change “the names of campus buildings with racist namesakes.”

Judge Blocks Northam’s Order to Remove Lee Statue

Richmond, Virginia has also stepped into the center of the debate on whether or not to remove Confederate statues. Last week, Governor Ralph Northam ordered that an iconic but controversial statue of Robert E. Lee be taken down. 

According to Northam, it would then be placed in storage while a decision was made on what to do with it.

Notably, the 12-ton statue has been a major focal point of the protests in Richmond, with demonstrators crowding around it, many defacing its 40-foot-tall pedestal.

In a move not uncommon for these types of situations, a lawsuit has been mounted against Northam for trying to remove the statue. Because of that, on Monday, a judge ordered a 10-day injunction preventing Northam from removing that statue. 

There, the judge argued that Northam’s directive is a violation of an 1890 deed filed in Henrico County, which states that the commonwealth “guaranteed” to place the 12-ton statue and its 40-foot pedestal in its existing location and to “faithfully guard it and affectionately protect it.”

Part of the uncertainty revolving around whether the state can legally remove the statue is because Richmond annexed it and the surrounding land to the state in the 1890’s. As part of the deal, the state then agreed to that deed. 

Still, according to Northam’s press secretary, Northam “remains committed to removing this divisive symbol from Virginia’s capital city, and we’re confident in his authority to do so.” 

Tuesday morning, in a tweet, Northam said, “Make no mistake: it will come down.”

Marines Ban Display of Confederate Flags

It’s not just Confederate monuments. Many are also calling for agencies and governments to disavow the use of Confederate namesakes and the Confederate Battle Flag. 

On Monday, the U.S. Army said that Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper are open to holding a “bipartisan conversation” about renaming nearly a dozen major bases.

Still, nothing has been officially confirmed. 

On Friday, the Marine Corps took a much more solid stance by banning the use of the Confederate flag—even on everyday objects like bumper stickers and mugs. 

“The Confederate battle flag has all too often been co-opted by violent extremist and racist groups whose divisive beliefs have no place in our Corps,” the military branch said in a statement.

This order will not apply to historical paintings where the Confederate flag is depicted but not the subject. It also will not include flags which depict the symbol, such as Mississippi’s flag. 

In 2001, Mississippi held a vote on whether or not to keep that flag, but the state ultimately voted to keep it.

Because of that, Governor Tate Reeves has argued that it’s not up to elected leaders to change it. 

Still, activists argue that not only is the state’s population 38% black, currently, no one under the age of 37 in the state has ever been able to vote on whether or not to keep it.

See what others are saying: (NPR) (CNN) (USA Today)

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Survey and Census Data Shows Record Number of Americans are Struggling Financially

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1 week ago

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May 23, 2023

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Americans are choosing not to pursue medical treatment more and more frequently as they encounter money troubles.

A recent federal survey shows that a record number of Americans were worse off financially in 2022 than a year prior.

Coupled with recent census data showing pervasive poverty across much of the country, Americans are forced to make difficult decisions, like foregoing expensive healthcare. 

According to a recent Federal Reserve Bureau survey, 35% of adults say they were worse off in 2022 than 2021, which is the highest share ever recorded since the question was raised in 2014. 

Additionally, half of adults reported their budget was majorly affected by rising prices across the country, and that number is even higher among minority communities and parents living with their children.

According to recent census data, more than 10% of the counties in the U.S. are experiencing persistent poverty, meaning the area has had a poverty rate of 20% or higher between 1989 and 2019. 

16 states report at least 10% of their population living in persistent poverty. But most of the suffering counties were found in the South — which accounts for over half the people living in persistent poverty, despite making up less than 40% of the population. 

These financial realities have placed many Americans in the unfortunate situation of choosing between medical treatment and survival. The Federal Reserve study found that the share of Americans who skipped medical treatment because of the cost has drastically increased since 2020. 

The reflection of this can be found in the overall health of households in different income brackets. 75% of households with an income of $25,000 or less report being in good health – compared to the 91% of households with $100,000 or more income. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (The Hill) (Federal Reserve)

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Montana Governor Signs TikTok Ban

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2 weeks ago

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May 18, 2023

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The ban will likely face legal challenges before it is officially enacted next year. 

First Statewide Ban of TikTok

Montana became the first state to ban TikTok on Wednesday after Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed legislation aimed at protecting “Montanans’ personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party.”

The ban will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, though the law will likely face a handful of legal challenges before that date. 

Under the law, citizens of the state will not be held liable for using the app, but companies that offer the app on their platforms, like Apple and Google, will face a $10,000 fine per day of violations. TikTok would also be subject to the hefty daily fine. 

Questions remain about how tech companies will practically enforce this law. During a hearing earlier this year, a representative from TechNet said that these platforms don’t have the ability to “geofence” apps by state.

Roger Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics, told the Associated Press that app stores could have the capability to enforce the restriction, but it would be difficult to carry out and there would be a variety of loopholes by tools like VPNs.

Montana’s law comes as U.S. politicians have taken aim at TikTok over its alleged ties to the CCP. Earlier this year, the White House directed federal agencies to remove TikTok from government devices. Conservatives, in particular, have been increasingly working to restrict the app.

“The Chinese Communist Party using TikTok to spy on Americans, violate their privacy, and collect their personal, private, and sensitive information is well-documented,” Gov. Gianforte said in a Wednesday statement. 

Criticism of Montana Law

TikTok, however, has repeatedly denied that it gives user data to the government. The company released a statement claiming Montana’s law “infringes on the First Amendment rights of the people” in the state. 

“We want to reassure Montanans that they can continue using TikTok to express themselves, earn a living, and find community as we continue working to defend the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana,” the company said. 

The American Civil Liberties Union condemned Montana’s law for similar reasons. 

“This law tramples on our free speech rights under the guise of national security and lays the groundwork for excessive government control over the internet,” the ACLU tweeted. “Elected officials do not have the right to selectively censor entire social media apps based on their country of origin.”

Per the AP, there are 200,000 TikTok users in Montana, and another 6,000 businesses use the platform as well. Lawsuits are expected to be filed against the law in the near future.

See what others are saying: (Associated Press) (Fast Company) (CBS News)

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How a Disney-Loving Former Youth Pastor Landed on The FBI’s “Most Wanted” List

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1 month ago

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April 24, 2023

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 “Do what is best, not for yourself, for once. Think about everyone else,” Chris Burns’ 19-year-old son pleaded to his father via The Daily Beast. 

Multi-Million Dollar Scheme 

Former youth pastor turned financial advisor Chris Burns remains at large since going on the run in September of 2020 to avoid a Securities Exchange Commission investigation into his businesses.

Despite his fugitive status, the Justice Department recently indicted Burns with several more charges on top of the $12 million default judgment he received from the SEC. 

Burns allegedly sold false promissory notes to investors across Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida. The SEC claims he told the investors they were participating in a “peer to peer” lending program where businesses that needed capital would borrow money and then repay it with interest as high as 20%. Burns allegedly also reassured investors that the businesses had collateral so the investment was low-risk. 

The SEC says that Burns instead took that money for personal use. 

Burns’ History 

Burns began his adult life as a youth pastor back in 2007 before transitioning into financial planning a few years later.  By 2017, he launched his own radio show, The Chris Burns Show, which was funded by one of his companies, Dynamic Money – where every week Burns would “unpack how this week’s headlines practically impact your life, wallet, and future,” according to the description. He also frequently appeared on television and online, talking about finances and politics. 

The SEC alleges that he used his public appearances to elevate his status as a financial advisor and maximize his reach to investors.

His family told The Daily Beast that he became obsessed with success and he reportedly bought hand-made clothes, a million-dollar lakehouse, a boat, several cars, and took his family on several trips to Disney World. His eldest son and wife said that Burns was paying thousands of dollars a day for VIP tours and once paid for the neighbors to come along. 

Then in September 2020, he reportedly told his wife that he was being investigated by the Securities Exchange Commission but he told her not to worry. 

The day that he was supposed to turn over his business documents to the SEC, he disappeared, telling his wife he was just going to take a trip to North Carolina to tell his parents about the investigation. Then, the car was found abandoned in a parking lot with several cashier’s checks totaling $78,000

FBI’s Most Wanted

The default judgment in the SEC complaint orders Burns, if he’s ever found, to pay $12 million to his victims, as well as over $650,000 in a civil penalty. Additionally, a federal criminal complaint charged him with mail fraud. Burns is currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. 

Last week, the Justice Department indicted him on several other charges including 10 counts of wire fraud and two counts of mail fraud. 

“Burns is charged for allegedly stealing millions of dollars from clients in an illegal investment fraud scheme,” Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, said in a statement to The Daily Beast. “Financial crimes of this nature can cause significant disruptions to the lives of those who are victimized, and the FBI is dedicated to holding these criminals accountable.”

His family maintains that they knew nothing of Burns’ schemes. His wife reportedly returned over $300,000 that he had given to her. 

She and their eldest son, who is now 19, told The Daily Beast they just want Burns to turn himself in, take responsibility for his actions, and try to help the people he hurt. 

“Do what is best, not for yourself, for once. Think about everyone else,” Burns’ son said in a message to his father via The Daily Beast. 

See what others are saying: (The Daily Beast) (Fox 5) (Wealth Management)

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