Let’s forget for a minute the big mess in Charlottesville, VA and the big lies being told about that. Let’s just deal with the big lies being told about removing and relocating the Confederate Monument and the other monuments on the Court Square in Shelby and the big lies that are being told right here in Cleveland County right now.
The Shelby Star came out a few days ago with an article titled “Should Monuments be Removed?” The article was built around some quotes by Commissioners Eddie Holbrook and Jason Falls. Lots of lies, big and small. The article’s biggest lie was a true statement by Commissioner Eddie Holbrook. Did you get that? A big lie coming from a true statement? It was a deception. Let me explain.
The Star quoted Holbrook: “I look at that as a part of our history as a country,” he said. “I don’t know how the other board members view it, but it hasn’t been a topic of discussion among any of us since the Charlottesville situation.” The truth is there has not been a Commissioner’s meeting since the Charlottesville situation. If the Commissioners have talked about this, it was at an illegal meeting. The fact of the matter is there has been lots of previous discussion going back ten years. The truth is removing the monuments, all the monuments, on the Court Square has been on the Shelby City Master Plan since 2007. The monuments were to be removed and relocated to the Sunset Cemetery. More on that later.
Another lie from the Star report: “County Commissioner Eddie Holbrook said so far the topic has not come up in an official capacity.” If Holbrook has not heard about Destination Cleveland County, The Earl Scruggs Center and the Shelby 2007 MasterPlan, he is either suffering from dementia, got alzheimers or is just a natural born liar. I suspect the latter.
The Star also reported: “Holbrook and fellow Commissioner Jason Falls said the board hasn’t broached the subject of removal or relocation of the monument because it’s not a legal option. If it was, hard questions rise to the top, according to Falls.” The lie here is it was legal to remove the monuments from the first official mention in the Shelby Ten Year MasterPlan in 2007 until the law in 2015 prevented such removal without permission by the NC Historical Commission. So, what kept the Commissioners from removing the Court Square Monuments from 2007 until 2015? I credit myself, Brendan LeGrand and a few others who have threatened to expose the Commissioners, like I am doing with this article, if they even thought of removing these monuments. Remember, we are talking about the Confederate Monument as well as the World War I and II, and the Korea and Viet Nam War Memorial Monuments here.
I suspect the Commissioners, minus such as the “Charlottesville situation,” have been afraid politically to remove the monuments. Now, It is everybody’s guess. But I would not bet against it. If it happens, it will be like the crowd in Baltimore. Remove the monuments in the middle of the night before anyone can do anything. Kind of like when the Commissioners sold the hospital.
Folks, don’t believe me, the 2007 Shelby MasterPlan is attached for your convenience. Go to the top of page 23 where removing the monuments are mentioned as being something to do to enhance the “open space” at the Courthouse Square. Also take a look at pages 29, 32 and 34 which shows dummied up pictures of the West face of the Courthouse where the Confederate Monument presently is. These pictures and every diagram in the 2017 Shelby MasterPlan shows the Monuments are gone from the Court Square. What more proof do you need that our commissioners are lying to you about this issue?
[gview file=”http://citizensforgoodgovernment.org/online/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/City_of_Shelby_Center-City-Master-Plan.pdf”]
