Reeves warns against removing Confederate monuments, says they ‘recognize our past’
Gov. Tate Reeves said at the end of his COVID-19 news briefing Wednesday that counties should not be taking down monuments after four have voted to move Confederate statues and Harrison County contemplates doing the same.
“There’s a difference between monuments and a symbol such as the flag,” Reeves said, referring to the bill he signed last week to retire the Mississippi state flag, the last in the nation with a Confederate emblem.
“A symbol such as the flag should represent our present, it should represent our people and, quite frankly, it should represent our future. Monuments are erected to recognize our past.”
“I do not believe that cities or counties should be taking down monuments.”
Reeves refused on multiple occasions to say how he personally felt about taking down the flag. Instead, he said it should be up to voters. But he agreed to sign the flag retirement bill into law because the Legislature had enough votes to override a veto.
Reeves said monuments are being removed around the country, including a monument to an abolitionist and the nation’s founding fathers.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” he said.
He also said counties should be mindful of a Mississippi law that prohibits removal of Confederate and other monuments to wars unless a “more suitable location” can be found. The Attorney General’s Office has interpreted the law to mean that a monument must be moved to another public location.
Reeves also said the state law on monuments might need to be strengthened.
