One Big Thing: Do you support removing Confederate symbols and renaming U.S. military bases?

What is it?

• Since the death of George Floyd, the movement to remove Confederate monuments, memorials and U.S. military base name changes has increased significantly. States all over the country have made moves to remove these symbols of the Confederacy and the country’s slaveholding past.
• In Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy, Mayor Levar Stoney ordered the removal of several statues, despite the legality of their removals. Stoney said, “We've had 33 days of unrest. It's time. It's time to move beyond the lost cause and embrace the righteous cause. We can be more than just the capital of the Confederacy. It's time for us to be the capital of compassion.
• The Senate Armed Services Committee voted on legislation to make the Pentagon change confederate named bases but President Trump promised to veto the bill if it passed in Congress

Why is it important?

• Public sentiment has changed dramatically with regard to symbols of the Confederacy. Not only have statues been removed and toppled, but the state of Mississippi passed a law changing the flag.
• The Washington Post reported that a majority of voters favor removing Confederate symbols, “most voters — 52 percent — support removing Confederate statues from public spaces around the country, according to a June Quinnipiac University poll, a significant increase in support since August 2017, when fewer than 40 percent of voters supported removing such statues.”
• President Trump’s threats to veto the Congressional bill have been met with substantial pushback from Republicans and Democrats alike who see its morally wrong to commemorate Confederate leaders.  

What can you do?

• Check out the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Map of Confederate monuments and symbols in the U.S.