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* Finke…
Illinois has made good on a promise to remove statues from the Capitol grounds of people associated with slavery.
Statues of Stephen Douglas and Pierre Menard have been removed from the grounds and taken to a secure storage area. On Monday, workers were removing the pedestals that the statues rested on prior to the state sodding the area.
In August, the board of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol voted unanimously to remove the statues from the grounds. House Speaker Michael Madigan asked that the statues be removed because both men were slave holders and Douglas had a history of making racist comments.
Madigan also said he would sponsor a resolution in the House to remove a portrait of Douglas that hangs in the chamber. Madigan said it should be replaced with the portrait of someone who reflects the modern positions of the Democratic Party such as former President Barack Obama.
* Pics…
The state removed the Stephen Douglas and Pierre Menard statues from the Illinois Statehouse grounds on Friday night/Saturday morning. I took a few shots of empty pedestals today: pic.twitter.com/5QxLBZolhD
— Devin V. Hunter (@dvhunter) September 27, 2020
Menard pic.twitter.com/0g5d21fhsI
— Devin V. Hunter (@dvhunter) September 27, 2020
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:04 pm
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Good.
Comment by Montrose Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:10 pm
Send them to Clay county
Comment by PublicServant Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:15 pm
I’m just enjoying Madigan thinking about putting up a portrait of the Messiah as he referred to Obama a few years ago.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:16 pm
Cue the wailing and gnashing of teeth in the neighborhood. Although this does beg the question - what about the Pierre Menard SHS and Menard prison?
Comment by DownSouth Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:19 pm
Standby for the moral outrage and crying about heritage.
Comment by Give Me A Break Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:19 pm
Good moves. Times and values change. Those we honor with space in public places should reflect the values of those who support and use those places.
Comment by Froganon Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:23 pm
Statues being swapped out or removed is more than ok, the idea of a living history must include updating things like statues and their place in society.
All good.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:25 pm
Can we still save big money at Menard’s??
Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:25 pm
Great move. Some people cry that it’s “erasing history”, but that’s not the case. Those men are still part of history. Just without the statues honoring them.
I think the ones within the Capitol can stand as appropriate figures of history rather than honor - it reminds me more of a museum scene rather than a tribute.
Comment by TheUpperRoom Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:29 pm
Promise kept.
Comment by Lt Guv Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:31 pm
No real problem with the changes. Hope the statues can be incorporated into a history of the state display.
Douglas tried to solve the slavery issue without civil war. His approach failed but the goal was worthy.
Our Civil War remains the greatest failure of our political system.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:54 pm
Put them in Lincoln Library with a sign noting who they were, why they were important to Illinois and why they were removed
And in a lighter note now gave a space for Blago and Ryan and they can be swapped out with other felonious politicians
Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:55 pm
==Madigan said it should be replaced with the portrait of someone who reflects the modern positions of the Democratic Party==
Self-portrait?
Comment by City Zen Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:58 pm
I see the Douglas statue in Ottawa, which stands next to a Lincoln statue, is going to remain. The city council said they have had no requests to take it down. Tourists visit Ottawa as one of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates sites.
Leaving the Douglas statue there to commemorate the debates is a sensible move, I think.
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:24 pm
Will we finally get our Lincoln County?
Comment by Dave Dahl Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:35 pm
Just out of curiosity, what authority does the board of the office of the Capitol architect have? It’s not in the list of state boards and commissions.
I’m not saying statues should stay I’d just like to know if the removal was authorized properly.
Comment by Steve Rogers Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:44 pm
===It’s not in the list of state boards and commissions. ===
It’s a legislative commission https://oac.ilga.gov/
Two seconds on the Google would’ve told you that.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:46 pm
It seems appropriately symbolic that this day-and-time could be called: “the era of empty pedestals”
Comment by NoOneOfConsequence Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 4:15 pm
Now remove any portraits of past Governors who have been convicted of federal crimes
Comment by Unconventionalwisdom Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 4:29 pm
===Can we still save big money at Menard’s??===
11%-on everything except statues.
Comment by HighSox Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 7:18 pm