Press Releases
Babin Opposes Campaign to Remove Confederate Monuments
Washington,
August 23, 2017
Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) issued the following statement today in response to the removal of Confederate statues at the University of Texas at Austin and across the nation: "The campaign to remove Confederate monuments across the nation being forced upon us by radical leftists, academia, the mainstream media and the guardians of political correctness is shameful and wrong. Every American should oppose racism and extremism in all its forms. Taking down monuments and hiding our history serves no good purpose, which is why 62% of Americans oppose taking them down and think it's a politically correct mistake. "We cannot—and must not—erase our history or judge our past leaders by today's standards. The people of Texas overwhelmingly supported the Confederacy in 1862. This historical fact cannot be changed nor hidden – and it shouldn't. It's a disservice to our citizens and our ancestors who helped create this great country we enjoy today. Where do these politically correct demands end? Do we now begin removing statues of George Washington because he was a slave holder over 200 years ago? Do we change the name of Fort Hood in Texas—the largest US Army base in the country—because it is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood? "The absurdity has gotten so extreme that an Asian-American television sports commentator was recently relieved because his name was Robert Lee! I was informed that the reason Confederate statues have been taken down at UT in Austin is to protect them from vandalism by students. I would ask how they have stood for over a century unscathed all that time by the students! Vandalism is against the law and anyone who destroys public property should be prosecuted. I strongly disagree with these actions that revise our true history and divide our country at a time when we desperately need national unity. Let’s preserve our monuments and address the real problems of our nation." |