Removing statues worth loss of tax breaks

Bravo to David Adkins for his incisive Feb. 29 commentary, “Confederate statues: city’s shameful graffiti.”

Unfortunately, Mayor Jim Gray is leading the city down the wrong path with his choice to leave the statues in place. These symbols of American slavery and the political forces that maintained it do not need to be contextualized in the public square — they should be utterly repudiated and removed.

By preserving these symbols of oppression, terror and unrighteousness, we dishonor our African-American brothers and sisters, our city and the God who created all people of all races in his image.

Regarding the issue of potentially risking historic preservation tax credits for renovating the old courthouse as a result of removing the statues, cannot our city leaders make the simple moral choice between preserving historic symbols of racial oppression and preserving a historic building?

It would be infinitely better to miss out on the tax credits and continue with an old building, if this course of action would help tear down the city’s old and not-so-old physical, political and cultural edifices of racial wrongdoing, and build up our community’s commitment to the honorable work of racial respect and reconciliation.

This story was originally published March 14, 2016 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Removing statues worth loss of tax breaks."