Chatham Commissioners Vote for 'Good-Faith' Meeting over Confederate Monument

Chatham County commissioners voted on Monday to hold discussions with the owners of a Confederate monument in downtown Pittsboro about re-imagining the statue, possibly into a memorial for all veterans instead of just for Confederate soldiers.

Commissioners unanimously agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding between the county and the Winnie Davis chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy. The memorandum says it, “does not commit either party to any particular course of action but does commit both parties to discussion and negotiation in good faith.”

Any possible agreements would then come before the board of commissioners.

During the public comments section prior to that vote, residents had their say on the statue.

Howard Fifer, a member of the Chatham For All group that has asked the county to move the statue, thanked the commissioners for their leadership on this issue but said they had reservation about giving the Daughter of the Confederacy a seat at the table.

“We do, however, understand that they are owners of the monument and as such we accept your non-judgmental stance in attempting to work together with them,” he said, “But remind you that you, and you alone, have the legal authority to act.”

Commissioner Jim Crawford said while he supported discussions, he personally thought the statue needed to be moved.

“That’s my major problem here,” he said. “It isn’t just for all veterans; it doesn’t even come close to saying for all veterans. It’s about that war, and all of the freight we carry with us about that war.”

Crawford said he would not care about this monument if it was in a cemetery or on private land. Instead, it sits outside the seat of county government.

“I, for one, have had enough of it. It could be moved intact to another place and be preserved or this option, where it is somehow re-figured might be pursued,” Crawford said. “I am open to the latter, but I tell you my position is with the former.”

Commissioner Karen Howard agreed with Crawford, adding people moving into the county had always brought great things.

“It speaks beautifully to the history of Chatham that other people want to come,” she said. “But it also speaks beautifully to who we are now, and who we will be in the future, that we are better for the black people who are here, the Hispanics who are here, the various religious and non-religions that are here; we are better for our diversity; we are better for having multiple voices. That’s who we are as a nation; that’s who we are as a community in Chatham; that’s who we are as a board. This country isn’t changing because someone told us to go back somewhere. I have no where to go back to, this is home.”

Chatham Commissioners Vote for ‘Good-Faith’ Meeting over Confederate Monument

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