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I am one member of a five person board. The opinions I express on this forum are mine only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Escambia County Staff, Administrators, Employees, or anyone else associated with Escambia County Florida. I am interested in establishing this blog as a means of additional transparency to the public, outreach to the community, and information dissemination to all who choose to look. Feedback is welcome, but because public participation is equally encouraged, appropriate language and decorum is mandatory. Although this is not my campaign site for re-election--sometimes campaign related information will be discussed, therefore in an abundance of caution I add the following : Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican, for Escambia County Commissioner District 1








Saturday, June 13, 2020

Folks are Reaching Out to Me about the Topic of Monuments and Statues.......


I have had a number of folks reach out to me to give their opinions on the topic of the removal of monuments locally.  I have listened and I have told them that this topic is one the city of Pensacola, the Mayor, and the City Council are weighing very carefully at the moment.

I have also asked that folks pray for the Mayor and the City Council as these decisions are contemplated.

I have also said publicly that I simply pray for peace in our Country, Communities, and in our County.

Meanwhile, though, some constituents have made it very clear how they feel on this topic.  One constituent gave his opinion clearly and unambiguously when he stated:

"So now they want to remove all statues, movies, books etc.  that offend them. Again, this is a crazy idea, some of our history was bad but it is history and should remain so we cannot repeat it. Who is to decide what should be removed? This is a XXXXXXX idea brought up by XXXXX  people.  Take for example we have a XXXXXXXXX wanting to remove a statue in Pensacola that has been there for over a hundred and twenty years and you are considering removing it. Do you remember when you  were XXXXXXX and how smart you were, I do. She said she had over 10 thousand signatures, well you might want to check who signed and where they live, my guess is most of them don’t know where Pensacola is. It does not matter who signed this XXXXXXX petition, where does this nonsense stop?

 So, let’s take this idea further, I don’t like the color of the city cars they are white and that offends me so paint them black, or I don’t like the color of your home and it offends me so paint it a different color. I also don’t like the color of the white line down the middle of the road it offends me. Do I need to take this issue further or have I made my point?  Ladies and Gentlemen this Country is heading in the wrong direction and you are in the position to change it, wake up and do your job that you were elected to, represent all the people and follow the law."

Another email went like this:

"If you give a mouse a cookie, the mouse will want a glass of milk, and so forth. Please consider the following concerning destroying historical memorabilia:

  • Hilter revised history and attempted to burn all documents/books containing German History'
  • Mao and successive Chinese leaders to this day control what is acceptable history. As a professor in China for five years, only 5 students knew about the the 18 to 45 million deaths caused by his Great Leap Forward
  • Castro and Guevara modified the history of Cuba by blaming all problems on democracy forms of government
  • Arbenz and Arevalo, Guatemala, followed Russian/Cuban advisors and modified history until Carlos Castillo Armas, a US supported democratic leader (1954-1956) until he was assassinated by his body guard sitting down to dinner with his family. The history revisionist and pay master for the body guard forced a 30 year revolution.
  •  Russia continually revises history with which the government does not agree
Basically, only Marxist, Communist, Socialist need to revise history so as to have a method for instituting their forms of government. 
Question: what is accomplish by removing historical monuments? Nothing. For the 10,000 who signed a petition, how many understand the concept of revising history. The only reason for so doing is the change our political ideology. 

The problem is once you give the mouse a cookie, it wants a glass of milk. Is my family the "glass of milk". Albeit I was raised in XXXXXXXXXXXX, the XXXXXXXXX family has roots in the Confederate forces. My great, great, great grandfather was the scout for the Black Horse Calvary from Virginia. He was wounded in combat and his name is on a monument in Virginia and a forest bears his name. So, hypothetically, the XXXXXXXX name is on the monument in question and a list of all the names is saved. Using this list, the 10,000 decide that descendants of Confederate soldiers must pay for the alleged sins of their forefathers. Is my family the next target? Will the County Board of Supervisors support the cleansing of history?

The direct descendants XXXXXXXXXXX provided this nation with military men: One AF at Pearl Harbor; one USN WWII; one Sergeant Major, USA; one senior USN petty officer; one USN Captain, and another senior naval officer. The accumulated medals for valor in combat, citations, commendations for his dependents would fill a small room. Which begs the question, do the 10,000 want all these descendants of a Confederate hero erased from history?

Do not allow emotions of the moment  to start, and in some cases, continuing the revision of history."

So yes, there are clearly some passionate feelings on both sides of this issue.  I reiterate again, for my part I pray for peace in our country,  in our communities, and in our county. I am praying for peace.  



16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the council would put it on the county wide ballot for November. That way weak politicians can get some help from their constituents in the county plus not be swayed by money man PNJ Studer.

Then we can go about the business of utilizing the fact the newly discovered DeLuna settlement usurps the title from Saint Augustine as oldest European Settlement in the USA and perhaps Black Leaders not from the old dinosaur civil rights era movement of poor old me "I need special privileges because I am inferior" can embrace the things Chappie James held dear, such as, " I am not a second class citizen" or the words of

Thomas Sowell:
"We have now reached the point where virtually everything that serves black “leaders”—dependency, grievance-hunting, racial hype and paranoia—are major disservices to the cause of advancing blacks, at a time when their opportunities have never been better."


Don't hold your breath though because that has been quite profitable and lucrative to some honored "Men of God" around here eyeroll.. and even the masses seeking entitlements. Damn Democrats.

Oh wait that's racist if someone doesn't buy into anything other than the martyr industrial conplex. Seems that's been taught in school also.

This is what should be taught

https://twitter.com/ThomasSowell?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor


Keep the Monument. Maybe one day on the future, a tour could go to this, then to MLK and then back to this monument saying

"Pensacola stood strong through the insurrection in the USA hiding in plain site in the year 2020"


Anonymous said...

Thank you for your courageous voice in this.

The Democrats backing Joe Biden when he can't tell the difference between Juneteenth and the date of Black Wall Street fires clearly demonstrates he is more clueless than the average person from any walk of life or losing his ever loving mind. What an obvious joke.

Watch for who is put in place for VP. He or she will be a black communist woman most likely.

Keep the monument. The first step in a Communist coup is disinformation, and removing identity and symbols. The old minister and NAACP knew that and started it a while back in Escambia and helped ignite the riots at Escambia High in the 70's. and have taught people these are symbols of hate ever since. The deconstruct and reconstruct to fit a narrative and cause chaos and division is alive and well. Obama kept it going instead of being a beacon for freedom and unity.

There is nothing harmful about playing Dixie nor a monument of a man with his hat in his hand.

Don't play the divide and conquer game.


Anonymous said...

THE TRUE LOST CAUSE IS ATTEMPTING TO REASON WITH A LEFTIST SOCIAL INDOCTRINATED DEMOCRAT.

They seem to hate people who believe in self reliance, civility and respect, law and order, manners and getting along. They want to shout and destroy -- verbally abuse and deride-- abuse and take. Run in gangs and bully.

Can anyone actually ask why some one wants this to stay and the values they may possibly represent beyond the simple stereotype of their own construction?

Probably not.

"Olympus has fallen"

If they march it to a cemetery they need to get Ole Miss marching band alumni in a solemn procession to play Dixieland and kiss civilization as we know it goodbye and give way to the screaming ill mannered mob.

Good bye Pensacola.

You have been overtaken by invading aliens and monsters and the criminal still run the streets.

Anonymous said...

Put it on the countywide ballot. Y or N

Anonymous said...

I'm always puzzled why people defend Confederate statues in this day and age. Do we want to continue to celebrate traitors and losers in this country? My understanding that most of the statues were erected after the Civil War to continue to remind former slaves who is still "in charge". Moreover, if a public display is needed, wouldn't a cemetery or museum be a better location for the statues?

"Dixie" is not from the south - came from a minstrel show in Ohio before the Civil War. A terrific examination of the song can be found here;

https://www.npr.org/2018/09/20/649954248/the-anthemic-allure-of-dixie-an-enduring-confederate-monument

As we pray for healing, compassion, and understanding in our community and our country please remember this from Psalm 119:84
"How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me?" Hopefully not much longer.


Anonymous said...

They are not celebrating traitors and losers.

Some are celebrating the honor of the old south through a southern perspective and heritage of days gone by. It's not about the blacks one way or the other really. It was a way for the defeated whites to gain pride to heal from the upheaval and changes and loss of life and defeat. It is a monument to the veterans of war. The old confederacy had to reconcile with the north and reform a unified country. Many were caught up in the war and didn't have the same goals as the wealthy and the politicians and some were simple dirt farmers and homesteaders. They lost family, sons, husbands brothers fathers, farms, and livestock and more. The country was devastated and should not repeat the same mistakes.

The women, Daughters of the Confederacy, knew the men needed restored pride and ego boost to overcome a depressed mindset and were a part of getting those monuments in place.

What has been taught in this continual revisionists mindset lately is a very narrow minded reduced tale of the American Civil War era and relegating it into simple terms and making the white southerners the villain as a whole. It is just a piece of the puzzle-- disinformation and propaganda.

Before integration and desegregation was forced upon all there were changes and not all positive. It was a period of social upheaval.

Look at the Smithsonian video of the Green Book. After integration, many of the black owned business failed on that route after many chose to spend money elsewhere after the desecration policies took root.

At Escambia High for years the band's fight song was Dixie and their identity was the Rebels. Integration stole that from them as well as the PC culture of removing playing Dixie at Ole Miss for the footballs games recently.It is a sad theft and should never happened

Deep resentment are stirred up by all this in our faces when most had nothing to do with slavery, segregation or any of the above. They were caught up in the times.

White children suffered from hatred from the blacks also. Still do.

I know of one little poor half white half native American boy who would go in the Rex Theater to watch Tarzen and up the the balcony at the Saenger because all he had to spend was a hard to come by dime and people would grumble and wonder what the poor white trash cracker was doing there..and call the little boy names. He had to run through neighbor hood to get home also, and run fast he did.

There is a lot of nostalgia and feelings of identity of the old south and it's under attack. It has nothing to do with blacks sometimes. Life certainly isn't all about them.

Enough of the guilt trip, it fosters resentments and anger. Especially the new definition of racism = you don't agree with neo con or feel sorry for black people.

The real goal behind the move to take down the monument is to try to garner moral high ground for one, votes two, and three promises of money which will never come to be. No one deserves a free ride.

I know the roots of Dixie..Ignore that and it's a catchy tune and a southern anthem. Stop stealing from us.

Stop participating in the continual toxic blame game and conflict and virtue signaling and down right white hate I've seen on display lately.

It is disgusting.

Anonymous said...

It seems the ones that say it offends and bothers them regurgitate and waller in it and post the confederate flag and old KKK picture Ad nauseum.

Who keeps bringing it up over and over and over again? Trying to wear it like a race card chip on their shoulders?

Oh by the way, Please keep law and order.

Should someone pull up Lumon May's video of an example of How NOT to act in a police altercation? Elephant in the room Escambia style?



Anonymous said...

If people need a little dose of sanity I recommend checking out this page on facebook:

"Occupy Democrats Logic" the one with almost a million followers. It a breath of freah air after these few weeks of looney leftist PC call out culture stench in the air.

It will help one realize the country has not lost their collective minds and many still have a sense of humor.

Anonymous said...

https://www.tricityledger.com/story/2020/06/11/news/riots-politics-and-mayhem-2020/4625.html

Good article about not taking down monuments

Anonymous said...

Just when you think it can't get crazier you have some one defending an adherent to this in ECWFS and on their own page. Keep typing-- you are outing the stupidity of more leftist loonies.


https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/moorish-sovereign-citizens

Damn even Malcom X said a leftist was the black people's enemy.

Is that's what they teach at Harvard and in schools, we are in a pickle.

Communism and chaos here we come.

Anonymous said...

They will be coming for the stars and stripes next, the national anthem then western civilization as we know it ultimately That is what is going on.

Dismantle the constitutional republic of the United States of America is the goal of these extremist groups such as BLM. They have assembled an army of "do gooders" as they see themselves silencing and intimidating other voices. Who is the true enemy of the state. This isn't reform, it is an overthrow of the government.

Kneeling during the national anthem and on the world stage represents exactly what it looks like.

Using the Floyd incident to foment the archetype has been very effective indeed.

Saul Alinsky tactic using the POTUS as a figure to attack has also been effective to the weak minded also.

The crowds and fires also work. Terrible to see the leaders in a free country cower and fold so easily.

It only takes a generation to forget and become complacent.

Anonymous said...

This discussion has taken to this forum also because of the international co orinated attack on free speech by BLM insurgents

http://forums.leoaffairs.com/showthread.php?795031-Lee-vs-Florida&s=b10e062800da42f0d8c3f710b6532e69

Anonymous said...

Sorry - I don't get how taking down a statue is an attempt to "re-write history." "Re-writing history" would be an attempt to claim historical events happened when in fact they didn't, or the other way around, to claim events didn't happen when they actually did. Taking down a statue does neither of those things. No one is trying to claim that the Confederacy didn't exist, only that the ideals of the Confederacy were not worthy of being glorified.

Many of the soldiers depicted in these statues at one time were in the US Army. That means they put their hands on Bibles and swore before God to protect and defend the United States of America but instead they instead turned their cannon on the country.

The way I think - no, if you fire on the American flag, you don't get a statue.

Anonymous said...

Did you hear they Socialists now want to rename the continents of North and South America because one of the foot soldier brainwashed masses found out something online about Amerigo Vespucchi and they can troll everybody and make them argue while the Russian jets are invading the airspace in Alaska? (first part sarcasm -- second part truth)

Anonymous said...

See now they call to take down white Jesus and smash stained glass== what next, the paintings in the Louve.


effing lunatics.

Anonymous said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eKtjpebOPE

Political Advertisement Paid For and Approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican for Escambia Commission D1