Learn from History-Don’t Erase It!

Although America is the greatest nation in the history of mankind-our history is one of violence and cruelty to many.  But we have evolved and improved as a country.  Some want to erase history by tearing down statues and taking down monuments for political correctness' sake.  I think this is dangerous, and I DO NOT support this....History is what it was, not what we wish it had been...

In 2021, the  $427 Million replacement bridge now under construction over Pensacola Bay will be completed.  Current FDOT policy and practice dictates replacement structure(s) carry the same designations as the original structure(s) replaced-absent any new legislative action.

In this instance and by an act of the Florida legislature in 1961-the bridge connecting Pensacola with Gulf Breeze is officially recognized as the “Philip D. Beall Sr. Memorial Bridge”—although most locals call it the “3-Mile Bridge.”  (Sen. Philip D. Beall was a State Senator from Pensacola from 1935 until 1943.)

But some folks now insist we give this replacement structure a new name—stripping the Beall family name and re-naming it the Daniel R. “Chappie” James bridge.  (Chappie James was a decorated combat aviator, the first black man to become a 4-star general in the U.S. Military.)

I believe a better tribute for a great man like Chappie would be for us to rename Pensacola’s airport in his honor—after all, Chappie was an aviator!  If Louisville Kentucky can rename their city’s airport for their favorite son, Mohammad Ali, then why can’t Pensacola do this same thing for Chappie James?

Beall’s descendants have suggested a fair compromise amidst all this rancorous debate—a dual designation of the bridge, honoring both men. 

Unfortunately- this magnanimous, common-sense gesture was rebuked.

Our legislative delegation, meanwhile, has signaled its willingness to introduce legislation to change the bridge’s official designation-- if this is the will of the four interested communities.

Pensacola and Santa Rosa County have already taken formal votes on this.

Escambia County and the city of Gulf Breeze, however, have wisely moved forward with a committee approach for considering this issue--allowing individual citizens a voice in this decision.   (citizens may send their thoughts to:  namethebridge@myescambia.com )

I’m hopeful this committee will listen to all sides of this matter with open minds.

Because sadly--some folks that are supportive of changing the bridge’s name have now resorted to denigrating a family’s legacy by calling Sen. Beall a “racist”- an insidious claim that has no basis in fact!

This negative turn in the discussion has been devastating to Beall’s descendants. 

Senator Beall’s daughter sat in my office going through memorabilia recently—and emotionally asked me this: “Why do they want to erase my family’s history-our family wasn’t racist?”

Nevertheless-- individuals pushing to tear Beall’s name from the bridge continue assaulting his legacy, pointing to legislation the senator sponsored in 1935 that made Democratic primaries statewide "white only."

But these primaries were ubiquitous in the 1930s south; the Supreme Court decision in Grovey v. Townsend ruled that such primaries were lawful and didn’t deprive citizens of their 14th or 15th Amendment rights.  It was about party politics of that time, not race.

Meanwhile-- every racist injustice committed by Andrew Jackson, FDR, Robert Byrd, and other historic figures that have monuments locally and nationwide---apparently, these are a non-issue.  (Jackson owned slaves, FDR force-segregated black troops and illegally interred American Citizens of Japanese descent. Byrd was in the Ku Klux Klan—yet all these guys’ monuments stand proudly?)

It’s rank hypocrisy that’s borderline delusional.

Allowing ANY angry mob to become the de facto “monument police,” re-writing our history to suit their agenda and ideology, condemning selected historical figures while ignoring historical realities, acting as judge, jury and executioner to erase history—this is wrong!  

I don’t-- and we shouldn’t—countenance the sanitizing of history by condoning the forceful destruction of statues, the removal of monuments, and/or the stealing of families' memorial designations----on the orders of ANY angry mob.