For Democrats and Democrat Socialists: "The Founders knew that a democracy would lead to some kind of tyranny. The term democracy appears in none of our Founding documents. Their vision for us was a Republic and limited government." - Walter E. Williams "Most of the great problems we face are caused by politicians creating solutions to problems they created in the first place." -Walter E. Williams "(F)or 50 years, the well-meaning leftist agenda has been able to do to blacks what Jim Crow and harsh discrimination could never have done: family breakdown, illegitimacy and low academic achievement." ~ Walter E. Williams “You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing.” -Thomas Sowell “Socialism is a wonderful idea. It is only as a reality that it has been disastrous. Among people of every race, color, and creed, all around the world, socialism has led to hunger in countries that used to have surplus food to export.... Nevertheless, for many of those who deal primarily in ideas, socialism remains an attractive idea -- in fact, seductive. Its every failure is explained away as due to the inadequacies of particular leaders.”-Thomas Sowell "When the history of the 20th century is finally written, one of its key features will be the wanton slaughter of more than 170 million people, not in war, but by their own government. The governments that led in this slaughter are the former USSR (65 million) and the Peoples Republic of China (35-40 million). The point to remember is that these governments were the idols of America's leftists. Part of the reason for these and other tyrannical successes was because the people were first disarmed." -Walter E. Williams "Democracy and liberty are not the same. Democracy is little more than mob rule, while liberty refers to the sovereignty of the individual." -Walter E. Williams "There are people in need of help. Charity is one of the nobler human motivations. The act of reaching into one's own pockets to help a fellow man in need is praiseworthy and laudable. Reaching into someone else's pocket is despicable and worthy of condemnation." -Walter E. Williams

On behalf of the NAACP Virginia State Conference, we respectfully urge you to support SB 636. This legislation directs the Department of General Services to remove Confederate monuments and memorials from Capitol Square and store them until the General Assembly determines their final disposition. For our organization and the communities we represent across the Commonwealth, this issue is not abstract. It is about whether Virginia’s most visible seat of government reflects the constitutional principles of equality, justice, and inclusion. Capitol Square is a place of civic honor. It communicates the values of the Commonwealth to residents, schoolchildren, advocates, and visitors alike. The continued presence of Confederate monuments on state grounds elevates a legacy rooted in the defense of slavery and racial hierarchy. That symbolism stands in direct tension with Virginia’s stated commitment to equal protection under the law and to the dignity of all its residents. Supporting SB 636 is not about erasing history. History remains in our archives, scholarship, and public record. This bill simply addresses what the Commonwealth chooses to commemorate in a place of state-sanctioned recognition. Public monuments are policy decisions. They reflect contemporary values as much as historical events. The NAACP Virginia State Conference believes that our public spaces should affirm the full humanity and citizenship of all Virginians. Removing Confederate monuments from Capitol Square is a necessary step toward ensuring that our civic landscape aligns with that principle. We respectfully ask that you vote in favor of SB 636. Thank you for your time and consideration.

There is no need to spend two million in taxpayer dollars as currently budgeted to move these statues. Their are historic organizations that would be happy to take them for free and place them in appropriate ballfields and/or museums. I know that the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation who owns several battlefields and many artifacts would take them and could assure that theses historic statues and any others or artifacts in possession of the Commonwealth are displayed in their proper historical context on a battlefield or in museum. Please save the taxpayers two million dollars that could be used in schools or for many other worthwhile causes.