Thunder Roads LA Magazine July 2017 TRLA-JULY-Final-Web | Page 8

WE ARE THE OLDEST DEALERSHIP IN THE STATE ALWAYS FRIENDLY NEVER PUSHY HARLEY-DAVIDSON of L ake C harles Louisiana Can’t Get The Correct Diagnosis For Your Bikes Problem? We Have Years Of Technical Experience To Help You. 2120 Broad Street, Lake Charles, LA., 70601 337.436.0022 6 Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana | July 2017 | www.thunderroadslouisiana.com the confederate ARTICLE BY: BRODY KENNEN On the 30th of May, the Alexandria City Council held a meeting to discuss the fate of the Confederate Soldier monument which sits in front of the city courthouse. The “issue” was brought up by Disctrict-3 Councilman Jules Green. The monument itself is a tribute to those who served the Confederacy from Rapides Parish. Those men left home to protect what was theirs… to fight for what they believed was right. Those reasons, of each individual soldier, I do not prete nd to know. The city council held a vote and the majority decided that the issue would be tabled until the Rapides Parish Police Jury can figure out who owns the statue, according to KALB. The vote for 4-3 for tabling the issue. The dissenting votes were extremely vocal about the “moving” of the statue. The consensus there is that it simply “doesn’t belong in front of the courthouse”. Furthermore, the statue “doesn’t represent us anymore” even though the premise of the statue is a tribute to veterans. The 29th was Memorial Day. I went to take these photos of the statue. I hadn’t ever stopped and looked at the statue closely. It inspired feelings of historical importance, and learning from both the good and the bad of both sides. Nothing will be learned if the presence of history isn’t felt: good or bad. I fear that, if the statue is removed, it will never be put up anywhere else due to the shaming of any support for such action: carried out by the groups currently working to remove it. What will come down next, due to outrage from the Left? World War II monuments due to the Japanese internment and usage of atomic bombs? The last line on the front of the statue reads: “Faithful to Our Fallen Heroes”. It sure doesn’t feel like we, as Americans, are being faithful. SOLDIER www.thunderroadslouisiana.com | July 2017 | Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana 7