Confederate Statue Torn Down After Death Of Owner
Photo: The Nathan Bedford Forrest statue prior to multiple acts of vandalism Photo Credit: Brent Moore / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
One year after the death of owner Bill Dorris, the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue near Nashville on I-65 has been torn down.
The statue of the Confederate General has been in place for more than two decades on private property alongside I-65 south of downtown Nashville.
The statue was surrounded by seven Confederate flags which, at this time, are reported to not be scheduled for removal.
Reports state that the statue is to be stored in a shed on the property but images captured by the Tennesseans’ Sky 5 show that the statue was badly damaged while being torn down.
The late Jack Kershaw sculpted the 25-foot statue in 1998, after which it was erected on Dorris’ property.
Supporters state that the statue has been a tribute to Tennessee history but the statue has not existed without inspiring controversy.
Over the years, it was vandalized several times. In 2017, vandals painted the statue pink but Dorris decided to leave the pink paint intact to “draw more attention” to the sculpture.
Dorris was quoted as saying that he expected the pink paint to turn red after extended exposure to sunlight.
Along with additional acts of vandalism including the word “monster’ spray painted on the statue, it had been shot no less than six times and had been defaced with anti-Trump signs by vandals in 2016.
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In July of 2017, the Nashville Metro Council approved a resolution asking the Tennessee Department of Transportation to plant foliage to block the statue from view.
However, TDOT commissioner John Schroer replied that, “TDOT does not plant foliage on its right-of-way with the sole intention of blocking items on private property based on what might be offensive to some and not to others.”
The tearing down of the statue comes after the removal of the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust from the State Capitol in Nashville earlier this year, followed by the relocation of he and his wife’s remains from Memphis and relocated to the National Confederate Museum in Columbia, TN.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Directory for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
History is just that, not to be glorified but to learn from previous oppressors, wars and not let History repeat itself.
Offense art should Not be placed in public view but offered to private collections or museums.
Destroying art doesn’t erase our history . All countries have history good and bad.
It is so sad how far this country has fallen to listen and act to the whims of a WOKE generation who know nothing about history. If this is the case ALL statues need to be removed no matter what it is. If your going full stupid go all the way. Our so called political leaders don’t have the guts to say enough is enough. To all the Woke idiot’s out there; Tear down all you want it still DOES not Change HISTORY!!!!
We need to stop teaching fake history in our schools.