The two San Antonio Council members who want to move the Confederate Monument that has stood in Travis Park for nearly 130 years today blasted an attempt by the State Legislature to block that move, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
State Sen. Brendon Creighton (R-Conroe) has introduced a bill that would prevent any monument that has existed on public grounds for more than forty years from being removed, altered, or renamed.
City Councilman Roberto Trevino calls Creighton's bill a 'feeble attempt to pander to the vitriolic and archaic values of a few under the guise of education and preservation.'
"This bill does not represent who we are as a City or as a modern democracy," Trevino said. 'It is foolish to think that this callous and heavy-handed approach is in the best interests of our diverse and growing population."
Trevino and Councilman Cruz Shaw want to move the statue to a more appropriate location.
Trevino accused Creighton of pandering to racists."It is not by accident that the language protects monuments and memorials that were erected during a time when the few held so much power and others were still regarded as second class citizens," he said.
Shaw says Creighton's bill is not meant to preserve history, but to 'strip municipalities of their voices on how history is displayed.'
The pair say it is inappropriate to have a monument to the Confederacy in a prominent city park.