Our state is many things. I do not live in Richmond, but am native Virginian and have always lived in the Commonwealth, and have ancestors who fought for the Confederacy. It is our state capital, and I go there frequently for events. Bike races, restaurants, art musuems - all great. But preserve the past and what is unique. What if Europe torn down and purged every statue, Roman colliseum or ediface, or bulldozed anything in its history that might offend some group? There would be no historical anything left standing. There would be no end to it. 1984 Anyone?

Please do not encourage any kind of adminisrative change that will "egg-on" vandalism of the statues. Then the hew and cry will become that the statues are a "public threat" because it is too difficult to keep vandals away, tear them down. This is what is the aim of this motion.