PRESS RELEASE March 15, 2018
Media Contact: David McCallister 813-778-1202 Email: floridasshe@gmail.com
Southern Heritage Group Blasts Lakeland City Manager's Monument Report
(photo of Munn Park War Memorial from National Register Historic District Application)
Lakeland - Save Southern Heritage FL "SSH FL" takes issue with the tone and content of the Memo by the City of Lakeland Manager on the Munn Park War Memorial that was released yesterday (see Memo). In a written response (see Response) to the Memo, the group blasts it for being incomplete, inaccurate, divisive and biased.
The written response states that the memo is a "salacious, one-sided Directed Study that parrots the radical Anti-History ‘take them down’ faction’s drumbeat, while silencing the pro Munn Park monument voices" instead of a factual report about the options for relocation and their associated costs.
"We are disappointed by the obvious bias in this report" said David McCallister, SSH FL spokesman. "It could have been written by the Southern Poverty Law Center" he added.
The Memo attempted to diminish the significance of the Munn Park War Memorial as a historical asset by using the term "Contributing Object". "What the report doesn't say is there is only one Contributing Object in the Historic District - the monument" said McCallister. "Removing it removes 100% of the historical objects in the district" he added. (See Historic District Application Here).
In December, the plan offered by Ashley Troutman, to build additional monuments, was rejected by the Commission when Commissioner Philip Walker change his opinion, after receiving threats of an NAACP protest at his home.
"We hope this Commission will do the right thing and reverse the last Commission's bad decision, and take action to protect and preserve all Veterans memorials" McCallister concluded.
SAVE SOUTHERN HERITAGE Inc. is not for profit corporation that educates & advocates on behalf of Southern Heritage & History. It was started in 2015 in response to the knee-jerk Anti-Southern institutionalized bullying and “erase-ism” levied against the people of South Carolina by Governor Nikki Haley, after she broke all previous agreements about how South Carolina’s historical veterans and their symbols should be treated and respected.
SSH FL does not condone racism and as such we do not support any group or person that does. We respect the rights and privileges of all as bestowed on them by their creator and expect those in our association to respect and treat others as they themselves would wish to be treated.
The Florida branch was activated in mid-January 2016, in response to three initiatives in the Florida Legislature that are part of a hate campaign led by Anti-American extremists, who refuse to respect the various cultures that make up the fabric of Florida’s society. Since that time, it has grown in membership and has been active in Heritage battles throughout Florida and actively involved in voter education resulting in wins for pro-heritage candidates. More info: www.sshfl.org XXX