Judge Alston determined the move would not disturb neighboring gravesites.
District Court Judge Rossie Alston decided on Tuesday that the Department of Defense will not disturb gravesites by removing the well-known Confederate memorial from the Arlington Cemetery, ruling against a lawsuit attempting to prevent the memorial’s removal.
The Confederate memorial has drawn opposition in recent years for its depiction of Southern soldiers. A congressional commission published a report finalizing the decision to remove the memorial from Arlington Cemetery last year, saying that it “offers a nostalgic, mythologized version of the Confederacy, including highly sanitized depictions of slavery.”
A group called Defend Arlington filed a lawsuit against its removal, claiming that the Department of Defense was violating an environmental law by disturbing gravesites during the statue’s removal. Judge Alston said that the plaintiffs failed to prove how the memorial’s removal would cause “irreparable harm” to the gravesites.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For discernment for district and circuit court judges as they issue decisions regarding cultural updates and changes to memorials and monuments.
- For wisdom for U.S. governing officials as they seek to right the wrongs of the nation’s history.
Sources: Reuters, The Hill
