Texas Republican Rep. Threatens to Take a Sledgehammer to Plaque Claiming Civil War Wasn’t Over Slavery

After much uproar over a plaque that states the American Civil War was “not a rebellion, nor was its underlying cause to sustain slavery,” it is finally going to be removed from its current place inside the Texas state capitol building.

KHOU reports the State Preservation Board, which is chaired by Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R), unanimously approved for the plaque to be taken out, although it is not clear what the timeline will be for its removal or where it will end up.

State Rep. Jeff Leach (R) expressed his wish for its speedy disappearance.

“If I had a sledgehammer in my office, I’d go up there right now and remove it. But I’m told that’s not necessary as it will be removed very soon,” he said.

Both Democrats and Republicans have been calling for the plaque, which is titled “Children of the Confederacy Creed,” to taken out of the building for some time.

The time has come for the Confederate plaque to come down. These types of displays belong in museums, not our state capitol.

— George P. Bush (@georgepbush) December 11, 2018

State Rep. Eric Johnson (D) was one of the first to ask for its removal because it “is not historically accurate in the slightest, to which any legitimate, peer-reviewed Civil War historian will attest.” according to The Texas Tribune.

“I commend the Governor for calling this meeting to begin the process of removing the confederate plaque from the halls of the State Capitol,” current Texas House speaker Dennis Bonnen said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. “It is historically inaccurate, and I stand by those who have called for its removal.”

Photo via @ChristyM_KVUE