Alabama Will Not Be Dictated To: Congressman Mo Brooks Celebrates & Defends Alabama's U.S. Capitol Statues

Statement

Friday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) released a video from the United States Capitol celebrating and defending statutes honoring Alabama heroes. Three great Americans from Alabama are honored by U.S. Capitol statues: Helen Keller, "Fighting" Joe Wheeler and Rosa Parks.

The 1864 National Statuary Collection law says each state may "furnish statues…of deceased persons who have been citizens thereof, and illustrious for their historic renown or for distinguished civic or military services such as each State may deem to be worthy of this national commemoration." The 1864 law clearly defers to states the power to determine who they wish to honor.

Alabama chose to honor Joe Wheeler, the only Confederate general to later become a United States general. General Wheeler oversaw Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War & served in the Philippines in 1900. General Wheeler's service was so respected by America that he earned the right to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Congressman Brooks said, "The 1864 U.S. Capitol statuary collection law gives states the power to determine who they wish to honor. This makes perfect sense. Just as it would be wrong for Alabama and other states to dictate to New York and California who they must honor, it is similarly wrong and repulsive for New York, California, or other states to dictate to Alabama who we must honor. Ignoring history and led by Socialist Democrats, the House voted this week to remove American patriot Joe Wheeler's statue from the Capitol, thereby empowering other states to dictate to a single state who that state can, or cannot, honor."

Brooks continued, "Sadly, Socialist Democrats in the U.S. House are actively embracing fascism, socialism, and revisionism. As previously reflected by an earlier Socialist Democrat public statement, in their minds, historical figures like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Thomas Jefferson (all honored at Mount Rushmore) must be erased because each of these brave American leaders stood for liberty and freedom, the exact opposite of the socialism and fascism so many in Congress now mindlessly advocate as they seek to stifle competing views, political philosophies, and ways of life they disagree with and seek to destroy."

Brooks concluded, "I reject cancel culture, historical revisionism, socialism, and fascism. I support freedom and liberty. I support federalism and a state's right to decide for itself who it should honor. As such, I proudly voted 'No' on H.R. 7573. Alabama, not New Yorkers, Californians, or anyone else, should decide who we wish to honor in Alabama's contribution to the National Statuary Collection. Socialist Democrat states should butt out!"

Source