A petition launched calling for the replacement of Confederate statues in Tennessee with statues of country music legend Dolly Parton is gaining steam online, according to The Charlotte Observer.
“Let’s replace the statues of men who sought to tear this country apart with a monument to the woman who has worked her entire life to bring us closer together,” the Change.org petition says.
The petition comes at a time when state legislators are under increasing pressure to take down Confederate monuments in their states, coupled with counter-voices demanding that the monuments stay.
“History should not be forgotten, but we need not glamorize those who do not deserve our praise. Instead, let us honor a true Tennessee hero, Dolly Parton,” the petition reads.
A particular point of contention in Tennessee is a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, who was a Confederate general and first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, which currently stands at the state capitol.
The petition was launched on June 11 and has garnered over 5,000 signatures as of this writing. The petition’s goal is 7.500 signatures.
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