BY MILES LAYTON
Good morning Chowan County!
Let’s start with this – let’s talk about the Confederate Memorial. O joy!
Latest – Edenton Town Council and the Chowan County Commission asked Superior Court for 30 more days to respond to the lawsuit that’s 198 pages long and was filed at 2:40 p.m. Friday (Jan. 3) by Jacob H. Sussman, an attorney for the Durham-based Social Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) that represents the Move the Monument Coalition. According to court documents, the motion seeks more time to file a response was filed last week (Jan. 28).
Rather than copy and paste background from previous stories like other media outlets, folks can read this refresher about the lawsuit – click this link to our story — that tries to provide context and balance to the contentious issue, not just rely on the local media’s preferred narrative.
Because the lawsuit is in litigation and is not subject to discussion in open session, the Chowan County Commission will discuss the lawsuit in closed session in a special meeting today (Feb. 3) before today’s regularly scheduled commission meeting.
Last week, in a closed session, Town Council discussed this lawsuit and the other lawsuit involving the United Daughters of the Confederacy, who want to halt the move from downtown to Hollowell Park.
In related news, local media outlets regurgitated a newsletter from the plaintiffs who are considering a boycott – again – of downtown businesses in the plaintiff’s ongoing campaign to win over hearts and minds.
One of the plaintiffs, Rod Phillips, an outspoken critic of the monument who doesn’t live in Chowan County, is quoted in the Move the Monument group’s newsletter – insinuating that folks and downtown business owners are racist because they are silent, thus complicit with their support of the statue’s existence.
“Any business that has opened on South Broad Street since the monument became an issue – which would be a good number of years now – did so knowing that they were setting up shop in close proximity to the Confederate monument. What were they thinking? Were they unable to look at what was going on in other places and learn from that? Why did they think a large part of Edenton’s population would forever remain complacent and apathetic? Why did they think there would never be a serious effort to remove this town’s Confederate monument?”
Phillips continued, “Are we to believe that all these business people are unaware of how painful the existence of this Confederate monument is to many of the town’s residents? If they are aware, are we OK with that?”
According to the newsletter, Phillips said the community is “part of the problem” since it wants to maintain the status quo – keep the statue where it is.
“Continued silence by the business community amounts to acceptance of the current situation, and that constitutes approval. That is not helpful, not for us and not for the longterm interests of the business community.”
Since we quoted Phillips, it is only fair to quote Michael Dean, Commander of the Edenton Bell Battery chapter of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans.
“Boycotting small business is small-minded and egotistical. Small business owners have put their livelihood and well-being of their families into their businesses. It’s a travesty for those Marxists to sink so low. Everyone should turn out to support or local small business to show them we care. I have broadcast this sentiment all over northeast NC.”
Meanwhile, despite the recent winter weather, protestors – for and against the Confederate Memorial – continue to gather each Saturday on either side of the statue. And then there is the embarrassing billboard declaring that White supremacy has no place in Edenton – in spite of the welcoming nature and inclusive elected political culture.
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