Update on Confederate Monument Defacing in Montgomery

This is an update on the three white teens who were arrested for defacing a Confederate statue in Montgomery, Alabama back in November 2007.  The teens painted "N.T. 11 11 31" in black
paint on the monument’s base, an apparent reference to
the date rebellious slave Nat Turner was hanged in 1831.  According to Attorney Richard Keith:

They learned this stuff in school.  Folks are wondering what was going on, what the
message was and it was a statement against slavery.  They should have used pens and paper instead of cans of
spray paint, but otherwise they weren’t making
antagonistic gestures.  I don’t
think anyone condones slavery, at least not these days anyway.

Read the story here.

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2 comments… add one
  • Kevin Levin Apr 4, 2008 @ 9:21

    Chris, — I wondered the same thing re: that lawyer’s comment. By couching in terms of “this stuff” it comes off as critical, but I don’t want to read too much into it.

  • Chris Paysinger Apr 4, 2008 @ 9:14

    As the article infers, I wonder how the Alabama SCV would have reacted had these students been black teens? I bet they would not have ameliorated to a slap on the wrist as easily. Also, I also wonder what the lawyer is infering by saying “they learned this stuff in school.” Is he saying that it shouldn’t be taught? I teach Turner and stress the event as a seminal event in the way slaves and white masters thought about slavery and resistence (and the possibility of it). Thanks for the link,

    Chris

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