Debate in Georgetown over 110-year-old Confederate statue

Evening. Thanks for joining us for Fox 7 Austin News at 9. I'm Marco Bittnell. For nearly 110 years, a Confederate statue has stood in front of the Williamson County Courthouse. With new officials taking office after the midterms, some residents are hoping that now will be the time to have the statue removed from the Georgetown Square. That's where Fox 7 reporter Dominique Leigh is joining us live from with the very latest on that story. Dominique, what can you tell us? Yeah, well, with those newly elected officials, locals here in Georgetown are hoping that that will help get rid of this confederate statue here in Georgetown in front of the courthouse. But other people I spoke with say they want the statue to stay for the purpose of educational reasons. There is a monument to an enemy of the United States that sits on federal property. I am not for taking it down because it's a part of history. The fight on whether or not this Confederate statue in Georgetown's historic downtown square should stay or go has been going on for years. This Confederate statue doesn't represent everybody who lives here in Georgetown. It says the word R on the statue, but who is that R? Who are we representing here? The statue was placed in front of the Williamson County Courthouse in 1916 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. And after 110 years, some members of the community are still pushing for For its removal. I will not celebrate racism. I will not celebrate tyranny. I will not celebrate dehumanization. I will not celebrate child trafficking. Georgetown residents hold an appreciation for the monument and believe it needs to stay. It is a part of history. I'm not saying we should glorify it or it should be glorified, but it is a part of history. So that needs to be there. And it needs to be. But Jason Norwood with Wilco Patriots feels like the history this statue represents shouldn't be placed on federal property where his tax dollars are going to its upkeep. Let's not forget the history of an organization that killed more Americans than any enemy has to date, the Confederate Army. And yes, it was an enemy of the United States. And yes, on this statue, enemy flags are on the eastern and western faces. Let's actually remember that history. Now, while that argument is to keep that history alive and keep it going, Norwood says that history can be taught in books. I did reach out to Sons of the Confederate Veterans for a response on how they feel about the removal of the statue. They said that they forwarded the comment over to the Texas chapter, and I'm still waiting to hear back. Reporting in Georgetown, I'm Dominique Leigh with Fox 7 Austin News.