The death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer sparked protests all over the nation.  Many citizens of southwest Missouri expressed their anger over the treatment of Black Americans by participating in peaceful protests in Springfield. We are not immune to these acts in Missouri as we all remember the images of the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, which also launched protests.  

Protests are important.  They allow us to show our concerns and anger over injustice and oppression. Now is the time to use the momentum of the Black Lives Matter protests as a catalyst of change and prove that change can come from a social movement.

A monument to confederate general Sterling Price stands in the Springfield National Cemetery. Sterling Price fought against the Union army at the battle of Wilson's Creek, and also served as Missouri governor before the start of the Civil War.  Missouri's role during the Civil War is complicated, as it never officially joined either side, but also had secret secessionists within its government. Price made his intentions clear when he raised arms against the Union army and then joined the Confederate efforts in Arkansas.  

There are many men and women buried at the Springfield National Cemetery of all colors and creeds. Sterling Price is not someone who deserves to be placed on a pedestal above them. There have been similar calls to remove this monument in the past and it is time to re-visit that call. Sterling Price was a slave-owner, a traitor to the United States, and a traitor to the state of Missouri. 

There are many welcoming people here in southwest Missouri, but we don’t provide a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. From the NAACP advisory in 2017 advising African Americans to proceed with caution when visiting Missouri, to the repeal of a Springfield law that prevented businesses from discriminating against the LGBTQ community, southwest Missouri has shown moments of hate and discrimination. These moments are detrimental to the future success of our state. The removal of this symbol of racism and treachery is a small step in a much larger battle, but it is a necessary step. It is time to prove that Missouri is capable of change. It is time to remove a monument that, for over 100 years, has cast an oppressive shadow over those that stand before it. It is time to bury Sterling Price.