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A controversial Civil War era statue is about to get new life in Washington, D.C.
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and it's already sparking fresh controversy. The National Park Service says the statue
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of Confederate General Albert Pike will be returning to Judiciary Square. Protesters tore it down and set it on fire in June of 2020 during the height of demonstrations
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over the police killing of George Floyd. Pike commanded a regiment of Native Americans who
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fought for the Confederacy, and despite accusations of his unit scalping Union soldiers, he was later
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pardoned by President Andrew Johnson. The statue has sat in storage for years and is now being
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restored at the Historic Preservation Training Center in Maryland. The Park Service says the
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reinstallation, quote, aligns with federal responsibilities under historic preservation law and follows President Trump's executive order to restore truth and sanity to American history
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The announcement drew immediate criticism from D.C. delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who called it morally objectionable and said Pike served dishonorably
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She plans to introduce legislation to move the statue to a museum
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Despite the pushback, the Park Service plans to have the restored statue
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back on public display as early as October. For more unbiased updates, download the Straight Arrow News app or go to san.com
