Just in time for Independence Day, descendants of soldiers who fought against the U.S. are now fighting in court. The Sons of The Georgia Chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans filed a lawsuit against Stone Mountain Park for planning an exhibit about the monument’s ties to slavery and white supremacy.
They claim it breaks state law.
🏛️ What’s Happening: The Georgia chapter argues that creating a “truth-telling” exhibit violates state laws protecting Confederate monuments.
- The planned exhibit would address the site’s connections to the KKK’s rebirth and segregationist history.
- The group also objects to the park’s 2021 decision to relocate Confederate flags away from a walking trail.
🗿 The Monument’s Background: Stone Mountain features the nation’s largest Confederate carving, depicting Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and “Stonewall” Jackson on horseback.
- Completed in 1972, the carving measures 190 feet across and 90 feet tall.
- The United Daughters of the Confederacy commissioned the project in 1915 – the same year the KKK held a cross burning atop the mountain.
💰 Moving Forward: Georgia lawmakers allocated $11 million in 2023 for the exhibit and renovations to Memorial Hall, though the exhibit isn’t open yet.
The lawsuit claims the exhibit would “completely repurpose” the park and ignore the legislature’s intent in creating and maintaining it. Park officials haven’t yet responded to requests for comment.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
