After all, the Capitol itself has long featured statues which honor those who actively participated in -- and even led -- the Confederate government. For almost a century, the National Statuary Hall has featured both the Confederacy's president, Mississippian Jefferson Davis (since 1931), and its vice-president, South Carolinian Alexander Stephens (since 1927). Alabama's Joseph Wheeler (placed in 1925) is even featured in his Confederate Army uniform. [National Statury Hall]
Regardless, this long tradition of nonsense seems to be ending. I was happy to see that 67 House Republicans joined House Democrats in a vote to remove those statues, as well as that of Robert Taney.[Source]
It was Chief Justice Robert Taney who penned the infamous Dred Scott v. Sandford decision in 1857, which stated Dred Scott did not have standing to sue for his freedom. As he explained, "the plaintiff was not a citizen of the State of Missouri, as alleged in his declaration, being a negro of African descent, whose ancestors were of pure African blood, and who were brought into this country and sold as slaves."[Source]
According to FindLaw's Casey S. Sullivan, the Dred Scott decision is the #1 Worst Supreme Court Decision of All Time. It legally invalidated any lawsuit any black person could ever bring against a white person, and "all but guaranteed that there would be no political solution to slavery." [Source]
For the causes they promoted, they do not deserve the honor of being featured in the Capitol. I look forward to seeing who the affected states will choose as replacements.
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