AND THAT WAS ELLIOTT DAVIS
REPORTING. WELL A STATUE ON
THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
COLUMBIA CAMPUS IS CREATING
CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE
STUDENTS AND THE
ADMINISTRATION WHAT HAPPENED
HERE IS ONE STUDENTS STARTED A
PETITION TO HAVE THE THOMAS
JEFFERSON STATUE REMOVED AND R
MISSOURI CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF
EMILY MANLEY IS LIVE WITH US
TONIGHT AT THE CAMPUS WITH
MORE ON WHAT'S GOING ON EMILY.
YEAH GUYS THIS STATUE
THAT'S RIGHT HERE BEHIND ME IS
CURRENTLY A HOT TOPIC ISSUE
FOR THE MIZZOU CAMPUS. TODAY,
ADMINISTRATORS WITH MIZZOU
DECIDED THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING
TO REMOVE THE STATUE OF THOMAS
JEFFERSON BUT THE PETITIONER I
SPOKE WITH SAID THAT HE STILL
HOPING IT MIZZOU OFFICIALS
WILL TAKE SOME ACTION.
IT WAS IN A DIFFERENT PLACE
WHERE WASN'T SO DIRECTLY ABLE
TO TAKE STUDENTS MAYBE A
DIFFERENT STORY, BUT IT'S IN.
OUR TO SOPHOMORE ROMAN LEE
PARK WANTS TO MAKE AN IMPACT
SO WE STARTED A PETITION
NEARLY 2 WEEKS AGO AND HOPES
TO REMOVE A CONTROVERSIAL
STATUE ON CAMPUS.
IT'S A YEAR THIS PERSON IS
SOMETHING THAT GOT THEM IN
STATUTE. BUT THIS PERSON ALSO
DO SOMETHING THAT RUIN
PEOPLE'S LIVES, THOMAS
JEFFERSON'S LEGACY DATES BACK
TO THE 1800'S FOR THE
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI.
JEFFERSON NEGOTIATED THE LAND
FOR THE UNIVERSITY DURING THE
LOUISIANA PURCHASE IN 18 O 3.
JEFFERSON'S TOMBSTONE ALSO
RESIDES AT MIZZOU SO MANY
PEOPLE PASSED AND THE EVERY
SINGLE DAY.
NOW LEE PART IS ASKING
UNIVERSITY LEADERS TO REMOVE
THE STATUE OF THOMAS
JEFFERSON.
MY FEAR IS THAT IF THE
UNIVERSITY FAILS TO TAKE
ACTION SOONER OR LATER SOMEONE
WHO WAS HURTING AND DOESN'T
FEEL HEARD WILL. TAKE THE
ACTIONS OF FELLOW PROTESTERS
IN THE WORLD AND TAKE IT
THEMSELVES. WE PART MET WITH
MIZZOU ADMINISTRATORS ABOUT
HIS PETITION ON THURSDAY.
UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS WOULD NOT
TALK TO ME ON CAMERA BUT SAID
IN A STATEMENT.
THE CONVERSATION WAS AN
EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF CIVIL
DISCOURSE AND INCLUDED IN
DISCUSSION OF COMPLEX ISSUES
AND DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH
OTHER CURATORS THE UNIVERSITY
DECIDED NOT TO REMOVE THE
JEFFERSON STATUE. WE LEARN
FROM HISTORY. WE CAN'T
ACTUALLY LIES HISTORICAL
FIGURES WITH COMPLEX LEGACY.
WE DON'T REMOVE HISTORY BUT
HOLD THAT.
EVEN IF THE STATUES NOT
REMOVED. A PLAQUE SERVING AS A
SORT OF CONTENT WARNING
TRIGGER WARNING ITS PLACE
THERE. TO REMIND US ALL THAT
YOU KNOW EVERYTHING'S GOOD.
THERE IS SOME BAD.
WE PART SAYS WITHIN THE
LAST WEEK, SOMEONE PLACED A
TRASH BAG OVER THE JEFFERSON
STATUE. THE CREATOR OF THE
STATUE SPOKE WITH LEE PARK AND
HE SAYS HE WOULD BE WILLING TO
REMOVE IT.
THE GREATER THE STATUE
ACTUALLY SAID HE'S WILLING TO
TAKE IT BACK HE HAS. NO HARD
FEELINGS. HE THINKS EVERY
OPINION ABOUT IS WARY BALLOT.
NOW LEE PART SAID THAT HE
WOULD LIKE TO SEE A BENCH IN
THE PLACE OF THIS STATUE FOR
STUDENTS TO GATHER AROUND IN
THE QUAD AS OF TODAY THERE'S
NEARLY 4,000 SIGNATURES ON
THAT PETITION. REPORTING FOR
MISSOURI CAPITOL BUREAU, I'M
EMILY MANLEY FOX 2 NEWS.
REPORTER EMILY WILL HELP
NICE TOASTY DAY FOR THOSE OUT
