Proposed bill may restore Robert E. Lee bust to Fort Myers

Reporter: Taylor Wirtz Writer: Rachel Murphy
Published: Updated:
The empty plinth where the bust of Robert E. Lee once sat atop of in downtown Fort Myers. Credit: WINK News.

When you see the face of General Robert E. Lee, what do you see? Some say they see American history. Others say it’s a reminder of the Confederacy.

A bill (SB 1122) is working its way through the Florida Senate to stop the removal of Confederate monuments and restoring the ones that were taken down.

The bust of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was taken down in Downtown Fort Myers in 2020, but if the bill succeeds, it may return, along with many others.

Robert E. Lee statue in downtown Fort Myers (WINK News)

“These people tried to break up the United States. Why are we honoring them? Why are we glorifying them as these heroes?” said Sarah Wilson, who is the political action chairwoman of the Lee County NAACP.

State Senator from Fort Myers Jonathan Martin is sponsoring the bill that would prohibit people from taking down Confederate monuments and memorials. Martin said it’s not a Confederate bill but an American history bill.

“I want the bill to protect all American history,” said Martin. “Let’s quit tearing down American history.”

“You can’t take away history; the history is written in books,” said Debi Sprow, a Fort Myers native.

Sprow said she thinks people can learn from the symbols of our past, but Wilson and the NAACP feel that the Confederate monuments have no place in the United States.

“You will not find a swastika in Germany unless it’s in a Holocaust Museum. They are enemies of the state. Why are we putting them in our state buildings and in our city buildings?” said Wilson.

The Senate Government Oversight and Accountability Committee voted 4 – 2 to support the bill. It has not yet been heard in committees.

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