Georgia Governor Candidate Wants Giant Confederate Rockface Carving Gone

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STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. (AP) — A candidate seeking to become the nation's first female African-American governor is calling for the removal of a giant granite carving in Georgia depicting three Confederate war leaders.

News outlets report Democratic front-runner for governor Stacey Abrams posted several tweets Tuesday saying the carving at the tourist attraction Stone Mountain Park and other Confederate statues and monuments around the state should be removed. One tweet read, "We must never celebrate those who defend slavery and tried to destroy the union."

Removing the faces of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson would require a change in state law. The Georgia code says the carving shall be "protected for all time as a tribute to the bravery and heroism of the citizens of this state who suffered and died in their cause."

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