Texas unlikely to consider teen's proposal to rename Confederate Heroes Day

On Tuesday at the Texas capitol, Jacob Hale defended his proposal to rename the state's annual Confederate Heroes Day to the more benign Civil War Remembrance Day. Hale, 13, suggested the name and date change — from Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's birthday, Jan. 19, to the second Monday in May, so it didn't sometimes land on Martin Luther King Jr. Day — last fall to Austin Rep. Donna Howard (D), who introduced it as a bill this year.

Hale argued on Tuesday that the new name would be a "more accurate symbol of our state's diverse history," noting that during the Civil War, "many Texans were killed for having pro-Union sentiments." Opponents of the bill made up the lion's share of those who showed up to testify at the committee hearing, The Texas Tribune reports, with many telling Hale that he is misguided or naive. "If we start trying to change the historical record for political reasons, we do great damage to our heritage," said Rudy Roy, a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Howard warned Hale that the bill would likely never come up for a vote, given the controversy. "This is not a bill I was seeking, and I discouraged him at first," she said. "He convinced me that it was an important thing to do, and after the debate we had today, I am certain that it is the right thing to do."

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