(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- An Illinois House task force is considering options for what to do about statues and portraits at the state capitol that honor people with controversial histories.
A statue of 19th-century U.S. Senator Stephen Douglas has already been removed from the capitol grounds in Springfield. Douglas profited from slaves owned by others in his family.
One suggestion is to replace the Douglas statue with one of Barack Obama, the Chicago-activist-turned-legislator who became the first Black U.S. president.
State Rep. Tim Bulter, R-Springfield, said he may be able to support that eventually. But he suggests a basic threshold for all statue candidates.
“My only thing is, for anyone — I think we should wait until 10 years after they’re dead before we honor them,” he said, laughing.
He said that way, there will be time to learn whether someone did something in their lifetime to make them unworthy of a statue.
Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, said another option is to add information about the subject’s life where statues or portraits are displayed. That way, people can learn their complete history, good and bad.
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