Critical Questions Regarding "Silent Sam" Desecration

As a member of the UNC System Board of Governors, a former NC Senate Judiciary Chair and a graduate of UNC Law School, I am appalled by the recent toppling and desecration of the Soldiers’ Memorial Monument at UNC-Chapel Hill. All North Carolinians deserve a full disclosure of all the facts relating to these criminal acts. I believe the following questions should immediately be addressed:

1. Did the campus police stand down and allow the destruction of this property and if so, why and on whose authority?

2. If the police presence was inadequate to control the crowd, why was sufficient action not taken to have adequate law-enforcement personnel available?

3. Is a full investigation underway to identify all the participants via videos and photographs at the scene of these illegal activities?

4. Will criminal charges be filed against the perpetrators and will they be banned from all UNC campus properties for the foreseeable future?

5. Will criminal and civil restitution be sought from the perpetrators who willfully participated in the destruction of the monument.

6. What steps are being taken to repair, reinstall and protect the monument in the future?

The citizens of North Carolina deserve answers to these critical questions. I support the preservation of historical monuments. However, people who disagree with the current state of the law should be reminded that Dr. King and Mahatma Gandhi succeeded, where others failed, by their peaceful and civil disobedience. The lawless acts committed at UNC-Chapel Hill cannot go unpunished. The criminals who committed these willful acts deserve to be held accountable for their crimes and the harm they caused. If we do not demand justice, we invite a state of anarchy on all of our university campuses.

– Thom Goolsby