A North Carolina proposal to place a statue of the Reverend Billy Graham in the U.S. Capitol, has gained approval from North Carolina’s House of Representatives and Senate.
SRN News reports that the proposal passed the House in April and recently passed the Senate with a unanimous vote. The proposal is now being passed along to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory.
The statue of Graham would replace a statue of former North Carolina governor Charles Aycock. Aycock was governor from 1901 to 1905 and is remembered for his white supremacist links.
The effort to replace his statue with that of Graham would be to replace a divisive political figure with someone whose life work transcends political boundaries.
The famed evangelist Graham has conducted more than 400 evangelistic Crusades and led many to Christ. SRN News reports that Graham grew up in Charlotte and still resides in North Carolina.
Although Congressional guidelines state that a statue cannot be installed while the person is yet living, North Carolina still wants to pass the proposal so that sculptors may be hired and work may begin on the statue.
Graham, who is 96, remains active in the public arena.
Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Publication date: September 18, 2015
