Silent Sam was graffitied again sometime yesterday

The phrases read, “Love is understanding,” “Why others hate,” “BLM” and “Love > Hate.”

The Silent Sam memorial statue, located on north campus across from Franklin Street, was spray-painted sometime on Friday. At this time, it is unclear who wrote the phrases.

The phrases read, “Love is understanding,” “Why others hate,” “BLM” and  “Love > Hate.”

The statue was erected in 1913 in remembrance of students who fought in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Silent Sam has been the target of graffiti, especially in the past few years, calling out its controversial nature, though graffiti on the statue goes back decades.

Other instances of graffiti have read, “Murderer,” “KKK” or “Black Lives Matter.”

Many argue that the statue should be moved to an area where it would be less seen or removed altogether.

The messages have been removed as of Saturday afternoon.

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