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Petition circulating to replace all Tennessee confederate monuments with statues of Dolly Parton

The petition was created three days ago and already hit its first signature goal.

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — When you think of Tennessee, you think of the Vols, the Smoky Mountains, country music, and Dolly Parton.

Now a petition is working to get Dolly's likeness to more parts of the state.

Alex Parsons started a change.org petition on June 11, asking Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee House and Senate to consider replacing confederate monuments with statues of Dolly Parton.

"Tennessee is littered with statues memorializing confederate officers," Parsons wrote in the petition. "History should not be forgotten, but we need not glamorize those who do not deserve our praise. Instead, let us honor a true Tennessee hero, Dolly Parton."

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As of 10:30 Sunday morning June 14, the petition had over 2,600 signatures, surpassing its original goal of 2,500.

"While the idea of replacing all of those monuments with Dolly Parton may seem funny, the history of those monuments is anything but," Parsons wrote in an update Sunday.

He goes on to say he'd be open to other suggestions aside from Dolly, but wants to highlight change makers in Tennessee and not those known to oppress different groups of people.

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"The tyranny memorialized in those statues can no longer be allowed to stand, be it removed or replaced by someone worthy of praise, such as Dolly Parton or other deserving groups and individuals," Parsons said.

Dolly herself has not commented on the idea.

You can read the entire petition here.

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