June 29, 2021

Governor Kay Ivey, State of Alabama, Montgomery, Alabama

Dear Madame Governor,

This morning it was announced that the political rally of Former President Donald Trump, scheduled for the Fourth of July this year aboard the Battleship USS Alabama, had been canceled by the USS Alabama Battleship Commission , which you chair. This was done at the last minute in an obvious political ploy. The explanation that the Battleship Commission doesn’t want the Alabama used for political purposes is meaningless in the face of the fact that the late cancelation is unquestionably a political move designed to damage the efforts of the Former President.

This blatant pollicization of the duties of the Battleship Commission cannot be ignored. The Battleship Commission is charged with maintaining and preserving the USS Alabama and providing for public access so that generations to come can see a major part of our history, both as a state and a nation. The Alabama will be 80 years old from the date of her launching in just a few months. She requires constant maintenance and considerable funds to provide for her upkeep, not to mention to make her safely available for the public. These duties have been shamefully disregarded with the cancelation of President Trump’s rally.

While there will be disagreement about President Trump and his current efforts, there is no disputing that he can and does draw significant crowds for a political figure, especially a former president. That attention brings funds directly to the battleship with the crowds who come to see the former president. It also brings enormous public attention to the Battleship Alabama, far more than the Commission’s annual advertising efforts ever could. This immense opportunity for furthering the appointed goals of the Battleship Commission has been pointlessly wasted. There can be no excuse for this flagrant dereliction of duty.

There is only one honorable course of action. This is a formal request for you to immediately step down as a member of the Battleship Commission and for all the members of the Commission who voted for this travesty to also step down immediately. Leave it to your successor in 2023 to name the new commission – the battleship will be better off without your further involvement.

Image Credit: Image by roamincajun from Pixabay