'You have let us down': Residents upset over vote to bring Confederate statue to Lake County

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Controversy filled the Lake County Commission Chambers on Tuesday, as passionate neighbors spoke out about bringing a Confederate statue to the county.

There were not many in support of the Lake County Historical Society's vote to bring over the statue of General Edmund Kirby Smith from Washington D.C., where the statue has been displayed for years in Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill.

"This was an easy decision, not to bring something that will cause division in your community," said one resident at the commission meeting. "You were elected to represent all of us. You have let us down."

Lake County leaders approved the statue's move to the county with a vote of 3 to 2.

The crowd sensed an approval was coming during the meeting and let the commission know they were not happy.

"When you hurt half of your population, it's not positive," said a resident. Tell me what bad would happen if it didn't come to Lake County."

The Rev. Michael Watkins, of Friendship CME Church, said in April that the statue has no place in a public building.

"We, in this county, are trying to build bridges and tear down barriers," he said. "We don't want to keep dividing one another. These are symbols. We know what these things were erected for -- to send a message of white supremacy."

Some of the shock lingered into Wednesday.

"We can't understand why they want to do this," said Mae Hazelton. "It was removed for the U.S. Capitol for a reason."

The statue isn't expected to make its way to Lake County until 2020.

DOWNLOAD: Free WFTV News & Weather Apps

Not near a TV? Click here to watch WFTV newscasts live

Watch Live: Doppler 9 HD 

Cox Media Group