Yesterday, we reported that the country music legend Dolly Parton had respectfully passed on a statue of her going up in the Tennessee state Capitol after a bill was introduced calling for one to be erected. Now, a Tennessee representative is speaking out to say that the wishes of Parton should be respected.

Tennessee State Rep. Jeremy Faison, who suggested that a statue of Parton be put up to replace the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue at the Capitol, told TMZ that he respects the country music star even more after hearing her reasons for declining the statue. He also said that state representatives should respect her wishes and shelve plans for this potential statue for now.

Parton released a statement asking lawmakers to focus on other things during this difficult time, rather than on putting up a statue of her.

“I want to thank the Tennessee legislature for their consideration of a bill to erect a statue of me on the Capitol grounds. I am honored and humbled by their intention but I have asked the leaders of the state legislature to remove the bill from any and all consideration,” Parton said in a statement. “Given all that is going on in the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time.”

“I hope, though, that somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it, then I’m certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennessean,” she added. “In the meantime, I’ll continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud.”

An online petition was filed last June calling for a statue of Parton replace those dedicated to Confederate officers.

“Tennessee is littered with statues memorializing confederate officers,”  the petition read. “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.”

This comes after Parton was praised publicly for her $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University’s COVID-19 research, which helped Moderna develop a vaccine that they’ve said is nearly 95% effective, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.

“I’m just happy that anything I do can help somebody else,” she said. “When I donated the money to the COVID[-19] fund I just wanted it to do good and evidently, it is! Let’s just hope we can find a cure real soon.”

When I donated the money to the Covid fund I just wanted it to do good and evidently, it is! Let’s just hope we can find a cure real soon. pic.twitter.com/dQgDWexO0C

— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) November 17, 2020

This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.cupliftingtoday.com/…/tennessee-rep-says-dolly-partons-wishes-to-pass-on-statue-should-be-respectedom and is used by permission.

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