GASTONIA, N.C. — Gaston County commissioners agreed to form a "council of understanding" to consider the future of the Confederate monument outside the county courthouse.
The council will be made up of 12 people, six in favor of leaving the monument at its current location and six who want the monument to move to a different place.
Commissioner Tom Keigher is forming the council, and he told commissioners he prefers to only have people with open minds.
"I really hope that we're not putting anybody in there that's drop-dead, 'I'm not changing,'" he said. "There's no purpose for that then."
Gaston County Freedom Fighters want their voices to be on that council. Sierra Hall and Rashaan Stephens are members of the local activist group, and they want the monument moved away from the courthouse.
"We're open to see how it goes," Hall said about the committee. "We're looking to see that it's done in a fair way, that's equal for both sides of the party."
The group believes so far, the debate's been unfair.
Many critics of the monument remain frustrated after they accused Commissioner Philbeck of going out of order when calling up speakers during the public comment period of Tuesday night's commissioner's meeting.
Commissioner Philbeck told WCNC Charlotte there were three separate speaker lists: those who want to keep the monument at its current spot, those who want it moved and those coming to council wanting to speak about other topics.
He said he went back and forth between the lists, "in fairness to the hour we had."
People also criticized Commissioner Philbeck after a screenshot began circulating, which showed a cartoon the commissioner shared to his Facebook page on June 5.
It depicted a Black man being kneed in the neck by a donkey dressed as a police officer with the donkey's uniform reading, "Decades of Democrat Policies."
He deleted the post shortly after he aired it, but he told WCNC Charlotte it's not racist because it was a point of view originally shared by Larry Elder, a Black conservative radio talk show host.
Philbeck said he took down the post after a friend contacted him, saying he agreed with the cartoon’s message, but others may find it insensitive.
Gaston County Freedom Fighters' members and the Gaston County NAACP condemned the post.
"Everything about that whole picture was racist," Hall said.
"To use that picture, it was just terrifying to see," Stephens said. "I don't think it should've been posted on Facebook."
As far as the Confederate monument stands, that's waiting on the formation of the Council of Understanding.
Commissioner Keigher wants the 12-person Council of Understanding to be formed in 10 days, and he plans to have a recommendation to the board in about a month.
Each County Commissioner will appoint one individual to the council, and Commissioner Keigher and Chairman Philbeck will work to select the remaining six.
Those interested can contact Keigher at Tom.Keigher@GastonGov.com and provide their name, contact information, their position on the monument and availability to meet for several midday meetings at the County’s Administration Building.