Wise petition calls for Confederate monument to be replaced with statue of manatee

Today a petition is circulating to replace a Confederate monument in Bradenton, Florida, with a monument for Snooty the manatee, a beloved local resident who passed away Sunday at the age of 69. (He was believed to be the world's oldest manatee.)

The current monument is located near Snooty's former home in Bradenton. And Anthony Pusateri, who created the petition, thinks Snooty would be a much better symbol for the area.

"To honor Snooty's legacy as a positive icon in Bradenton, I propose that the negative symbol of racism and oppression that is the Confederate monument be relocated and replaced with a statue of Snooty the Manatee," the petition reads.

Pusateri suggests the current monument be relocated to a museum "out of everyday public eye."

At the time of writing, the petition had been signed more than 5,000 times. People — especially those who think Snooty was a good and nice boy, and who didn't? — are singing its praises.

"Snooty did 100,000,000x more for this community than the Confederacy," wrote one supporter.

"Snooty would have wanted it this way," said another.

The petition is also picking up momentum on Twitter, a longtime hub for viral manatee fans.

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In case you were interested in crying, here's a memorial for Snooty — appropriately composed of mostly lettuce. Indeed, he is a symbol of hope and love and vegetarianism. Nice. Even in death, you're doing amazing, Snooty.

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