Even black congressman Lacy Clay supported the Confederate monument at Higginsville. Here is what a Post Dispatch article interviewed him: State Sen. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, who is black, said he was not offended by the Confederate flag's display, "so long as it's in that historical context." Clay is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which helps set the state parks budget. The park will receive about $150,000 in the current budget. "We as a people have to start respecting different cultures more. Those who honor the Confederate flag have a cultural separation from me - but we need to respect each other's views," Clay said. Taken from Post Dispatch article: MANY VISITORS SHARE RESPECT FOR HISTORY OF CONFEDERATE SITE March 16, 1997 by Scott Charton, Associated Press --Scott K. Williams