RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- As North Carolina grapples with whether to move three Confederate monuments from the state Capitol grounds, two historians are advising that they should be moved, but if that can't happen, some historical context should be added so people can learn from the past.

The historians were responding to a committee appointed by the state's Historical Commission to consider Gov. Roy Cooper's request to remove the monuments to Bentonville battlefield in Johnston County. The panel received almost 7,000 public comments ahead of a Thursday deadline.

Meanwhile, a UNC School of Government analysis indicates that altering a statue by providing a plaque or other addition with historical context might be easier than moving the monuments. 

The panel plans to report on the proposal to the full state commission, possibly in May.