I’ve removed a bunch of posts in this topic. I’ll be taking actions elsewhere as well as a result of this discussion. Whether or not the statues should be removed, what should be kept and where, etc., are valid points of conversation.
I am not an American, however, AFAICT suggesting that there is an “ulterior motive” in tearing down these statues, however, flies in the face of what the push to remove these statues has been about, and in my mind is indirect victim blaming. Regardless of the intent of many of these (which, frankly, reading the evidence in this topic makes pretty clear), even this non-USian can understand that they are now a symbol of bigotry.
The same thing has been happening as folks learn more about the voyages of Columbus. No one wants to erase the facts, but heck, in school I sang in a play glorifying a whitewashed version of events during his voyages, and only in the last decade learned otherwise. I would gladly support the removal of statues of Columbus while also supporting museums that continue to tell his story so that future generations continue to learn the truth.
