The police killing of George Floyd sparked widespread protests and reignited efforts across the U.S. to remove Confederate and other statues viewed as symbols of slavery and racism. Either remove it or put it in Statuary Hall over any other statue you would like to get out of there. reason of why the federate statues should be removed. This should be moved into the middle of a busy intersection. Why Should We Care About Confederate Statues? We received letters from organizations that wanted to thank us for mother’s contributions. The same can be said for blacks when they see historical statues of Confederate generals and slaveowners who enslaved their people. She supported her two children, me and my sister. They are reminded of just what their people suffered and endured so that they can have the rights they do now. Others argue removing the statues would hardly atone for the atrocities committed and is tantamount to erasing history. That is why the statue is there. Quite possibly the most controversial topic in America right now is Confederate statues, and whether or not they should be removed. It is too sad and makes me want to hurl a shoe. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Why we should remove Confederate monuments. We should learn from our history, we don’t erase it. Marjorie Taylor Greene says that if she were black she’d be proud of the Confederate statues because they’d remind her of how far blacks have come in this country. And in France ? The toppling of a statue of 17th century slave owner Edward Colston in Bristol yesterday has sparked calls for other monuments with links to Britain's colonial past to be removed Beautiful and sad, but whoever they cast as Mary is obviously the same age as her son. But, unfortunately, they must because, without them, such insensitive, callous, and racist statements as those made above are applauded rather than condemned. It’s time to remove all statues because all statues are bad. Unfortunately for her, Greene isn’t black and thus, cannot speak for blacks in this country and how they feel. If I were black people today and I were to walk by one of those statues, I would be so proud because I’d say ‘look how far I have come in this country, look how far my people have, what they have overcome’,” Greene said in a nearly 10-minute video. Since the death of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM) has been calling for a transformation of America — not just in terms of racism and how blacks are treated but also the revision of the American landscape. By Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN. Back to the claim. The removal of statues tells us about ourselves, about our hatred and undomesticated impulses, and about our inability to enact change without causing anarchy and discontent. “We need to be reminded of some atrocity that happened. This is why the city council of Charlottesville voted, a century after it was commissioned, to remove the statue of Robert Edward Lee. “Ever wonder why there are no statues of Adolf Hitler in Berlin?” Mr. Kuntzman argues that Americans should treat their Confederate history the same way that Germany treats its Nazi past. I am worried about this man. If they did, we … It has also been suggested that statues shouldn't be removed but new plaques could be added which explain why the person is controversial, for example reflecting both the good and bad things they did. I’d like to live in a world where posts such as this would never have to be written. The Earth looks too light. In his essay, Diaz-Griffith makes suggestions for what should happen to Confederate monuments going forward, presenting four options: Display the monuments and memorials in museums (excluding Confederate heritage museums) where they are interpreted in the context of "Lost Cause" ideology, the Jim Crow era, white supremacy, and systemic racism However, fury over controversial statues relating to symbols of white supremacy and the villains of the slave trade has now spread to Britain with the Edward Colston statue in Bristol being pulled down a couple of weeks ago in protest. Well, we don’t see statues of the Native Americans every day, but we remember they were the first Americans. This is nice! Lacks realism; why would anyone voluntarily go to National Harbor? This is easy to see when one looks at the fact that there are few blacks in administrative positions in this country. The death of George Floyd is leading to the removal -- by protesters in some cases and city leaders in others -- of contentious statues that … In Martinique, these statues have long … Also, people who look at this statue will think, “Of course it was easy for Einstein to accomplish all that science; he was the size of a small building!” and this will discourage STEM. A campaign began under the hashtag #RhodesMustFall during which students demanded the statue be removed. In several cities, these tributes have been vandalized or torn down by protestors or removed by public officials. Opinion: Columns. Confederate statues honor the Confederate war heroes and soldiers with buildings, statues, plaques and other forms of commemoration of the Confederacy; and now those buildings and statues are causing violence and arguments … Re-Righting History: Why We Must Remove Confederate Statues, Imperfect Christ? The reason pertains to the fact that confederate statues have been up for the last 130 years or so. Worse than his response is that of Georgia Republican candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene, who said that black people should be proud to look at Confederate statues when they see them. ... Robinson said she did not believe the statues should be destroyed. And those Confederate statues are a form of what I call “historical PTSD.” A trauma victim from war has PTSD and often relives moments in the war in their heads. Perpetuates unrealistic beauty standard that women have two wings and zero heads. “They’re part of our history. How did they get the stones up there? They are reminded of the oppression of their ancestors. There is no Confederate statue that any black is proud of. The ultimate reality where a minority man or woman can’t cross the street without feeling vulnerable or concerned of an issue occurring because of who they are. Jefferson Davis is not a compelling statue on his own, but Jefferson Davis being devoured by an enormous spider is the next best thing to not having him there at all. The risk that even one person might be asked what goes on four legs in the morning, two in the middle of the day, and three at night and then as a consequence have to marry his mother is TOO GREAT! A GOVERNMENT minister has said there should be no statues of slave traders in modern Britain as protesters drew up a “hit list” of 60 to be removed… Sign up to receive Alexandra Petri’s columns by email as soon as they’re published, Know The Signs: How to tell if your grandparent has become an antifa agent, An oral history of Trump’s very necessary and real bunker inspection, Trump explains his favorite Bible stories, Submit a question for Petri’s June 23 live chat, Read a transcript of Petri’s June 16 live chat, (Washington Post illustration; photos by The Washington Post, AP, Getty Images and iStock), (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division). But that is the opposite of what the company who put it there as a publicity stunt was trying to say! People weren’t looking at the entire record of people when they put up statues to them. These were two-dimensional cartoon drawings of what I presume were actual people-like people; to render them three-dimensionally transforms them into monsters. Blacks recall the suffering of their ancestors, painful memories that make them sad, that make them angry at how their ancestors were treated less than human simply because of the color of their skin. Birds don’t look like this. Although largely celebrated in elementary and middle school classrooms across America, Columbus is a symbol of colonization and terror, and for this reason, many feel statues glorifying his legacy should be removed. Published by Joshua Bowman at August 18, 2017 Many people have observed that Confederate memorials were mainly erected in defiance of progress towards civil rights for liberated slaves and their descendants. He asked why there are no statues of Adolf Hitler in Berlin. Wild! A drone image shows the area surrounding the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. Indeed, the fact that these statues were erected in prominent public places is itself a powerful lesson in American history—a testament to our turbulent past that would be … And in that time, we have repeated the mistakes of the past. Facebook Lucille Ball made people laugh, and this statue makes people laugh that high-pitched nervous laugh of terror that you laugh while backing away, which is better, I guess, than not laughing. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. The ASPCA commercial of statues. Just ask a rape victim how it feels for him or her to relive the circumstances of their rape. So, it doesn’t make sense that we have to see history in order to remember it. Nothing wrong with it in itself save that it implies the existence (as others have noted) of enormous stone genitalia somewhere deep in the rock. This art says, “This fountain is full of urine.”. Even my mother, who was Ivy League-educated with a dual Accounting and Economics degree from Duke University was overlooked for a $100,000 manager’s position. Sanders says that if we don’t see Confederate statues, we’ll forget the history. Is this really a statue? While the left thinks that a monument’s primary purpose is to glorify great dead white men, the reality is that they were meant to be symbols of hope and progress. Some said the vote to remove the Confederate statues should be viewed as an initial step toward a better country for all Americans. The ultimate reality where a minority man or woman can’t cross the street without feeling vulnerable or concerned of an issue occurring because of who they are. Opposing view: Should statues of Sir John A. Macdonald be removed? Statues have already been removed in Alexandria and a slave auction block was removed in Fredericksburg, Va., on June 5. Creepy Lucille Ball statue. I know it doesn’t exist anymore, but I hear bad things. So, even though blacks have “equal rights,” they are still passed up for jobs that are given to white males. After statues around the world were defaced as part of the Black Lives Matters protests, Kelly Grovier looks at why some monuments provoke powerful reactions. Blacks were considered to be “other” than human. Now there is intense controversy over whether the statue should be removed. Let’s explore this concept together! Protests over Floyd's death in Minneapolis have refocused the country's attention on police brutality and racial injustice. Winged Victory of Samothrace. That’s when we realized how big her heart was. In a highly significant interventio… Shouldn’t be operating a slingshot while nude; could get hurt. Something is the matter with this bird. I don’t fear 150-year-old statues of old dead white men. Art sends a message. The statue had its head removed in 1992 and it was splashed with red paint multiple times recently. 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