jknowgood
Diamond Member
Since liberals want to be fair. Tear all statues down. Even mlks.The UK is not much different to the US in that some dusty old general will get a statue for slaughtering a load of unarmed "darkies". It was "of the time" but is no longer relevant. A pub in my town is named after Elihu Yale who was a slave owner but born in our town. It will be renamed in the next few years.Monuments can be a bugger to get right. If you get the chance to visit Rome you will see spectacular marble busts of people who were psychopaths.Any of them who didn't openly stand for oppression of their fellow US of A countrymen and who weren't leaders of and collaborators in an insurrection against the US of A. I'd be willing to give most -- maybe all, though I'm not yet committing to that -- former presidents a "pass" simply on account of their holding the office of president.Which Americans do you think could have statues without being divisive ?
I realize that none or few of America's long dead leaders is/are without stain as goes matters of race. Of them, putting up statues to the best of them is acceptable. Erecting statues to any of them is also somewhat acceptable for one and only one reason: for whatever despicable jackasses they may have been, they were the U.S.' jackasses, much the same as John Lackland was at least England's jackass. The leaders of the Confederate States of America were a different nation's jackasses, a nation that fought against the United States of America, and they don't, as such, deserve honors in and on the property of the U.S. government and its component/subordinate governments, other than museums, battlefields and other explicit designated/purposed Civil War historical sites and venues.
There simply is no way I'm ever going to cotton to the notion and act of exalting men who brazenly embraced and ideas that reflect the very worst of what Americans have ever been.
In my country this year we had the unfortunate incident of the ring of steel. A statue that celebrated our conquest. It has now been shelved.
‘Ring of steel’ sculpture is insulting to Wales
The UK as a whole has a problem in finding people who have clean hands. Which is why I think we need to look outside the political sphere to celebrate the best of us.
Better have a monument to miners than some General with blood on his hands.Monuments can be a bugger to get right.
Well, yes. LOL That's part of why I refrained from naming specific individuals.
If you get the chance to visit Rome you will see spectacular marble busts of people who were psychopaths.
I have. They sure do. However, as I noted before, those pricks are among Romes pantheon of pricks and not, for the most part, the psychopaths who wrought the fall of the Western Empire.
Note:
The Roman example is probably not one I'd use as emblematic of anything re: statues and this line of discussion. Rome was a city, but Rome was also an empire of two halves. Then there's the Roman Catholic Church aspect playing into things. The point being that no nation, other than perhaps Greece and Egypt, has quite the type of history Rome does.
China might be a better analogue for the U.S. in that it's seen its share of revolts and insurrections, but it's essentially "always" been the same culture that's merely evolved over time for as long as it has existed. For instance, China had the An Shi Rebellion that spanned the rule of multiple emperors; however, there probably aren't any currently open wounds remaining from that rebellion. The same cannot be said of the Confederate revolt against the U.S. So perhaps 1000 years from now, or maybe even 500, we can re-erect a Confederate statue here or there, but now is not the right time for them.
I think we need to look outside the political sphere to celebrate the best of us.
Well, that's a good idea. After all, I can't recall any of the nations best ideas, the ones that reflect the best that we are and can do and be, as having come from political leaders. Sure, some politicians have had some good ideas, but I think the majority of the best ones have come from poets, artists, scientists, inventors, doctors, authors, and so on.