Should Statues Of Certain Historical Persons Be Removed So As To Satisfy Today's Political Correctness Ideals?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/805623/New-Orleans-Civil-War-statue-removed-deemed-racist

[youngmafbog]

I dont think statues should be removed, the Left in this country are constantly attempting to change history, something it is important we do learn from. ISIS of course are doing the same in Syria.

[mikey4444]

I wonder what happened to the statues of Hitler after the war ?

[emmie]

no indeed

[youngmafbog]

I'm not quite sure that is in the same league Mickey. He pretty much insisted on them being a Socialist dictator. The statues under discussion are those freely put up by the people.

I suspect they went the same way Sadams did.

[ludwig]

It's up to the locals. Just because a statue was erected at a certain time for a certain reason doesn't mean it should have to stay there forever though. Times change, and things can get reviewed.

For example, I wouldn't want to see any statues commemorating Jimmy Savile still in place.

[ChillDoubt]

No.

Or what next? Burning books?

[ludwig]

A statue is erected to honour or celebrate something. Therefore taking one down doesn't count as 'airbrushing' in the same way that burning books or removing references to people or things from history does, in my opinion.

It is simply the result of a decision that it's no longer deemed appropriate to honour or celebrate the subject of the statue.
Therefore, take down statues of Hitler or Gaddafi if you like, but don't burn all copies of Mein Kampf - it's an important historical document.

[jno]

did anyone complain when the former Soviet republics started pulling down statues of Stalin?

[Khandro]

All Roman emperors were pretty bad and some were terrifyingly so, all kept slaves many of whom were black and yet museums around the world display their portraits as busts and full size figures which are priceless and much admired. In fact the whole classical world was based on slavery and so any person depicted is in some way "guilty" of aiding and abetting it.
The logical conclusion of this kind of Philistinism would be to destroy every depiction of anyone in antiquity.

[anotheoldgit]

Khandro
I agree, might as well say bulldoze the Colosseum, after all look at the savagery and carnage that took place there.