1 of 1- Jambojim52
- GFA #1 fan
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- Posts: 456
removing slavery statues
Where do we stop? While slavery was a horrible and unsavory time it was in the past and to use modern ideals doesn't change the past. If we are to learn from our mistakes ,removing the reminders won't help. If we are to remove all and any statues to those who did commit acts of slavery ( but also used this cash to build schools and libraries etc ) we are trying to blot out our history. There are many times in the past where great men ( women ) did horrible things but in the end were necessary at the time, so where do we draw the line? Do we wipe out statues of the English who put down the Scots? Do we look back and see where Rabbie Burns stole a turnip and remove his statues?
Trying to put modern ways of thinking onto things that were ok at the time, shows that some have no idea how the world really is, and the snowflake generation is winning the war. Modern technology and social media have made a generation where going on line trying to out do everyone else in faux outrage seems to be the highlight of the day.
Get a grip and instead of reacting as a mob, stop and think how to make things better. Tearing down a statue isn't going to free all the slaves from 100 years ago and with modern slavery just as bad put that energy into fixing the modern problem.
Head of conspiracy theories
- IJ
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- Registered: 5/18/2019
- Posts: 889
Re: removing slavery statues
The only two statues I have ever even cared the smallest amount possible about are Greyfriars Bobby and Wojtek the bear, and the only two statues I will ever even care the smallest amount possible about are Greyfriars Bobby and Wojtek the bear. 
"The open society is one in which men have learned to be to some extent critical of taboos, and to base decisions on the authority of Neil MacFarlane"
- anders
- Late to the party
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- Posts: 839
Re: removing slavery statues
All sorts of ways of seeing it:
- the statue is an artifact, we don't rip up portrait paintings where we don't like the individual so why destroy the statue?
- few people are all good or all bad so most of those with statues will have done good things too. So a better option would be to change the plaque to state the wrong things too such as supporting slavery.
- better still would be to balance it up by putting statues of those from the enslaved who opposed slavery next to the slaverin' statue.
If push came to shove tho, I'd support their removal after hearing someone describe having the statues up as being like having a statue of Goebbels up in a Jewish area. We wouldn't do that so why do we do this.
Also I was moved by the complaint of one young woman stating that the white majority even control the dialogue about it. In that if they complain forcibly then we're "not negotiating with rioters and violent demonstrators" and if they complain quietly then we ignore their views (as has been done for centuries) and they clearly can't get change that way either. And "now's not the right time" but last year and the year before that and all the years before that clearly weren't the right time either cos we didn't listen then. It shouldn't be up to us when we can be bothered getting around to dealing with the issue. It's come up now, lets deal with it and resolve it now.
So...I'm against the violence and rioting etc but as it's so offensive to them, and it clearly must be, then I'm on the side of getting rid if we can't add 'balancing' statues and change the plaques to point out how wrong slavery of any nationality or colour was and is.
Last edited by anders (6/12/2020 11:42 am)
- HC
- One of Them
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- From: Isle of Lewis
- Registered: 5/18/2019
- Posts: 1,260
Re: removing slavery statues
IJ wrote:
The only two statues I have ever even cared the smallest amount possible about are Greyfriars Bobby and Wojtek the bear, and the only two statues I will ever even care the smallest amount possible about are Greyfriars Bobby and Wojtek the bear.
The question is: would you still touch the Boaby in the current climate? 🐶 
- IJ
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- Registered: 5/18/2019
- Posts: 889
Re: removing slavery statues
The question is: would you still touch the Boaby in the current climate? 🐶
"The open society is one in which men have learned to be to some extent critical of taboos, and to base decisions on the authority of Neil MacFarlane"