Thread for statue vandalism of anti-slavery figures and other random persons

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

John Greenleaf Whittier, anti-slavery poet and founding member of the Liberty Party

https://twitter.com/ElijahSchaffer/status/1272280748750336000?s=20

[longtimelurker]

https://www.wbur.org/artery/2020/06/03/16-statues-memorials-damaged

Robert Gould Shaw, was an abolitionist.  Matthew Broderick portrayed him in the film, "Glory."

I would love to be able to say that the damage was caused by alt-right types who insinuated themselves into the protestors, to make the Protestors and BLM look bad.  But, I have no evidence of that.

In any crowd there are just stupid violent people who think  - no they are certain - that any statue indicates a horrible establishment person and their memory must be erased.

In the 1980's, the Young Democrats at the University of Washington got taken over by very far-left types (a proto-Antifa, if you will), who wanted to stop the placement of a monument on campus to an alumna who was a WWII hero.  They were quoted as saying that they didn't want any monument to any Caucasian military fascist on campus.  But, in reality, the alumna in question was a Native American who fought the Nazis.  Sorry I can't find a cite on Google or Bing right now; perhaps someone out there with some affiliation with UW could find it. 

[Progressive Pessimist]

I don't think too many of the statues that will be discussed here will be "random." The common theme is re-contextualizing history and the historical figures behind them that may reflect something we should move past.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Baldwin, who created one of the largest a locomotive manufacturing firms of his time, was an outspoken critic against slavery during the early 1800s, arguing for the right of African Americans to vote and founding a school in the city for black children. Baldwin’s statue was erected in 1906, and placed in its current spot outside City Hall in 1936.

https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-protests-matthias-baldwin-statue-abolitionist-twitter-photos-20200612.html
https://i.redd.it/vtlyocni7k451.jpg

[Sumner 1868]

I would love to be able to say that the damage was caused by alt-right types who insinuated themselves into the protestors, to make the Protestors and BLM look bad.  But, I have no evidence of that.

Where there's smoke...

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Critical race theory such as promoted by the 1619 Project tells us that American history is thoroughly racist - it's in the American "DNA".  By implication, if anyone in American history has been memorialized by the oppressive powers that be, then they must have been supporters of this racist system.  Their individual identities do not matter.   This is the logical extension of taking down memorials to a town's dead boys because they fought on the wrong side, no matter what their personal circumstances or reasons for fighting.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

I would love to be able to say that the damage was caused by alt-right types who insinuated themselves into the protestors, to make the Protestors and BLM look bad.  But, I have no evidence of that.

Where there's smoke...

Infiltration and incitement of anti-establishment groups across the political spectrum by all tiers of law enforcement is common. Presuming that out-of-character acts of violence are incited or carried out by state actors should be the default assumption.

[Nutmeg]

I did think it was odd that BLM targeted the Daniel Webster statue in D.C.'s Scott Circle, though maybe it was a showing of disapproval for the Cotton Whigs vice the Conscience Whigs.

[Orwell]

I would love to be able to say that the damage was caused by alt-right types who insinuated themselves into the protestors, to make the Protestors and BLM look bad.  But, I have no evidence of that.

Where there's smoke...

Infiltration and incitement of anti-establishment groups across the political spectrum by all tiers of law enforcement is common. Presuming that out-of-character acts of violence are incited or carried out by state actors should be the default assumption.

So, you're blaming the US Government for this?

[Helsinkian]

When Trump asked in 2017 if the statues of Jefferson and Washington would be the next to be torn down, people mocked him for the speculation.

Now:

https://twitter.com/KOINNews/status/1272416495088201729

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

This is nuts.
We might have to dole out jail sentences.

[T'Chenka]

Can these idiots please just focus on Confederate and slave trader statues? It's a slippery slope. They'll be tearing down JFK statues for him being anti-trans or something soon.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Can these idiots please just focus on Confederate and slave trader statues? It's a slippery slope. They'll be tearing down JFK statues for him being anti-trans or something soon.

"Some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn." - Alfred, the Dark Knight

[rosin]

Can these idiots please just focus on Confederate and slave trader statues? It's a slippery slope. They'll be tearing down JFK statues for him being anti-trans or something soon.

Yeah, this is just PC on steroids. And I don't think this will come to an end (the vandalism will, but not necessarily the greater "whitewashing history" movement (no race pun intended)) before people find out that the logical endpoint will be throwing all iPhones away because Steve Jobs in many ways was a HP - or with other words NEVER (at least not in the forseeable future)

[Amanda Huggenkiss]

Can these idiots please just focus on Confederate and slave trader statues? It's a slippery slope. They'll be tearing down JFK statues for him being anti-trans or something soon.

I'm not arguing against the culture you describe, but as a historian, I find the glorification of historical figures that comes with the erection of statues generally problematic. The elevation of historical figures as somewhat national symbols makes critical discourses about them in some parts pretty much impossible.

[The Free North]

Statue toppling remains a bastion of ignorance and stupidity. Yeah, someone in the 18th century wasn't woke. Get over it, read a history book, and try to understand there is some grey space between all bad/all good.

I hope most of these are rebuilt.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Statue toppling remains a bastion of ignorance and stupidity. Yeah, someone in the 18th century wasn't woke. Get over it, read a history book, and try to understand there is some grey space between all bad/all good.

I hope most of these are rebuilt.

And that all these criminals who contribute nothing to society get lengthy prison time.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Statue toppling remains a bastion of ignorance and stupidity. Yeah, someone in the 18th century wasn't woke. Get over it, read a history book, and try to understand there is some grey space between all bad/all good.

I hope most of these are rebuilt.

Nobody from that time was woke. That means that only people from the present day qualify for a statue. Even Honest Abe was a homophobe. Lets smash the Lincoln memorial!
Time periods don't matter, the only way to assess historical figures is by the moral standards I hold at this very moment.
As you can tell, I am surely nothing but pure logic personified. If you disagree with me in any way you are nothing but an apologist for bigots.
/s

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Golden Gate Park statues, including U.S. Grant and Cervantes.    They started to destroy the AIDS memorial but then realized what it was.

https://twitter.com/jrivanob/status/1274194145838428160?s=20

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I did think it was odd that BLM targeted the Daniel Webster statue in D.C.'s Scott Circle, though maybe it was a showing of disapproval for the Cotton Whigs vice the Conscience Whigs.

I doubt they know who Daniel Webster is.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Spain isn't happy

https://twitter.com/SpainInTheUSA/status/1274437473968500736?s=20

[Koharu]

The complaining about statues being destroyed is really silly. The artists who made them were paid. Statues don't teach history. This is an effective way of keeping the media's attention, and unlike the destruction of businesses, it doesn't ruin anyone's livelihood.

Would I prefer the statues not be destroyed? Sure. But the way people are reacting to this, it's like the human being represented was murdered rather than an artistic rendering of them being removed. This is the cultural equivalent of crying about some flowers being trampled.

[Bakersfield Uber Alles]

Some of these are definitely going too far. Like Grant, Whittier, and the AIDS memorial.

Not gonna defend Serra though and it’s rather disgusting how the Spanish embassy is defending him.

Can these idiots please just focus on Confederate and slave trader statues? It's a slippery slope. They'll be tearing down JFK statues for him being anti-trans or something soon.

Basically this.

[T'Chenka]

The complaining about statues being destroyed is really silly. The artists who made them were paid. Statues don't teach history. This is an effective way of keeping the media's attention, and unlike the destruction of businesses, it doesn't ruin anyone's livelihood.

Would I prefer the statues not be destroyed? Sure. But the way people are reacting to this, it's like the human being represented was murdered rather than an artistic rendering of them being removed. This is the cultural equivalent of crying about some flowers being trampled.

People would be upset if the flowers being trampled were unique, to a certain extent art, and in some cases extremely old. Statues DEFINITELY teach people about history. They're one of the "gateway drugs" to research / learning about history.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

The complaining about statues being destroyed is really silly. The artists who made them were paid. Statues don't teach history. This is an effective way of keeping the media's attention, and unlike the destruction of businesses, it doesn't ruin anyone's livelihood.

Would I prefer the statues not be destroyed? Sure. But the way people are reacting to this, it's like the human being represented was murdered rather than an artistic rendering of them being removed. This is the cultural equivalent of crying about some flowers being trampled.

Artists need to eat and have a place to live just like everyone else.   Does art only matter if it was done for free?

Statues are landmarks that tell us what people in another time wanted us to remember in the places where we are.  How does that not teach history ?

It's keeping the media's attention on the statues, and the debate about what statues we should have.  How does that save any lives?   

Flowers are good actually, and you shouldn't go trampling them if you can help it, especially if they are unique specimens.