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.
