A monumental debate
“There are many statues of men slaying lions, but if only the lions were sculptors there might be quite a different set of statues.”
A friend just shared a link on social media, asking us to sign a petition to decolonise and rename streets in Kampala and across Uganda. We’ve seen this happen in both South Africa and India. Citizens have the right to make decisions about shaping the society that they live in.
The recent death of George Floyd at the hands of U.S police, has sparked protests around the world. People are saying out loud “enough”. Hallas. Basta. Cekup.
Some will say that they don’t understand what the fuss is about. Ask yourself this. If societies were fair, would people be protesting? If everyone was afforded the same opportunity at creating a good life, would there be discontent? This is about far more than statues.
The statue debate is nothing new. There was a similar uproar, in Charlottesville, Virginia, a few years ago, when Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old legal assistant was killed in a protest. “White supremacists, with groups of neo-Nazis, neo-Confederates and the Ku Klux Klan, had chosen a statue of Confederate general Robert E Lee, as the rallying point for their gathering”. (Ref. below)
Many people see Confederate statues as symbols of ideologies and events. And their erection is part of politics. It’s an act of government during a period of time, telling its public their version of the truth, stating ‘this person was a national hero’. When the same statue is removed years later, lawfully or unlawfully, it’s another political act.
So many people around the world are speaking up against inequality and prejudice. And maybe for once, real change is possible.
So what’s in a statue? And why does any of it matter?
We see statues wherever we go. In other countries, half the time you do not know the history of the man on the plinth. And yes, it is usually a man. There’s not much ‘gender parity’ here, when it comes to commemorating national heroes. Maybe that’s another thing that needs to change.
We just saw this bust, in a harbour in Grimstad. The name reads Fredrik Smith Petersen. Researching him a bit further, it turns out that he was a local shipowner, a significant figure, for shipping, investments and trade; oil not people.
Around the world these figures are afforded prominence as conquerors and champions. Conquerors of who? Champions of what? Most countries erect a statue of someone who was considered worthy of admiration. But do these figures represent the values or ideologies of now?
Put simply, if they did now what they did then, would we want to celebrate them?
It’s interesting to listen to both sides of the debate. Right wing, traditional thinkers will generally put forward their ‘preserve the status quo’ views and hide behind the feeble argument that this is destroying history. No, this is not destroying history. The enslaving, the exploitation, the colonising, the thieving and the thuggery of old, in the name of empire or power cannot be erased. The history cannot be undone. Nor will it be forgotten.
But perhaps the time has come to no longer expect everyone to roll over and revere the ‘big men’ of the past. Some will want to cling on to these elaborate statues. Delusions of grandeur.
But reigns end. When the rule of Saddam Hussein ended, the world’s media invited us to cheer. We were told that he was a dictator, who ruled by force. Some say that events were staged and helped to show how America had won their war. This statue tumbling was presented as O.K. It was never referred to as vandalism.
The statue of Cecil Rhodes was removed in Cape Town a few years ago. It offended some. And it had little relevance to many. The statue is gone. The history of what Cecil Rhodes did in Southern Africa remains.
And maybe this is something to be considered here, permanence. Should these figures be held up for eternity anyway? They were considered great to some at the time but ideas pass. Ideologies change. Our world has evolved. Maybe some don’t want it to.
Perhaps that is part of the problem. Some don’t want this change. They don’t want to think about their country’s horrible histories. It makes them uncomfortable to acknowledge that atrocities were committed against others, that “maybe one was not so civilised after all”. It’s far more convenient to politely ‘brush it under the carpet’. For some. Not everyone.
Many of us want a better society.
It’s interesting to see that this debate was already addressed in Ireland, where previously statues were reminders of the bloody British occupation. Ireland took a stand, removed those reminders of its oppression and replaced them with their own figures, their heroes. Change is possible.
Perhaps many could follow Ireland’s lead, and communities could put up its own statues, being invited to choose who to commemorate now, instead of being told who to venerate from the past.
Figures of the past can be housed in museums and used to educate children about all aspects of history, not just the glory and victory but the gory details too; the brut force and battles that came with various colonial powers.
And what will be put in their place? Who are our heroes now? These are discussions that could be happening in communities everywhere.
Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, the general pubic has stood on streets and balconies around the globe, clapping in appreciation for their doctors, nurses and key workers. Aren’t they national heroes?
There are many modern day heroes who deserve recognition. Or will they continue to be overlooked, while we cling on to figures from the past?
Is there a statue where you are, home or away? When was it put up? What is the person famous for?
© Maggie M /Mother City Time
Reference
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/26/statues-were-not-erected-to-teach-us-history-but-to-exert-power
Unfortunately, due to my either laziness or just believing that things like this wouldn’t still be around I never even thought about statues like that.
I see a statue and I think that person must have done something memorable….. Now on that way of thinking I’m saying to myself about how times change, what was important over 100 years ago is it still now… Its in our past and we will never be able to deny it, it would of been documented. BUT if now we find out that whoever from back then has a statue celebrating their being and has been upsetting our fellow countryman because of things that were wrong at the time, why would any one want to leave it up?
It may have been accepted then because we were stupid back then. Now as a human race we are growing and seeing the error of our ways. Should it still be there? ‘No’ is the answer. We should be continually learning about how we better the world so everyone can be happy. In reality that’s never going to happen but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.
Some Statues should stay. People like Churchill, who in my eyes outweighs any bad he done with how he has helped shape our country now.
Just because someone donated money to build a hospital or school or a building of some kind doesnt mean they are a good person, that money could of come from drug trafficking, weapons, slavery….There is a long list of things that it could be.
I guess what I’m trying to say is history will always be around…. Its never going….. Why does a statue have to stand in the same place for years. Surely someone else has done something that deserves for them to become remembered. Why not replace any statues of people with questionable pasts with a new one. Put the statues in a museum if people want to see the bad things we as a race done, let’s not glorify them so people like me think they done just good because of their statue standing in the middle of town for everyone to see, not bothering to find out what they done. Put them away so people actually learn what they done when they visit a museum.
Let’s change our less important statues… Not the King’s and Queens etc…..
I’m not really sure if I’m getting my point across very well. I’m not as good with my words as Maggie……
20 years ago a statue of a man was unveiled in a town square because he donated loads of money to children’s charity’s and done loads of good things to help people… He died 10 years ago. We now find out he was abusing children all the years he was also helping them…. Would you leave his statue up?
Thanks for commenting Pete. I think most people glance at a statue and think that person must have done something exceptional. It is the job of parents, teachers and society to teach history properly. What do you remember from history lessons at school? “Turn to page X and do questions 1-10”. It was terrible! There was no debate or discussion. Critical thinking was not encouraged. We were expected to passively learn dates of kings and queens and regurgitate this information in exams. At the time I could tell you all the names of King Henry VIII’s wives and the dates of the marriages and deaths. How did that help me? I wish that we had been taught about The British Empire, to understand the history of Britain as well as the founding of the Commonwealth and the migration of people from colonies to Britain post-independence. That would have had relevance. Even now I don’t think many children (and some adults) know the facts. And that lack of knowledge can lead to a lack of understanding and/or ignorance. In some cases, that ignorance can lead to racial prejudice.
Surely if any statue is causing offence to some in the community, the local council needs to engage in a dialogue with the people. That sounds like a civilised and democratic society. It’s impressive how Ireland handled this. The statues are gone. The history remains. And I’d be confident that the British occupation of Ireland is taught in schools and that most people could tell you a lot about about it. It’s staggering how many people put on “faux patriotism” but if asked, couldn’t actually tell you much about their country’s history at all.
As you say, why not replace statues of people with questionable pasts with a new one. The original statues should be preserved in museums for people to learn from. Many people do not know enough about The British Empire. Why not have a dedicated museum for this? In South Africa there is a brilliantly curated Apartheid museum. People know the facts and understand why this young democracy is still healing from its past, less than three decades after such an oppressive regime. Like most things, Education is key, along with discussion and debate.
Thanks for taking time to comment Pete. Keep enjoying Mother City Time.
Here’s a suggestion. The government (central or local) auctions all statues on public land. If a right wing group bids highest for a statue, they can take it away and maintain it on private land at their own expense. If a left wing group wins a bid for a statue, they can take it away and dispose of it at their own expense. Meanwhile the government raises funds which it can use for public services, or for tax cuts, or whatever is in their manifesto. If bidding fails to reach a reserve price, the statue stays where it is and everybody gets on with their lives.
Chris, thanks for your comment and your suggestion. A bidding war, of left versus right sounds quite divisive. But the idea of raising funds, which the government could use for public services, can only be a good thing. Hopefully we will see councils engaging in a dialogue with local residents, to agree a course of action. Personally, I don’t think that boxing statues up or destroying them is the answer.