Statues and similar monuments have always been something that society holds precious. It's something that is held up as one of the pillars of society; most of them are built so we can remember certain people for the great actions they took in the past.
These statues, great infrastructures, and schools named after these people are also like statements made. They tell us who we choose to admire, we celebrate them, who we want to be our role models, who we want to represent our values, and some people even want their future generations to look up to them.
But the truth is that I have always seen it as something overrated. Yeah, I get some people use them as some kind of anchor to good values and a proof, a reminder of the possibility of certain greatness and impact. But whenever time peels the outer layer, rolls back the curtains on these images people look up to and I see people affected so much by what they find beyond the curtains is something I just don't get.
I don't know maybe it's because I have long accepted the nature of human beings, so I am not so sure that finding out someone I never really knew is entirely different from what they seem to be would be any kind of shock to me.
I mean, when would people learn to understand that every human being tends to be flawed? The only difference is the varying density of our flaws.
How can you expect someone to be perfect when you yourself can't be perfect? That's quite a lot of weight to put on another person's shoulders.
Around the world, people are still wrestling to this day with the bitter truth that the legends they celebrated and adored were not literally the “good guys"
Some participated in slavery, racism, abuse, genocide, and many more horrifying acts.
While most of their victims are nameless and forgotten their statues and monuments still stand tall, upon the silent pain their actions caused that would never go away. The question then becomes unavoidable—should these monuments be removed, renamed, or left untouched?
To be honest, I don't care about people who argue to leave the monuments of bad people up, maybe that's one of my flaws too, but it just doesn't make sense to me.
For me those statues and monuments simply say "this person is highly admired or should be” and I can't imagine the pain it would cause to people and communities affected by the evil acts of the image of these monuments and statues receive admiration and respect.
The statues and monuments are more about what the person represents to the living world than who they were.
If a person has an evil part but absolutely no one knows about it then it's fine the statue stands. But the moment a single evil act comes to light the statue should be brought down not as a judgment upon the person but because the statue no longer makes the same statement as before whether you like it or not.
Or maybe they could be moved to museums and plaques that tell the full story rather than praises should be added.
Infact the main thing is the story, or at least it should be. Because if everyone knew the full story then I doubt there would be a need to do much.
But the thing is that these statues, monuments, institutions, and infrastructures named after them would always be means of admiration, and respect. And that's something that needs to be changed.
