It’s a complex issue in that our ancestors erected a statue to Columbus to feel included, at a time when they felt discriminated against. Columbus was acceptable to mainstream Americans of the past, so it was an easy choice for them. But the view of Columbus (not of Italian people) is challenged by other perspectives and historical experiences (full truth or perspective only goes as far as one can see and I think that’s where everyone is … Walsh, protesters, us, etc.). There’s a purpose to saving these monuments – they do tell a story about exclusion and discrimination. Destroying or removing these statues, censors history and our ancestors fight for civil rights.
Art. History. Heritage.
