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How do we think about taking down controversial statues in the UK? How do we think about taking down controversial statues in the UK?
We have every right to take the statues down We have every right to take the statues down
How dare they tear down our statues How dare they tear down our statues
We should approach the statues issue with caution We should approach the statues issue with caution
The statues sustain structural oppression The statues sustain structural oppression
The controversial statues celebrate evil acts The controversial statues celebrate evil acts
The controversial statues venerate evil people The controversial statues venerate evil people
The controversial statues oppress UK ethnic minorities The controversial statues oppress UK ethnic minorities
The controversial statues represent UK history inaccurately The controversial statues represent UK history inaccurately
Having controversial statues in a museum sanctifies evil Having controversial statues in a museum sanctifies evil
The controversial statues legitimise racism The controversial statues legitimise racism
The controversial UK statues destroy the intellectual health of the public The controversial UK statues destroy the intellectual health of the public
Controversial statues hide deep injustice Controversial statues hide deep injustice
The controversial statues debate shows how Britain's democratic channels have failed us The controversial statues debate shows how Britain's democratic channels have failed us
This is the revolutionary resistance we have been waiting for This is the revolutionary resistance we have been waiting for
The people tearing down controversial statues are erasing British history The people tearing down controversial statues are erasing British history
We must defend British culture against those who tear down controversial statues in the UK We must defend British culture against those who tear down controversial statues in the UK
The violent mob are race traitors The violent mob are race traitors
We have been forced to accept multiculturalism against our will We have been forced to accept multiculturalism against our will
All lives matter, so tearing down controversial statues in the UK is wrong All lives matter, so tearing down controversial statues in the UK is wrong
The police are working in the interests of the enemy when they support those who tear down controversial statues The police are working in the interests of the enemy when they support those who tear down controversial statues
Non-whites should go back to where they came from rather than tearing down controversial statues Non-whites should go back to where they came from rather than tearing down controversial statues
This is an attack on the white working class This is an attack on the white working class
The controversial statues are an attack on the UK's white majority The controversial statues are an attack on the UK's white majority
We should find ways to give more context to these controversial statues in the UK We should find ways to give more context to these controversial statues in the UK
Controversial statues have an educational purpose in the UK Controversial statues have an educational purpose in the UK
Our approach to storytelling UK statues is flawed Our approach to storytelling UK statues is flawed
The UK controversial statues debate is about the decline of the West The UK controversial statues debate is about the decline of the West
The UK controversial statues debate is an opportunity to think about how we look at history The UK controversial statues debate is an opportunity to think about how we look at history
The controversial statues are a distraction from the real issue at hand in the UK The controversial statues are a distraction from the real issue at hand in the UK
We should focus on the UK's present, not its past We should focus on the UK's present, not its past
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How do we think about taking down controversial statues in the UK?
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How dare they tear down our statues

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This is an attack on the white working class

The white working class, who are already disadvantaged in the UK, are being undermined yet again.
Leo McKinstry
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The Argument

The tearing down of statues dedicated to great Brits is highly offensive and an attack on the white working class that makes up the foundation of the UK. In an attempt to appear politically correct and “diverse,” the British government has undermined its indigenous population time and again. White working-class Brits are the heart of the country, and they continue to be undermined and overlooked in order to make racial and ethnic minorities feel better about themselves.[1] White working-class children in UK schools are consistently falling behind, more than any other group.[2] This shows a clear lack of consideration for Britain’s native population, and it is unacceptable. Tearing down statues of important historical figures that are symbols of indigenous Britain is a slap in the face to the efforts and legacy that white British people have created over the course of this country’s history. This action discriminates against one group in order to appease another and it is an affront to the British people.

Counter arguments

The reasoning behind the removal of certain statues has nothing to do with erasing the contributions the white working-class has made to English society. The issue is the objection to glorifying those who demonstrated behavior that is considered unacceptable by British society, and harmful towards many of its citizens, both during the time they were alive, and also from the legacy they left behind. No one is denying that these figures did some incredible things in their lifetimes. However, their beliefs and actions in other aspects of their lives, whether as eugenicists, slave-holders, or otherwise, degrades their respectability and they should not be lauded publicly with statues or monuments. Ignoring these problematic elements of many current statues is to ignore the beauty of Britain’s long and diverse history in favor of a fantasy nostalgia where only white Britons existed and imperialism, slavery, and racism never happened. [3]

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.express.co.uk/comment/columnists/leo-mckinstry/15991/How-the-Government-has-declared-war-on-white-English-people
  2. https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/09/20/issues-facing-working-class-white-children-are-unfashionable-and-taboo-as-they-fall-behind-minorities-in-testing/
  3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/52965665
This page was last edited on Tuesday, 22 Sep 2020 at 04:37 UTC

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