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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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We have every right to take the statues down

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This is the revolutionary resistance we have been waiting for

Recent acts of statue toppling represent an eruption of dissent against institutional racism. But this paradigm shift is hardly unprecedented- it’s been years in the making. When decades of peaceful protests fail to stir action within the government, revolutionary acts must take their place.
Owen Jones Simukai Chigudu
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The Argument

A nation’s values are reflected in its contextualization of history. So, prominent Western countries- such as England and the USA- with their irremediable pasts in Imperialism and slavery, must take extra care in the messaging produced by public monuments. The UK has been contemplating the legacy of its empire for over a century now. At the same time, America still wrestles with its involvement in the slave trade, decades after the Civil Rights Movement.[1] But reparations are meaningless when they refuse to confront and acknowledge history. The recent acts of statue toppling are a necessary act of revolution, enacting a reclamation of national identity. It is a justified reaction to a long history of inaction from local and national politicians, whose responses still range from willful ignorance to colonial pride. Corruption and cowardice have prevented us from progressing with stagnant politicians eager to appease wealthy donors and avoid backlash. The impression of redistributing power in western countries is volatile due to polarised opinions on socialism, communism, and other radical products of left-wing ideology. But, dismantling symbols of oppression is not exclusive to the left. Iconoclasm has occurred since ancient times and is a common means of reassimilating identity after a period of social fragmentation.[2] Ignoring the portrayal of events by the media, we can see this as a non-partisan issue. Toppling statues does not represent dangerous civil unrest or have economic repercussions. Instead, it is the expected result of years of uncontested oppression from powers of authority, grasping onto an outdated view of how we represent our history. The public deserves to voice their opinion, and taking down statues that do not represent current values is a vital form of resistance and democracy.

Counter arguments

When desecrating objects of historical importance, a haphazard approach reflects badly on those supposedly calling for social change. It’s easy to antagonize well-documented figures, such as Winston Churchill, whose values may not entirely align with our own.[3] But Churchill's statue is a mismatched target of Black Lives Matter protesters when considering his political relevance. Defacing his memorial is not engaging in a meaningful conversation- but vandalism, spurred by an unnuanced and deliberately incomplete view of history. The effect has done little to reflect BLM’s intent and doesn’t ‘redistribute power.’ Instead, it has alienated non-supporters further while inviting unsavory opinions about the movement. Even the initial toppling of Bristol’s Edward Colston statue- a far more unanimous gesture that received limited local backlash even from the council- will fail to spark social upheaval in the long run.[4]The problem here wasn’t the intent- it was an eruption following decades of protests by Bristolians to remove the figure's legacy from public view- but its method.[5] The city centre was flooded with unruly protesters at a time when COVID-19 restrictions were essential for public safety, ripped the statue from its plinth and dumped it into the harbour. Future visitors will see the damaged statue in a glass case, rather than polluting the city’s maritime landscape, after the council inevitably fished it out for historical preservation.[6] The legacy of Colston cannot be removed, only solidified by such impulsive fits. Protesters have failed to achieve an essential element of revolution- coherency of vision. If they are to take down statues as a symbol of resistance, then they must know why they are doing it. They must discriminate between figures with controversial views and those who represent oppression. They must organize and distance themselves from senseless vandalism. Altogether, they must have a purpose. History won’t see them favourably otherwise.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Statues of imperialist figures represent uncontested oppression. [P2] Nonviolent revolution can be a force for positive social change. [P3] Taking down statues is a potent gesture and act of necessary revolution.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Statues of imperialist figures are not meant to reflect current values. They are simply a historical artifact. [Rejecting P2] Taking down controversial statues indiscriminately is the product of mob-rule rather than revolution. It will not enact positive social change. [Rejecting P3] This attempt at social upheaval is a futile gesture and will not help us redistribute power from the elite.

References

  1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2142382.pdf
  2. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/world/controversial-statues-monuments-destroyed.html
  3. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/not-his-finest-hour-the-dark-side-of-winston-churchill-2118317.html
  4. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/13/bristol-mayor-colston-statue-removal-was-act-of-historical-poetry
  5. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/how-city-failed-remove-edward-4211771
  6. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/bristol-edward-colston-statue-museum-a4465246.html

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This page was last edited on Friday, 2 Oct 2020 at 03:56 UTC

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