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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 should approach the statues issue with caution

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The controversial statues are a distraction from the real issue at hand in the UK

Putting emphasis on statues in a debate about UK race relations detracts from the problem.
David Olusoga
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The Argument

The focus on controversial statues in the UK is a needless distraction for the issues of serious racial inequalities that pervade British society. When faced with the troubling facts, the statues are shown to be unimportant in comparison to the disturbing rates of inequality in the UK. In 2018, a report was published displaying that black people were at the receiving end of 12 percent of cases of violence and use of force against citizens, even though they only make up 3.3 percent of the population. [1] Beyond simply police brutality, recent Covid-19 numbers have also forced British citizens to come to terms with the inequality within their society. According to an IFS report, the death rate for people of African descent was 3·5 times higher than for white British citizens. [2] With all of these difficult truths forced upon the UK, it is easy to understand why the British government is hyper focused on the statue controversy in order to distract citizens from the real issues at hand.

Counter arguments

Many British protesters believe that bringing attention to these statues is not a distraction from the real issues, it is bringing attention to those issues. They believe that coming to terms with the injustices that famous figures in British history have committed will bring attention to the oppression that has been embedded in the system for years. [3] For them, the statues are the trademarks of inequality.

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/black-lives-matter-uk-protests-about-people-not-statues-1-6695567
  2. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30228-9/fulltext
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/11/toppling-statues-bygone-tyrants-forces-british-people-face-present-day-racism
This page was last edited on Tuesday, 22 Sep 2020 at 09:16 UTC

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