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General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: Jolly2 on 20/01/2021 23:44:50

Title: Would black lives matter remove a statue of ...
Post by: Jolly2 on 20/01/2021 23:44:50
Would black lives matter remove a statue of commander Laurence? A character from the story a handmaid's tail?
Title: Re: Would black lives matter remove a statue of ...
Post by: alancalverd on 21/01/2021 00:04:09
Apart from Peter Pan, I know of very few statues of modern fictional characters. But if you know of one, you could more usefully pose your question on a BLM website and see what happens.

The fashion for toppling statues is a bit unpredictable. AFAIK no antivax idiots have attacked Edward Jenner this year, French tourists still visit Trafalgar Square, and latterday admirers of the Third Reich haven't defaced Churchill or Harris.

And isn't such iconoclasm a bit shortsighted? Objectors to Cecil Rhodes shouldn't waste their time on statues that nobody else notices, but address the real issues where his repulsive legacy actually poisons the current and future generations: close Oriel College and abandon the scholarships. Look at the list of disgusting people who benefitted from his legacy: Bill Clinton, Kris Kristofferson, Pete Buttigeig.... Democrat senators and ambassadors, Labor Party prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand, senior ministers in the awful leftwing government of Canada...oh the list of reprehensible social reformers and advocates for minority rights just goes on and on.....

Face it, history is full of sh1t. But so is my rose garden.

Title: Re: Would black lives matter remove a statue of ...
Post by: Darel2021 on 20/04/2021 10:52:10
Apart from Peter Pan, I know of very few statues of modern fictional characters. But if you know of one, you could more usefully pose your question on a BLM website and see what happens.

The fashion for toppling statues is a bit unpredictable. AFAIK no antivax idiots have attacked Edward Jenner this year, French tourists still visit Trafalgar Square, and latterday admirers of the Third Reich haven't defaced Churchill or Harris.

And isn't such iconoclasm a bit shortsighted? Objectors to Cecil Rhodes shouldn't waste their time on statues that nobody else notices, but address the real issues where his repulsive legacy actually poisons the current and future generations: close Oriel College and abandon the scholarships. Look at the list of disgusting people who benefitted from his legacy: Bill Clinton, Kris Kristofferson, Pete Buttigeig.... Democrat senators and ambassadors, Labor Party prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand, senior ministers in the awful leftwing government of Canada...oh the list of reprehensible social reformers and advocates for minority rights just goes on and on.....

Face it, history is full of sh1t. But so is my rose garden.
I think that any revolution or protest is the popularization of violence in society. And history tells us that the method of violence does not lead to anything but devastation. We must surpass them with something good.
Title: Re: Would black lives matter remove a statue of ...
Post by: Mitko Gorgiev on 20/04/2021 13:56:49
I think that any revolution or protest is the popularization of violence in society. And history tells us that the method of violence does not lead to anything but devastation. We must surpass them with something good.
If you really think that, then you will certainly like a wonderful miniature from Stefan Zweig about the three last days of Tolstoi's life ( Die Flucht zu Gott - The Flight to God ).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decisive_Moments_in_History#Contents
Perhaps you could recommend it to your students.
It is a wonderful lecture.
Title: Re: Would black lives matter remove a statue of ...
Post by: Darel2021 on 20/04/2021 14:33:12
I think that any revolution or protest is the popularization of violence in society. And history tells us that the method of violence does not lead to anything but devastation. We must surpass them with something good.
If you really think that, then you will certainly like a wonderful miniature from Stefan Zweig about the three last days of Tolstoi's life ( Die Flucht zu Gott - The Flight to God ).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decisive_Moments_in_History#Contents
Perhaps you could recommend it to your students.
It is a wonderful lecture.

Thank you very much, this is interesting. I was reminded of an essay about how Tolstoy spent his first money on War and Peace. There is no hard evidence, but they write that he invested his money in the development of the Tank. He was such a stern person.
Title: Re: Would black lives matter remove a statue of ...
Post by: Darel2021 on 30/04/2021 10:19:16
And I will add to our topic that the BLM theme is becoming alive in world history. <<<SPAM LINK REMOVED>>> So we are witnesses of history. And for this story to be full of positive achievements, we must put a hand in this. But without violence. We must surpass the enemy - with something good.
Title: Re: Would black lives matter remove a statue of ...
Post by: evan_au on 30/04/2021 23:17:57
It seems like only in the past year that a majority of Americans have realized that Black Lives Matter.
So you can hardly complain if an American who lived a century ago did not have the same understanding.

To some extent, you have to consider people in their context.